It's a ram-raid! Flock of sheep cause havoc as they barge their way into Alpine ski shop

By SARAH JOHNSON

What a baa-gain! Sheep storm a sports shop in the Austrian ski resort St Anton

The owners of a shop were left gobsmacked when eighty sheep flocked to their store in an Austrian ski resort.
The ram-raiders drove the owners and perplexed shoppers baa-my when they invaded the shop in St Anton and caused thousands of pounds of damage.
A spokesman for the Intersport shop said: 'We think one of them saw its reflection in a mirror and came in to investigate'.

Ewe know what it's like when you've spotted a bargain: The sheep drove the shop' s owners baa-my when they flocked in and caused thousands of pounds worth of damage

The spokesman added: 'And being sheep, of course the rest of them decided to follow'.
Negotiations are currently under way between lawyers and the owner of the sheep over the cost of damage to stock within the shop.
Last year, a cow invaded another branch of the sports store and has since become a star after she was featured in their TV advertisements.
Her owner Hans Schroder had to foot a massive bill for everything she trampled or tried to eat. He said: 'I had to buy everything - even the bras Laura chewed'.

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Meet the ultimate sheepdog! Springer Spaniel Jess rounds up orphaned lambs and feeds them from a bottle herself

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Baaaa, how sweet: Jess the sheepdog feeds an orphaned lamb milk from a bottle held in her mouth on a farm in Devon

Even to a hungry young lamb, this doesn’t look much like mum. But when teatime strikes and you’re gasping with thirst, who cares?
Three times a day, rain or shine, Jess the springer spaniel goes out on her milk round – to feed orphaned lambs from a bottle she carries in her mouth.
Louise Moorhouse, who has 270 sheep on her 180-acre farm, can’t imagine managing without Jess.

Creature comforts: The 10-year-old Springer Spaniel has been trained from an early age to nurture needy lambs

Cheers! Shaun the lamb drinks milk with a helping hand from Jess

‘It’s like having an extra pair of hands,’ she said yesterday.
‘She’s been doing it ever since she was a puppy. I taught her to hold the milk bottle in her mouth and she did the rest. It’s very funny when she runs across the field gripping the bottle.’
The farm, near Exeter, is linked to the Devon Wildlife Trust and specialises in rare-breed sheep. Ten-year-old Jess is currently ‘mother’ to four Dorset Horn lambs which could not be fed by their own mothers. And a young apprentice – Lily the cocker spaniel – is already in training for the day when Jess hangs up her bottle.

Pet rescue: Owner Louise Moorhouse decided to see if Jess had the patience to feed the lambs with a bottle. And after very little practice, Jess now has a job to put the bottle down

Barking mad: Louise says it's funny when Jess runs across the field gripping the bottle and squirting the milk everywhere

Helping hand: Jess has always wanted to carry things around in her mouth including all sorts of feeding buckets for her flock of sheep

Anything you can do I can chew better: Jess takes great care of Shaun... although there is the odd spillage

Fetch! Jess isn't afraid to help out with some lifting and carrying

Milk delivered to your paw: No chore is too much for Jess it seems

Thirsty work: Jess loves carrying out the chores

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Oi, ewe, get off my bus: Mystery man is thrown off public transport in London after trying to get on with his PET SHEEP

By IAN GARLAND and STIAN ALEXANDER

The man, dressed in a purple jacket, and his pet sheep, attract attention from passers-by as they wait for a bus in New Malden

A man out walking his pet sheep was booted off a train and a bus before being forced to walk more than six miles home with his woolly pet in tow.
Passers-by watched dumbfounded on Monday as the pensioner tried and failed to take the animal on the capital's public transport network.
The mystery man was turned away each time because of rules banning the carriage of livestock - forcing him and his farmyard companion to make their long journey home on six legs. The man was first spotted trying to lead the sheep - wearing a black coat to keep it dry - onto a train at Wimbledon station.

