Reports have emerged of dozens of sheep drowing in southwest Scotland as a result of the River Nith flooding.
Sheep breeding technology supplier, Innovis Breeding Sheep, has said it lost 40 tup lambs in what it said is the “reality of farming”.
“The River Nith came over last night about two miles up stream from where we had sheep grazing,” it said.
Furthermore, the company said in a Facebook post on December 31, that it understood over 400 sheep in the local area have suffered the same fate. It offered its “heartfelt sympathy to all the farmers out there facing these challenges”.
The National Farmers’ Union of Scotland (NFUS) told Agriland that it was aware, through its regional manager, of “at least three farmers (including Innovis) who have lost sheep in the flooding”.
“There may have been more,” the union said.
This news comes in the wake of the deaths of almost 30 pregnant sheep in a suspected dog attack in Kent over the Christmas period.
The suspected attack took place in Teynham, near Sittingbourne in Kent between Christmas Day (December 25) and Boxing Day (December 26).
It was reported that barking was heard on Deerton street between 4:00p.m and 5:00pm on Christmas day, however, it wasn’t until 1:00p.m the following afternoon that the 27 dead ewes were discovered.
In a statement, PC Marc Pennicott of Kent Police’s Rural Task Force said the incident was “very distressing” and that it is “possibly the worst livestock attack we have ever had”.
“The sheep would have been petrified and had no way of escaping. [Some] were pregnant with twins or triplets.
“We believe they may have been attacked by one dog but cannot rule out that more dogs may have also been responsible,” he added.
Sheep worrying
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and Warwickshire Police’s Rural Crime Team teamed up today (Thursday, January 5) to raise awareness about the impacts of sheep worrying and how to prevent it.
In a video posted by the NFU on Twitter, Graeme Hall, the ‘Dogfather’ from the Channel 5 TV show Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, said he believed the incidences of sheep worrying are on the increase.
“I think there’s a bit of a problem with the term ‘sheep worrying’, because we just think ‘worrying? well, that’s not very much’,” he explained.
Alternatively, he said, when the term ‘sheep attack’ is used, people think their dog would never be capable of attacking a sheep.
“But a dog doesn’t need to attack a sheep in order to kill them,” he said.
“They actually get stressed out, their hearts give out. Even when a dog’s just running after them, in the dog’s mind, to play.”
Jenny May-Royle of Warwickshire Police’s Rural Crime Team said: “The laws around sheep worrying are pretty straightforward actually. The offence happens when a sheep’s injured by a dog, the dog’s out in the field, or the dog’s chasing sheep.”
“You’d be amazed how quickly your dog could run after some sheep. You couldn’t catch them,” Hall added.
“Usain Bolt’s hundred metre record was 9.58 seconds; a dog can do that in about 5.
“I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’d be that quick. I think the answer is pretty clear isn’t it? Keep your dog on a short lead if you’re anywhere near sheep.”
