'It's just vile and dreadful': Farmer's anger after 48 of his lambs drown when concrete slab protecting well is removed

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Upset: Farmer Clive Taylor is angry at pranksters who removed a slab protecting a well, resulting in the deaths of 48 lambs

A farmer has spoken of his anger after a concrete slab protecting a well in his field was deliberately removed and resulted in the death of 48 lambs.
Clive Taylor, 62, found the animals dead floating at the bottom of a disused well at his farm at Broomcroft Farm, near Much Wenlock, Shropshire on Sunday.
The 8ft-deep well was covered with a 200kg stone slab which Mr Taylor believes was deliberately removed to expose the 2ft wide hole which the lambs tumbled into.
He said: 'I walk the fields usually twice a day. We walked it on Sunday morning and you could tell there was something wrong.

Drowned: The bodies of the 48 lambs found dead in the well are laid out at the farm. The animals were around ten per cent of Mr Taylor's livestock

'A ewe came calling out and I looked round the field and thought there weren't enough lambs there. There had been about 150 lambs with 100 ewes.
'I looked over to the well and I could see that the lid was up. I looked down the well and I could see it was full of lambs.
'I thought to start with there were 10 floating in there, but then some friends came around and a local builder and we made a gaff (a large iron hook) and pulled them out and saw there were 48.
'They'd all been lying on top of each other in the water. There may be more still in there.

Malicious: Mr Taylor said there was no finger prints on the slab or evidence of movement by the well, which is 8ft deep

'One farmer said "do I think someone chucked them in" - but I don't think they could have.' The lambs which died were worth £5,000 and around ten per cent of Mr Taylor's livestock. He added: 'The amazing thing is we might not be insured. We have to prove it was a malicious act.
'But the police can't find fingerprints on a stone slab and the ground's been so dry there's no trace of anyone being there.
'It's been moved by human beings. It's just vile and dreadful. It's been done by a person.'

source: dailymail

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A spring in their step: Abandoned lambs Oliver and Annie make the most of the sunshine to enjoy lunch from their keeper

By JILL REILLY

Helping hand: Luke Watson feeds the two orphaned black lambs called Oliver and Annie who were born at Tatton Park Farm, Cheshire last week

They didn't have the best start in life when they were left orphaned, but Oliver and Annie have become very fond of farmyard apprentice Luke Watson, their surrogate parent. The new-born black lambs were discovered by rangers at Tatton Park, Cheshire, over the Easter weekend next to the dead body of their mother, who had died during their birth.
The cuddly male and female pair - named Oliver and Annie in honour of their orphaned status - have now latched on to Mr Watson, 19, as their primary carer and follow him around the yard like a shadow
Mr Watson, who has been working at Tatton Park farm in Cheshire for three months, has been bottle-feeding and caring for the lively Hebridean twins.

Happy trio: The cuddly male and female pair have now latched on to Mr Watons, 19, as their primary carer and follow him around the yard like a shadow

You got a friend in me: Mr Watson said 'They follow me around. We bring them out and they walk about and run about a bit. They are quite mischievous'

He is currently studying towards and NVQ in Agriculture, said: 'We’re just bottle-feeding them with goat’s milk, 150ml each five times a day. We start feeding them at around 10am then stagger it through the day.'
He said they are currently being kept in separate pens and the farm is considering trying to 'pair them off with another sheep.'
'They follow me around. We bring them out and they walk about and run about a bit. They are quite mischievous. Oliver is often very lively and loves running about and mucking around with the dog and likes to chase the dog a bit,' he added.