The 'urban' sheep was dressed in a patterned black coat, to protect its wool from the rain

Passenger Ollie Millroy watched as staff stepped in and turned the pair away.
Mr Millroy said: 'They wouldn’t let them on the train at Wimbledon.'
The man then led his sheep on a four mile walk to neighbouring New Malden, where he waited patiently for a number 131 bus to Kingston-upon-Thames.
When the bus arrived, the driver refused to let the animal onboard - forcing the frustrated pensioner to contemplate a long walk home.
Local Adrian Harris, confronted the man after he was banned from taking his sheep on the bus in New Malden.

Baaa-bican, or Wool-wich?: Rejected, the pair begin the long walk home on foot

Mr Harris said: 'He said he had been kicked off a train at Wimbledon and wasn’t allowed on the bus in New Malden.
'I think he was trying to get home to Kingston-upon-Thames, so he ended up walking six miles odd with his sheep to get home.”
He added: 'He didn’t seem to think it was odd having a sheep with him and was quite annoyed he couldn’t get on public transport.'
Do you know the man with a pet sheep? Call the Daily Mail on 0203 615 1063.

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Sheep survives after sick thugs plunge nine-inch SCREWDRIVER through her skull

By NICK ENOCH

The ewe at family-run Swansea Valley farm, South Wales, was spotted with the tool embedded in her head by a neighbour out riding her horse

A mother sheep has survived a shocking attack which left her with a nine-inch screwdriver plunged through her skull.
The ewe at family-run Swansea Valley farm, South Wales, was spotted with the tool embedded in her head by a neighbour out riding her horse.
She had been grazing on the Baran Mountain with her lambs when she was brutally stabbed by sick thugs.
Jethro Harris, owner of the farm said: 'A neighbour of ours was out exercising her horse when she saw the sheep with what looked like a branch in her head.
'When they got closer they could see something sticking out but couldn't make out what. They called us and we went up to have a look, but we couldn't make out what it was either.

Jethro Harris (pictured), owner of the farm said: 'A neighbour of ours was out exercising her horse when she saw the sheep with what looked like a branch in her head'

'We couldn't get close enough so we brought her back down to have a proper look and could see it was a screwdriver.
'It had been driven in so deep it was amazing she was still alive.'
Police have described the attack as sickening and have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
The ewe is now recovering at home after the screwdriver was removed and the wound treated.
Mr Harris added: 'Fortunately, the ewe seems none the worse for her ordeal and is happily grazing again at the farm while she recuperates - but it could have been a different outcome.
'There are some crazy people out there.
'A sheep's head is very hard, with lots of bone.

The ewe is now recovering at home after the screwdriver was removed and the wound treated

'Instead of going into her brain, the screwdriver must have hit the bone and gone down the side of her head.'
Mr Harris reported the incident, which happened sometime between Sunday and Tuesday this week, to local PCSO Mark Jones.
Mr Jones said: 'This was a very disturbing, sickening attack on a defenceless animal and I am appealing for any information in connection with this incident.
'This appalling incident has caused great distress to the injured animal as well as to the farmer and we are doing all we can to find out

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Meet the real sheep dog: Hand-reared lamb follows owner everywhere.. even to the pub

By CHRIS PARSONS

House-trained: Guinness the lamb and Kate's dog Bonnie live happily together since she took him in as an orphan

When Katie Burton considered what kind of animal she wanted around the house, she gave the matter a lot more thought than most pet owners.
That's why while most people are happy with cats, dogs, or rodents, Katie made the unusual choice of taking in and house training a lamb.
But 10 months after Guiness the lamb was orphaned when his mother died giving birth, Katie has formed a close bond with her unlikely woolly companion.

Wool you believe it: Guinness makes a cheeky bid for a snack in the fridge as part of his comfortable lifestyle

Guiness has become a literal sheep-dog after following Katie everywhere - from the shop and the kitchen of her house to the pub and even playgroup.
Katie, 36, said: ‘Sheep farmers have often not got time to look after orphan lambs and so I took him in and bottle fed him and hand reared him because I thought it would be nice to have a sheep about the place.

