[LabSheep]

Hi,

I just wondered if anyone feels it's appropriate for people (without your consent) feeding your sheep 'treats' (parsnips etc whilst digging their allotments)? I have some of my ewes and their lambs near an allotment, and the grass is running low (I am due to move them) and so I feed them twice a day to maintain their nutrition.

Am I within my right, respectively, to say, or put a note up saying, please don't feed my sheep without my consent, they are fed twice a day (the orphan lamb 3 times a day), and feeding them treats could be 'overfeeding' them'?

My sheep are very friendly and run towards me when they see me, so I am wondering if people are confusing this when with they see the sheep, thinking that they are hungry! I just know I wouldn't feed anyone's livestock/pet etc without consent!

Thank you in advance for your opinion.

[shep53]

I too would put up a polite notice saying that the produce from an allotment  may cause problems with choking or digestion  especially in small lambs . 

[macgro7]

We border allotment as well - and people used to feed my goats all sorts of garden waste (including RHUBARB) as well as BISCUITS!!!
now I only have baby goats atm but for now dont let them in the main run so they dont have any direct contact with other people (they can see them from distance).

At the moment the main issue is people touching the animals and animals acting like potential spreading source of the virus. I mean it could stay on their fur a while. The same with cats and dogs - no one should be touching your animals!

[Fleecewife]

The possibility of people feeding plants which are harmful to your sheep is too great, quite apart from feeding them too much.  I would put up a polite but strongly worded sign, pointing out that people could cause the death of your livestock by feeding them inappropriate foods.  Also try speaking in a friendly way to anyone you see there when you are at the field, asking them if they can explain the situation to anyone they see feeding the sheep.

[macgro7]

People think they are being nice by feeding them hedge and lawn clippings- I would accept them for the chickens or compost heap but the goats cant easily get sick or die from them.
People did feed my goats lawn clippings once.

[Muddy Wellies]

I had this problem last year. A man kept coming up the footpath with his grandkids and half a loaf of bread which they fed to me sheep. This was shortly before lambing and as only a few of my ewes are friendly, it meant they were in danger of having much bigger lambs. I asked him twice not to do it and ended up having to move the ewes which was really annoying...