Farm rivalry: Kip, the farm's sheepdog is now a rival for Mr Watson's affections - and it looks set to get worse as twenty four farm ewes are due to lamb over the next few days

The orphaned lambs were born on Good Friday, and are one of three sets of twins born in the last few days at the park, in addition to four single lambs, as their annual spring ‘baby boom’ gets underway.
Twenty-four of the park’s ewes are due to lamb this season, with 14 sets of twins, two sets of triplets and eight single lambs expected in total by the end of next week, leaving park staff and visitors literally counting sheep.
The flock are mainly Suffolk cross, but there are also three rare breed Leicester longwool ewes expecting five lambs between them.

source: dailymail

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Would ewe believe it? The lambs bred to look like pandas (complete with black eyes and ears)

Bear-ing a striking resemblance: The panda lambs bred to look like Edinburgh Zoo's star attractions

Scotland's efforts to breed panda cubs may have fallen distinctly flat.
But one farmer has come up with a solution – sheep that look like pandas.
Six panda lambs have been born on Windy Gowl Farm in Carlops, Peeblesshire, already this season.
They each have distinctive black rings around their eyes, white faces and a pair of black ears - making them the spitting image of Edinburgh Zoo’s giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian.
Farmer Jill Noble, 58, said: ‘2011, when we started breeding, was the year of the panda and you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about the new additions to Edinburgh Zoo.
‘That’s when we came up with the idea of creating panda lambs. We knew it would be hard to do because the parent sheep looked nothing like pandas.
‘When they were born and we saw their black eyes we were amazed – it had actually worked! They are completely sweet and very adorable looking.‘

'Sweet and adorable': The lamb's owners were amazed when they were born with panda-like black eyes

Breeding blend: Jill Noble spent hours researching the genetic background of black, white and coloured sheep to get the perfect variety

As it turns out, we have done a bit better than the pandas at Edinburgh Zoo who don’t have any babies yet.’
The farmer, who built Windy Gowl Farm 24 years ago, had never cross-bred sheep when she started her experiment last November.
It took hours of research into the genetic background of the black, white and coloured sheep used to see if they would be the perfect fit.

So many lambs were born, Jill Noble is considering naming them after the panda at Edinburgh Zoo

She will not now reveal the types of sheep used for fear of giving her secret away. But aptly enough, the first ‘panda lamb’ was born on April Fool’s Day, followed by five more females.
‘Ignore the first one being born on April Fool’s Day - I promise this is not a joke,’ Miss Noble laughed.
‘The black eyes are not drawn on with marker pen and they don’t come off.
‘Everyone is very amused and very impressed by the appearance of these young lambs. We are thinking of names at the moment and are definitely considering calling them Yang Guang and Tian Tian.
‘Because we have so many, we might have a Sweetie and Sunshine too.’

Missed opportunity: Tian Tian and Yang Guang failed to mate during a 36-hour ovulation window

The original Yan Guang and Tian Tian, or Sweetie and Sunshine, have not done so well in the reproductive stakes.
They had a window of just 36 hours to breed this week but failed to do so. The zoo having ruled out artificial insemination, it will now be another year before the pandas can try for cubs again. In the meantime, the panda lambs could satisfy the desire for all things black and white.
Miss Noble expects to get a higher price for them at market and thinks there will be a high demand from smallholders with a few livestock, who are always interested in the prettiest animals.

source: dailymail

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Spring in her step: Lamb left hobbling on shattered front leg given new lease of life with prosthetic limb

By WIL LONGBOTTOM

New lease of life: Carmen the two-week-old lamb is jumping and playing again after she was fitted with a prosthetic leg at Animal Place, Grass Valley, California

A lamb left hobbling around after breaking her front leg has been given a new spring in her step thanks to a prosthetic.
Carmen was found hungry, badly injured and near death in California after limping around with her shattered leg for two weeks.
She was taken to Animal Place, a sanctuary in Grass Valley, where doctors were forced to amputate the limb due to infection.

Learning to walk again: Carmen has the prosthetic on for an hour a day as she gets used to it

A local prosthetic company agreed to donate a leg to the two-week-old lamb, and she now wears it for a few hours a day as she becomes used to it.
Jamie London, animal care manager at Animal Place, said: 'She was gonna die without any kind of treatment. Her mother was afraid of her so she wasn't getting fed.'
Marji Beach, who also works at the animal sanctuary, added: 'Someone saw this baby lamb suffering immensely and they didn't just turn away. They turned compassion into action.
'The sheep are intimidated by this weird metal device on her so we'll give them time to adjust to it as Carmen does.'