Best of friends: Bonnie and Guinness take some time to relax on the kitchen floor at Katie's home in Petersfield, Hampshire

'I run a livery yard and I thought it would be one way of getting horses used to sheep. 'Lots of horses are absolutely terrified of them but no-one can be scared of Guinness when he wanders past without a care in the world.
'I never expected Guinness to become so tame but he was friendly from the word go and soon had the run of the place.

Part of the furniture: Guinness is so familiar with his surroundings he is even welcomed to Katie's local pub

'He has free rein to roam about the yard and doesn’t have a field or a pen. He just goes where he feels like it.
'He gets in the car and comes into the kitchen to try to find something to eat even thought there is plenty of food for him outside. He is very happy to snack on the horse feed.’
The bond between woman and sheep became even stronger last year when a dog got into the yard near Petersfield, Hampshire, and savaged Guinness around the head.
Katie, 36, said: ‘He was five months old at the time and looked a terrible mess with half his face ripped off – one bite had gone right through his nose and he could hardly breathe.

Kids' favourite: Guinness joins in with some family fun at Katie's local playgroup in Hampshire

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That’s one way to mow the lawns! Farmer allows his 'urban' sheep to graze among flats and houses

By SIMON TOMLINSON

Wool-come guests: The sheep grazing among the flats and houses in Matson, Gloucestershire, yesterday

Mowing the lawn is never the most enjoyable of tasks.
But luckily for these residents, they have access to a constant supply of volunteers dedicated to the cause.
Happily munching away, these sheep have been allowed by the local farmer to permanently graze among the flats and houses in the quiet village of Matson in Gloucestershire.

Definitely not baa-d: The local farmer has allowed his flock to roam the village, which saves on the gardening

And they appear to have been warmly welcomed.
One fan, Mark Gale, said on his twicsy page: 'Say hello to Matson sheep who often wander round the estate looking for the best grass.'
In another comment on the Twitter Pics Engine site, he said: 'The Matson sheep on the green outside Matson shops. They've found yummy yummy grass.'
These villagers will no doubt be hoping they stay. Otherwise it's back to the lawnmower.


Feline fan: One of the village cats checks out the sheep's horticultural handiwork

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Who's baarmy idea was that? Keepers dye sheep pink (but luckily they're practically colour blind so don't mind too much!)

By JILL REILLY

Pink and proud: Park bosses originally dyed the animals as part of breast cancer awareness week, but they proved to be such a hit with visitors, that they decided to keep them as a permanent feature

Parents should prepare for some tricky questions from their confused children if they head to a a New Zealand nature park and find this flock of pink wooly mammals grazing on the hills.
The extraordinary sight is causing a sensation at SheepWorld, near Auckland.
Park bosses originally dyed the animals as part of breast cancer awareness week, but it proved to be such a hit with visitors that they decided to keep them as a permanent feature.

Mother and baby alike: They are dyed with harmless food colouring and the dye washes out in the rain

Only five sheep are coloured at one time and the dye washes out in the rain.
John Collyer, from SheepWorld, said the food colouring they use is completely harmless to the animals and had even been approved by a local vet.
He added: 'We use food colouring, which eventually washes out in the rain.
'Sheep are practically colour blind and so would probably not notice if they or other sheep were pink.
'The dye is harmless so there are no side effects. We have cleared what we do with our local vet.

Feeding time: A member of staff from SheepWorld, said 'Sheep are practically colour blind and so would probably not notice if they or other sheep were pink'

'Feedback from visitors is 99 per cent positive. One per cent are concerned about the sheep - normally these people don't understand the precautions we've taken.'
SheepWorld is dubbed an insight into sheep farming in New Zealand.
Visitors can watch sheep-dog shows and also watch as the flocks are shorn of their woolly fleeces.

