It was early February, we were well into lambing and as usual, there were a few geriatric crossbred ewes who needed a bit of help feeding their lambs, so the bottle feeding routine was well established (and the novelty had already worn off).
Coming back from the yards after the final feed of the night, I noticed something on the back doorstep - at 12 years of age, Penny the lab does still occasionally bring us back small "gifts" following what the family calls her "nightly woof" (usually a brief, frantic dash out into the darkness to chase a low flying aircraft or something similarly uncatchable).
Often, her treasure turns out to be a piece of fur, long dead and beyond identification. On closer investigation, this was a whole piece of fur, tiny, bedraggled, yet still clinging onto life. We have learnt that however hard one tries, the chances of survival are slim: even if the tiny creature is uninjured, it more often than not simply dies of fright. So it received the usual treatment: a little warm box beside the Aga overnight. Next morning this tiny creature was still alive. Fully furred, eyes open, rabbit-like fur now dry, it felt warm and showed no signs of wishing to head up to the great burrow in the sky.
This meant we had a different challenge - somehow this tiny creature needed feeding. We decided to take advantage of the fact that there was a jug of lamb formula mixed up, and I filled a 2ml syringe. No teat, I simply held the tiny scrap of fur on my lap, prised its little jaws open and carefully squeezed in the milk, drop by drop. It resisted at first, and I ended up with more milk on me than actually inside it, but by the time it had taken 1ml it had worked out what was required of it and it started to suck at the end of the syringe as I gently pushed the plunger. I repeated this procedure, every 2-3 hours at first. We marvelled at the fact that it didn't die after the first day, nor the second, nor the third. By the end of its first week with us I had replaced the 2ml syringe with a 5ml one, and cut out the night feeds; it was then on 6 feeds every 24 hours, and taking about 5ml per feed; it had worked out what was required of it, and feeding became much easier.
After the first night by the Aga, we had to find a safer place. A little shoe box under a radiator in another room seemed a safer alternative; then one morning we discovered the box empty, "he" had hopped out and chosen his own place to hide, between the pedals of the piano. That might have been a good choice, except that younger daughter was practising hard for her piano exam, and she needed to use those pedals. After having clung onto life thus far, it would have been tragic to have met its fate squashed between the loud and soft pedals! So…we moved him again. To an upstairs shower room, well away from the main traffic of the house, and less accessible to our 4 cats, who by this time were showing a less than healthy interest in our new addition.
And so we developed a regular routine. Days turned into weeks and it became clear that our little visitor was fit and healthy, with no intention of giving up on life just yet.
His rate of growth, and his appetite, were amazing. From a tiny scrap fitting into a child's hand, he grew rapidly - and changed shape.
His ears were the fastest growing part of him; then we realised that this wasn't a rabbit, but a hare (we are fortunate in our part of Suffolk - the brown hare [lepus europaeus/capensisis] is a common sight, but always a treat to see!)
So began my search for any information on the hare: the web, our local vet, books… Detailed information was scarce, but the one over-riding fact that shone through in everything I read was that the hare is a magical creature, shy, aloof, independent, solitary. They are born fully furred, and quite precocious. The mother deposits each newborn leveret in scoots of earth, out in the fields, above ground, placing each one individually. The doe only returns each evening to nurse and clean her young. This explains why our little visitor coped well with nearly a day without food.
So our three week old rabbit was in fact a newborn hare!
Winter turned into Spring even more quickly, with the routine of feeding our leveret, (now quite settled in his shower room and named Peter Hase). We weaned the bottle fed lambs, so now we were mixing up lamb formula only for our "other" baby, who at 8 weeks old was consuming 20+ml at each feed. He looked forward to his contact with me at feeding time and would clamber onto my lap as I sat on the floor to fill his by now larger syringe. Daily I would pick the juiciest, most tender leaves and shoots so that he could gradually be weaned onto hare food and off lamb milk. He showed every sign of enjoying his greenery, but little sign of wanting to relinquish his "bottle".