Recovering: The lamb broke her leg when she was two days old and was left to fend for herself when her mother stopped feeding her

Carmen broke her leg when she was just two days old. She lived on a small farm where sheep were used to clear weeds and the farmer refused to treat the leg.
The little animal wears the prosthetic for an hour a day as she relearns how to walk with it and it will need to be replaced as she grows bigger.



source: dailymail

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Saved from the chop: Paul O'Grady comes to the rescue of Winston the wheelie bin lamb

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Not so savage: Paul O'Grady with Winston the lamb and RSPCA Inspector Caroline Hall at O'Grady's home in Kent, where he has taken in the abandoned animal


Paul O'Grady is famous for his love of dogs but the TV star has taken in a pet lamb after it was dumped in a wheelie bin.

The month-old lamb, named Winston, was found in the rubbish in Manchester on April 18.
And after hearing about it's sad plight, O'Grady, who already has a small flock of sheep, volunteered to re-home the animal.

The lamb received treatment for an ulcerated eye but was otherwise unharmed.

It was bottle-fed by a fosterer around the clock before being transported to O'Grady's property in Kent last week.


Bin through a lot: Winston was dumped in a wheelie Bin in Manchester on April 18 and was suffering with an ulcerated eye


The comedian and television presenter said: 'Winston is a big, strong, healthy boy now - nothing like the state he was in when they found him.

'He's skipping around and has got his own barn so he is very happy.

'He's very friendly and loves human company. He's in his element.'


Rubbish: Winston was found in a bin in Manchester's inner-city Levenshulme area


RSPCA inspector Caroline Hall said: 'We still need to find out who was behind Winston being dumped, but it's so nice to see him gambolling around in his new home.

'We are very grateful to Paul and his animal care staff for helping to give Winston such a great new start in life after his unhappy beginnings.'

Anyone with information about how the lamb came to be abandoned can contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.


source: dailymail

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How a white ram and 37 white ewes produced a flock of entirely BLACK lambs

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

The flock of 37 white ewes - and one white ram - has produced 60 black lambs


A farmer was left stunned when her flock of 37 white sheep gave birth to 60 lambs - that are all BLACK.

Sally Du Toit, 39, and husband Jacob, 29, helped deliver the first black lamb on April 2 this year at their smallholding near Royston, Herts.

Since then their flock of 37 white ewes has given birth to a total of 60 black lambs, all sired by a one-year-old ram called Rowley.


The first black lamb was delivered on April 2 this year at a smallholding near Royston, Herts., and since then all other lambs have been black


Incredibly, the South African Dorper ram also has a white fleece, leaving mother-of-one Mrs Du Toit baffled by the freak births.

In sheep, a white fleece is the result of a dominant gene that actively switches colour production off - that is why most sheep are white.

This means a black fleece in most sheep is recessive, so if a white ram and a white ewe are each heterozygous (have the black and white forms of the gene for fleece colour), in about 25 per cent of cases they will produce a black lamb.

This is quite a rare occurrence though, and in most white sheep breeds only a few white sheep are heterozygous for black, so black lambs are usually much rarer than this. That is why this case is so special.


It is believed a genetic throwback is the reason for the colour of the lambs - but the gene must be very strong for this to happen


Mrs Du Toit said: 'We have had 60 lambs this month and every single one of them is black but all of their parents are white.

'Usually you see just one black sheep in an entire flock and that's where you get the saying from, but all of ours have this jet black coat.

'It is amazing. We don't know why it has happened. When the first few were born we thought it was great but now lamb after lamb has come out black.

'We feel blessed. I love the colour. People are stopping on the cycle path and in their cars to look at the lambs and ask us if they are a special kind of breed.'

source: dailymail

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Bizarre rescue of lamb after passer-by hears bleating... coming from inner city WHEELIE BIN

By JAYA NARIN

Luck escape: The white lamb is recovering at a community farm having been found dumped in a wheelie bin


When a woman was filmed dropping a tabby cat into a wheelie bin, animal-lovers were justifiably horrified.