Unusual sight: SheepWorld visitor feedback 'is 99 per cent positive'

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What a shaggy sheepdog tale! The lamb raised alongside springer spaniel who thinks he's a canine

By JESSICA SATHERLEY

Best friends: Alison Sinstadt sits in Adderley Wharf Farm in Shropshire with her pet dog Jessie and Jack the sheep - who thinks he is also a dog

A sheep that was rescued as a lamb and brought up with a springer spaniel is now convinced he is a sheep dog.

Jack is so sure he is a canine he fetches sticks, wears a collar and a lead, jumps up on his hind legs and even tries to bark.

The six-month-old pet doesn't even recognise his own species and tries to herd sheep when he is put in the field with the rest of the flock.


Chilling out: Jack and Jessie can't get enough of each other and seem to be inseparable since the springer spaniel befriended the sheep when he was just a lamb

Owners Alison Sinstadt, 48, and her partner Simon Sherwin, 50, were stunned when the Lleyn sheep was befriended by their nine-year-old springer spaniel Jessie.

Mother-of-two Alison, who runs Adderley Wharf Farm and a shop near Market Drayton, Shropshire, said: "Jack was born one of three lambs, which is quite rare.


Daily walk: Jack the sheep even joins Jessie on her daily walk with their owner Alison... and has his own collar and lead

"He was very small and we decided to bring him in the house and put the hair drier on him and forced him to drink milk.

"It ended up that he took to the dog and they now sleep together in a dog basket in the porch.


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Is that a baa-cket on your head? Bungling sheep tries to get every last grain from its food container

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER



Feeling a bit sheepish: This woolly headed sheep got his head stuck in its feed bucket in a field near Berwick Upon Tweed, Scotland



This woolly wally probably felt rather sheepish... after getting a feed bucket stuck on his head.



The bungling animal ended up in the sticky situation as he tried to gobble up every last grain of food left in the container.



As he tilted the bucket up, the handle came down behind his head, wedging it firmly in place.



Photographer Phil McLean took the amusing snap as he passed this field near Berwick Upon Tweed, Scotland.



The 55-year-old, from Chirnside, said: ‘I had been looking for wildlife to photograph from my car when I spotted this sheep.



‘I can only assume that, in its eagerness to get the last drop of food, it tilted the bucket too much and the handle got stuck behind its head.



‘I watched it for a little while and it didn't seem too bothered.



‘There was a farmer on a quad bike in the field so I'm sure he would have come to the rescue.’



He added: ‘I thought this scene was a little different and would probably raise a smile on people's faces.’



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Bleating the competition: Sheep take to the tracks in a race of woolly jumpers

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Ewe can't do that! The sheep racers at Cannon Hall Farm. Five races are held at the farm every day throughout the holiday season

As far as fence racing goes, it's not something ewe see every day.

The four-legged competitors assemble at the start line, preparing to tackle jumps such as the Bechers Brook, The Chair and The Canal Turn.

However, these are not race horses competing at Aintree's Grand National. These competitors are slightly more woolly in their approach.


Baa-my: The farm's most agile sheep are put through their paces on a racecourse mimicking Aintree's Grand National


A farm in South Yorkshire has resurrected the baa-my attraction of sheep racing.

With teddy bear 'jockeys' strapped to their backs - and motivated by a bag of cereal at the finish line - 25 of the most agile ewes at Cannon Hall Farm, in Cawthorne near Barnsley, have been trained to navigate a 250-metre course, complete with 20-inch high hurdles.


Fleeced: Punters can place bets on the races, which are a new attraction at Cannon Hall Farm


'The sheep like it and it’s quite good fun - they can run as fast as a person, especially once they get to the finish line where they know a cereal treat is waiting, they want to get there first.

'It’s the first time we’ve trained sheep for racing. We’ve found it quite challenging getting them to go in the right direction.'

The races will be held at the farm until September 4 when the sheep will leave behind the hurdles and return to their usual routine of eating grass all day.