….By June, our leveret had become quite well known amongst our friends and locally. After his morning feed (anything up to 60ml) I would take him out to his little box and run in the garden where he would sit quite contentedly, eating and sunbathing, until I carried him back inside for his night time feed. We had made contact by this time with a wildlife sanctuary which was willing to accept him, offering him what we thought would be the most sensible way forward: sheltered semi-wild accommodation, away from our cats and the ever present threat of hare coursers who sadly practise their "sport" across the flat fields of Suffolk.
However, fate stepped in. He had arrived unexpectedly and uninvited, and his departure was similarly unplanned. Our daughter's cross-country running occasionally necessitates an overnight stay away when she is racing far from home, and it was on one such night that somehow the wrong doors were left open in the house at the wrong time. When Michael went to give Peter Hase his morning "bottle" he was gone. We searched everywhere…..and everywhere once again. No signs, no trace. Even the cats, and Penny the dog, did not escape suspicion. And still we found no sign.
Three days later I spotted him. Bold as brass, munching on the front lawn in the full sun. As I approached and called his name he pricked up his ears and hopped, in his slow lolloppy hare gait, towards me. It was a hard decision, but it would have been impossible to justify to him, had I recaptured him on that warm morning in June, why I wanted to put him back in captivity….so I let him be.
It's now November, and Peter Hase is still around. During harvest he clung to the greater security of the gardens and would prick up his ears when we called him, then lollop off casually. He's wilder now, and hopefully able to fend for himself as winter approaches. We have no doubt bored most people with the tale of "our" hare this year; it was, we feel, a privilege to rear this tiny creature. He remained a wild animal, despite the bond he and I developed. He came uninvited…and left unexpectedly, but the experience is one we shall not forget.
(It also proves that lamb milk formula is obviously good stuff - and not just for lambs!)
Gail Sprake
Breeders in and around East Anglia have had an active and successful year on the show circuit. The wet conditions at some of the early shows did not dampen enthusiasm and the Southdown as a breed had a strong presence amongst the large mixed downland and rare breed classes.
At the South Suffolk Show in early May Mrs. Sprake's shearling ewe took the champion rare breed title before going on to be placed Reserve Supreme Interbreed Champion.
The Hadleigh Show also attracts a large number of diverse sheep breeds within the RBST classes. Mr. and Mrs. Simon Hutley, ably assisted by young Sophie and Andrew, had a most successful day with all their animals gaining rosettes within large classes, and their ewe lamb was awarded reserve champion of the rare and minority breed classes.
As always, it was good to see such a large number of quality sheep forward at the two-day Suffolk Show in late May. Judge Mr. Stephen Humphrey was impressed with the size of classes, which saw seven breeders taking part. Champion and reserve champion Southdown went to Mr. Basil Cooper, with animals from the Birch Hoe and All Saints flocks also in the line-up of first prize winners. Southdown breeders got together on the first evening of the show after the classes were over and organised a barbeque and get-together. This proved to be a successful and hugely enjoyable evening and is definitely set to become an annual event!
At the Royal Norfolk Show there were a number of Southdowns forward in the British Down Breeds classes, competing against Ryelands, Dorsets, Oxfords and Shropshires. Mr. and Mrs. Newman, Mr. Daniel Bunting and Mrs. Sprake were all well placed, with Mr. Bunting's ewe lamb gaining best female and Mrs. Sprake's ram best male. The ram went on to gain the championship.
At the Tendring Hundred Show Mr. and Mrs. Holland-Howes and Mr. and Mrs. Hutley flew the flag for the breed; the Bruisyard flock of Mr. and Mrs Holland-Howes gained three of the four first places within the downland classes, and "Harry" the shearling ram went on to win the championship, before taking the Reserve Interbreed Champion title on the day.
The Wayland Show held sheep classes for the first time in several years and such was the enthusiasm of the Southdown breeders that dedicated classes were scheduled for the breed. Messrs Dane, Newman, Hutley and Sprake were all well placed. An All Saints shearling ewe took the championship, and in the mixed down breeds classes Mr. and Mrs. Hutley's ram lamb won the championship; this ram lamb also gained the title of Champion Rare Breed Lamb. The interbreed group of three was a large class of many diverse breeds, won by a trio from the All Saints flock.