But, in an even more bizarre case, a white lamb has been found dumped in a wheelie bin in a street in Manchester.

The alarm was raised by district nurse Gillian Powell when she heard a noise from the container while making a call on a patient.


Found: The unappealing street in Levenshulme, south of Manchester where the lamb was dumped is far removed from rural fields where he would be more at home


She called colleague Georgina Holmes, who was in a health centre round the corner in Heaton Moor.

‘She was anxious about opening the bin because she didn’t know what she’d find,’ said Mrs Holmes.

‘I went straight over to meet her. We couldn’t believe it when we lifted the lid. The last thing we expected to see was a lamb.’

The two nurses lifted the frightened animal out and wrapped him in a blanket before ringing the police and RSPCA.

They then took the lamb to the nearby Shore Fold Community Farm to wait for animal welfare officers. RSPCA inspector Caroline Hall said: ‘Obviously it’s not every day a lamb is found dumped in a wheelie bin.


Friends: RSPCA Inspector Caroline Hill cuddles the adorable young lamb at the sanctuary where he is being cared for


‘As you’d imagine, the lamb’s discovery caused a lot of interest among people in the area and we’re very grateful to them for everything they did to help. Who knows what would have happened otherwise.’

The lamb, believed to be just a month old, has been checked by a vet. He was uninjured and healthy, apart from a slight ulceration to an eye, for which he is being treated.

He has yet to be given a name, but is being looked after by an RSPCA foster carer and being bottle fed.

He will be found a long-term home on a community farm. The lamb had had his tail docked and been castrated, as is common for males.

The RSPCA wants to speak to a man seen in the street just minutes before the animal was found on Monday. Inspector Hall said: ‘He was driving a light blue Audi, thought to be an A4 or A6.


Spring in his step: The young lamb, who is yet to be named, enjoys the open fields and fresh air before he is found a long term home


Wrapping up warm: The lamb might be a little worn down from his ordeal, but while wrapped in a blanket he enjoyed supping milk from a bowl


Looking for a home: The lamb, which has to be bottle-fed, is now being looked after on a farm and it is hoped he will be fostered as a pet


For the chop? It is suspected the lamb was stolen to be sold for meat but was considered too young to be useful and was dumped


‘The model name had been replaced by the word Robert or something similar.’

Last August, Mary Bale, 45, became a hate figure when she was filmed on CCTV dropping Lola the cat, four, into a bin in Coventry.

She was fined just £250 for causing unnecessary suffering after a judge ruled the public vilification was punishment enough.

source: dailymail

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The lamb with an extra spring in his step: Five-legged 'Jake the peg' doesn't let his extra limb get in the way

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

More than he baa-gained for: Five-legged lamb Jake the Peg doesn't let his extra limb slow him down as he leaps around his field in Newnham, Northamptonshire


Ewe won't believe your eyes... this plucky spring lamb is frolicking about just fine despite being born with five legs.

The unusual creature, who has been aptly named Jake the Peg, was born last week with two normal hind legs and three front legs.

But the bizarre deformity hasn't stopped Jake leaping around his field in Newnham, Northamptonshire, with hundreds of other newly born lambs.

And he continues to baffle his owners by beating the odds - as most lambs born with deformities tend not to last long.

Owner Pip Hopcraft said: 'He's a tough one all right - we've had more than 600 lambs born over the past few weeks and some are inevitably born with a deformity.

'However they don't usually last long. And it is especially uncommon to have a lamb born healthy with five legs.


Bizarre: The unusual animal has two normal hind legs and three front legs. But despite the deformity he can get about just fine


'But Jake the Peg appears well enough and it doesn't seem to be causing him any problems.'

The little lamb was born part of triplets which makes it even more unusual Jake was healthy enough to survive with a deformity.

Pip added: 'I'll be putting an elastic band around his extra leg today and it will eventually drop off.

'There is bone inside the extra leg but no bone attaching it to Jake so it won't affect him.'

source: dailymail

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