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The sheep-loving three-year-old who's winning awards (and hearts) by showing his flock at fairs

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Prodigy: Three-year-old William Mullin has been training sheep for over a year

There's a new rising star in the world of agricultural shows - and he's only three years old.

William Mullin, from Marsden in West Yorkshire, has been beating more experienced handlers to take home a number of sheep-showing prizes.

He started entering farming fairs aged two, and will soon compete in a Champion of Champions contest.


Animal lover: William now has his own flock of sheep to look after

His mother, Jamie Mitchell said: 'He is such a keen farmer and has won lots of awards.

'His latest competition was the Great Yorkshire Show. He competed in the three to nine-year-old category for sheep handlers and came second. The crowd roared as he collected his prize.'

William comes from a long line of successful handlers. His grandfather, 54-year-old Clive Mitchell, started sheep showing when he was 10.

His father, 27-year-old Daniel Mullin, has also recently got involved in the sport.


Champion: William has beaten dozens of more experienced herdsmen at agricultural shows


William started sheep showing when he was two after he trained his lamb, Laddie. He has won several competitions with Laddie, but has now acquired a whole flock of sheep.

He will compete in August with his sheep Boris at the Halifax Agricultural Show. To prepare for the event, William is responsible for washing the sheep, brushing them up and making sure that their behaviour is impeccable while they follow him around the ring.

He must wear smart attire for the competition as he is also judged on this.

Having won his category at Harden Moss Sheepdog Trials, William is due to compete against other winners in the Champion of Champions competition at the Hope Show in Derbyshire on August Bank Holiday weekend.

Animal-lover William turns four in August and will start full-time at Marsden Infant and Nursery School in September.

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Sheepdog that gets the collywobbles every time he goes near... sheep

By LUKE SALKELD

Border collie Ci has developed a fear of sheep


He has sharper teeth, faster legs, and is bred to be bossy.

But as he cowers in front of a flock of sheep, Ci the border collie is definitely not top dog.

His owner says four-year-old Ci, whose name is Welsh for dog, has been intimidated by sheep ever since he was introduced to them as a pup.

And although not the brightest animals, the 100-strong flock quickly realised there was safety in numbers and reset the natural order on their Somerset farm.


It's a fleece off: A nervous Ci tries to stand his ground as the flock approaches him


Now Ci’s reaction to the flock borders on the ridiculous. When faced with the woolly bullies, he simply turns tail and flees.

Owner Jane Lippington, 54, has become so exasperated she has given up using him as a working dog.

‘I have tried to use Ci to herd the sheep and get them in the right place lots of times but they are just too scary for him,’ she said at the 200-acre farm she runs at Langridge, near Bath with husband Donald, 62.


Can't we talk about this chaps? The sheep surge forward and Ci prepares to make his move


'Collies are very instinctive and they want to work the sheep and Ci wants to do it but he is terrified of them.

‘If they run away from him he will go after them and act like a proper sheepdog.

‘But the moment they turn and face him he runs away. Sheep can be quite aggressive if they think they have the upper hand – they stamp their feet and gang up and act like an army.

‘Now they’ve worked out that he can’t push them around because he is too soft.
‘He might be the worst sheepdog in Britain but there’s no way we would be without Ci, he’s part of the family.’


I'm out of here: Ci runs away from the flock as they claim victory


'Sheep can be quite aggressive if they think they have the upper hand - they stamp their feet and gang up in numbers and act like an army.

'When that happens Ci gets intimidated and runs off.

'The only way to make it work is for me to get behind them first and shoo them so they run away from you and then Ci joins in. It just means a lot more work for us to do.


Jane Lippington says she needs to give up trying to use Ci as a working dog


'He might be the worst sheepdog in Britain but there's no way we would be without Ci, he's part of the family.'

She added: 'I took some footage of it simply because I thought it was funny.

'But somebody told me I should put it on YouTube because it is quite unusual.

'I don't think he would get very far on One Man and His Dog, he's more suited to You've Been Framed.'