The Show season within East Anglia is rounded off with the one day Aylsham show, where this year we were delighted to welcome Mr. Hugh Clark, M.B.E. as the judge. In strongly contested classes which saw Bruisyard, Birch Hoe and All Saints sheep among the prize winners, it was "Victor" the All Saints ram who eventually gained the championship title, and helped his trio go on to win the Group of Three later in the day. Mr. and Mrs. Hutley's ram lamb made his presence felt once again by winning the overall wool championship.
Mention must also be made of the younger generation of handlers, most of whom do not reserve their ever-increasing skills for the young handlers classes. At the South Suffolk Show Ellie Sprake gained 1st place in the Young Handlers competition. At the Hadleigh Show, young Andrew Hutley made a late decision to enter the Young Handlers class, having shown his ewe lamb earlier and gained reserve Champion. Andrew won 1st prize within the competition, with sister Sophie gaining 6th place.
The Suffolk Show attracts large numbers of youngsters of all ages; Lori Newman and Ellie Sprake were both placed 2nd within their respective age groups, and Imogen Holland-Howes gained a creditable 6th place amongst strong competition. Andrew Hutley demonstrated his skills again at the Wayland Show, where he gained 2nd place in a large junior class. Ellie Sprake concluded a successful year by winning the young handlers classes at both the Wayland and the Aylsham Shows. These youngsters are the showmen of the future, and it is good to see them bringing out sheep alongside their parents in all the various classes.
G. Sprake
|
INTERNATIONAL |
"...Taking Matters Into Our Own Trotters..." |
Enough already! With our livestock markets devastated by the Yanks' absolutely refusing to open the border to Canadian animal traffic because of a BSE cow from as far back as May 2003 (which actually may have been contaminated through US feed), and while our dearly elected government officials continue to "hold ever serious discussions in the farmers' best interests", at least one of 'The County' residents has decided to take matters into his own "hands."
Seems as though last week a ram destined for his final trip escaped from a local abattoir in a small village to the west of 'Close Enough Ranch'. To set the scene properly, we should point out the scale of sheep processing operations in 'The County'. No thousands of animals put through daily assembly lines here, but rather this particular abattoir is a family-run unit that on its solitary government-designated killing day each week processes half a dozen cows, 4 or 5 pigs, a couple of lambs, maybe some venison during hunting season. Multiply that by the three remaining abattoirs in 'The County'. Most of our trade is shipped out of county to be processed for ethnic markets at Toronto or Montreal. Any incident out of the ordinary is of note to locals.
The ram made a break for it down Wellington Main Street with entire abattoir staff of two and sheep owner in hot pursuit. At this point a local house painter joined the chase. When the Keystone Kops neared the Village Dari Bar, a couple of lunch patrons also fell in line. After the escapee had headed for the lake, all felt the frightened beastie would be hemmed in at the shoreline. To the surprise of all, the sheep jumped into Lake Ontario and began stroking for yon distant short of the "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave US of A." (We are sorely tempted here to make editorial comments about true freedom, but will almost refrain).
As the house painter said later, "Who knew that sheep could swim?" "I did not know that!" opined another of the posse. While some of the 'Kops' kept an eye on the ram now in the swimming stage of his triathlon with only the bicycle stage to come, others scurried to the Harbourmaster's shack to see if he would rouse a Canadian Coast Guard vessel. While explaining that it was highly doubtful the Coast Guard would respond for a sheep - or even for that matter would the RCAF Search & Rescue helicopter from the nearby military base, the Harbourmaster launched his own boat crewed by an assistant. Directed by the ever vigiland shore pursuit party, the ram was found almost two miles into the lake.
Rope clenched in his teeth, Boat Crew jumped into the big lake's waves. Now the actual fun started. At the very moment first mate leaped into the water, the steering gear for the boat gave way and the vessel drifted away from the sheep and its new companion for the trip to the States, both fumbling for passports? Now two beings required rescue. Somehow by deftly lunging between the throttle in the bow and the swivelling outboard motor in the stern, the boat's now lonely master was able to effect some semblance of steering to pull both Number One and sheep from the waves, the mate to be re-united with a dry towel and terra firma, the ram with its owner.
The letter writing campaign has begun - "Spare the Swimming Sheep". Ms. Jeffrey the owner reported after the incident that for now the sheep was out on pasture with the others. "He's the really white one."
A lesson in this about how one lonely sheep can do more about opening the border than can all the politician's hot air? Nah, maybe we just needed a chuckle.
By kind permission of the NSA Sheep Farmer
November/December 2004
John Vipond comments on the need for easy care sheep
Decoupling of support from sheep will result in hill and lowland farmers facing potential income reductions of between 15 and 20% respectively. This is expected to lead to bigger farms and flocks to cut fixed costs and greater emphasis on production systems with lower labour input. Future sheep need to be self reliant, able to lamb outside unassisted without sheep housing and with less conserved feeds.
Easycare sheep
The demands for easy care sheep and biosecurity may be better met by farmers
having pure-bred sheep which allows them to have more control over diseases and
allows the selection of easy care traits. The wool production of sheep is part
of the problem. Wool as a percentage of the output of sheep (subsidies
excluded) has fallen to levels where the production of wool from UK hill and
lowland breeds is now considered uneconomic. Shepherding costs are associated
with wool - shearing, dagging, backing, fly strike, etc. and the 30% increase
in housing space and the need for facilities for removing and storing wool add
to very expensive fixed costs. Also there is the increased biosecurity risk
associated with shearing (CLA and Scab risk) and the associated pelt damage
which reduces pelt value.
Dorpers
Breeds of sheep that have insignificant amounts of wool but have sufficient
wool for insulation and thus do not require shearing are now gaining attention.
These include the Dorper (feet problems in wet areas), Wiltshire Horn andin
particular a derivative of the latter Easycare. The Easycare has a growing
breed society with over 3,000 ewes and under 100 members.
At the other end of the wool production scale farmers have been importing New Zealand breeds selected for easy care attributes but with sufficient wool to justify its production cost.
Also farmers have taken existing breeds that are normally pure-bred such as the Lleyn and achieved high levels of easy care attributes by extensive culling (five years minimum required). This has been achieved by culling any ewes that require attention at lambing or for repeated health measures eg footrot, etc. By breeding from their own rams and keeping their own ewe lamb replacements they aim to produce sheep which are right for their particular farm circumstances.
Cross breeding
The current stratified system makes efficient use of maternal heterosis for
survival and reproduction and the wether lamb by-product is efficiently
produced due to the large size of the ram and a relatively small dam. Hidden
benefits include the redirection of profits within the farming industry,
efficient use of hill land and shepherding skills, the benefits that arrive
from competitiveness in a transparent auction mart system and subsequent rural
infrastructure support. Lowland farmers get the chance to compare large lots of
potential replacement purchases, with prices that are fully transparent.
However against this can be set the risk of spreading disease (EAE in
particular, although much more could be made of the Premium Health Scheme to
reduce this). A crossbred buyer is however reliant on his supplier for
maintaining and improving the traits on which his business depends. The
tendency is to buy on looks but to expect performance.
Many lowland farmers are happy with the performance of their crossbred ewes under easy care lamb production systems (outdoor lambing, later in the year on grass, without concentrate supplementation and with one man to 600-1,000 ewes). Recent research has shown that both the need for assistance at lambing and the time from delivery to standing and sucking are more attributable to the genetics of the lamb than those of the ewe. The Blackface breed was found to be superior to the Suffolk but within breeds there was such great variations that the best Suffolks were better than the average Blackfaces. Some of the larger lowland outdoor lambing flocks have identified strains of terminal sires with this get up and go factor. Some pedigree breeders are now lambing later and selecting for this.
Buying in disease free replacements reduces the complexity of lowland lamb production by having less mating groups and simplifies management and with a skill shortage in the lowlands this is a big advantage.
Improvement
Breed improvement in the UK sheep industry has been led by the terminal sire
breeds and these have made major advances in carcase traits through advanced
breeding technologies such as sire reference schemes and the development of
indices of overall economic merit. These advances have been followed by highly
successful improvements in carcase and maternal traits in the hill breeds and
the development of new indices for long wool sires. I see future buyers of
crossbred sheep wanting evidence that there has been some selection for easy
care traits and some performance figures (eg maternal index of ram used). There
will also be a growing number of farmers trying new breeds to reduce their
production costs.
John Vipond, SAC Sheep Specialist. john.vipond@sac.co.uk
By kind permission of NSA Winter Focus 2004