Sheep dog terrified of sheep


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Better call the fire baa-gade: Sheep stuck on roof of house is rescued by firefighters

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Woolly-headed: The sheep, which reached the roof by climbing up a nearby garage, was coaxed down by firefighters


This is the bizarre moment two fire engines were called to rescue a sheep - which was stuck on the roof of a house.

Stunned residents dialled 999 after the creature was spotted scrambling across roof tiles in the remote village of Pontycymer, South Wales.

A team from Bridgend Fire and Rescue Service took 40 minutes to bring the animal down from the terraced row using a Large Animal Rescue appliance.


Feeling sheepish? The animal found itself having to be rescued after being stuck on a rooftop


Homeowner Claire Walters, 38, photographed the drama as it unfolded on the roof of her house on Saturday afternoon.

She said, 'I was sitting in my lounge watching television when suddenly I could hear a noise out in the street.

'When I went outside and was facing the front of my house, I looked up towards the roof and there was a sheep standing there.'

A spokesman for Bridgend Fire and Rescue Service said the sheep had got on to the roof by climbing up from a garage at the rear of the terrace.



Rescue squad: Two fire engines were dispatched to deal with the stranded sheep in the small Welsh village of Pontycymer


He said, 'We have never had anything like that before, though we have found sheep in some difficult places.

'It was running back and forward on the roof, but eventually it must have realised how many firefighters were there trying to get it down. So it thought, I'd better come down now.

The spokesman added that the sheep was fine and had not been harmed by its adventure.

'It was certainly an interesting call-out, it's not where you'd expect to find a sheep, really quite funny,' he added. 'It brightened up our weekend, that's for sure.'

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Fare-wool: New Zealanders mourn the death of Shrek, the world's shaggiest sheep

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Playboy sheep: Shrek, widely considered to be the world's woolliest sheep, has died in New Zealand at the age of 17


New Zealand is in mourning after the death of one of its biggest stars, a celebrity sheep called Shrek who was reckoned to be the woolliest in the world.

The 17-year-old Merino sheep was put to sleep yesterday after a long and glamourous life that included TV shows, national tours, his own barn and a personal carer; he even made it into the pages of Playboy magazine.

Shrek captured the public's imagination in 2004 after he evaded the annual shearing round-ups for seven years by hiding in caves on his farm on South Island. When finally found, he was clad in an astonishing 27kg of wool.


Walking cloud: Shrek was toured around the country for charity events in the back of a van by musterer Danny Devine (left) and owner John Perriam


In a country where sheep outnumber people by nearly 10 to one, Shrek's story of stubbornness and guile appealed to many.

After his capture, Shrek was shorn on live TV in a broadcast which was picked up around the world and watched by millions. His story inspired three books.

'He was quite an elderly statesman,' said owner John Perriam.


Before: Shrek was nine years old when he was eventually caught for shearing and was carrying 27kg of wool


'He taught us a lot.'

Until becoming sick three weeks ago, Shrek toured the country, commanding huge sums of money for appearances and getting the star treatment wherever he went.

In one appearance, he was shorn on top of a large iceberg which was floating near the South Island coast.


... And after: Shrek, with his owner John Perriam after being shorn in Cromwell, on 28 April 2004, before 200 onlookers and a live worldwide television audience


Shrek was one of about 17,000 sheep on the the 27,000-acre Bendigo farm in the small town of Tarras.

Mr Perriam believes Shrek was able to survive the winters and avoid detection by moving about a series of sheltered caves and by munching on small native shrubs.
'It's bizarre that we missed him seven years in a row,' he said.

'But from his point of view, it was the perfect environment.'

After Shrek became a star, Mr Perriam gave him his own barn and showroom. Shrek even had a personal carer to look after him when he became sick, before being put to sleep yesterday at the age of 17.

Mr Perriam said that as well as laying claim to being New Zealand's woolliest sheep, Shrek may also have been its oldest.

Most sheep live for no more than six years before being slaughtered.


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