Electric mesh fencing should not be used for horned sheep.ĥ2 Every mature sheep should have its fleece removed at least once a year.ĥ3 Shearers should be experienced, competent and have received adequate training in shearing techniques. Where any type of mesh fencing is used, particularly for horned sheep, and around lambing fields, it should be checked frequently so that any animals which are caught can be released.ĥ1 Electric fences should be designed, installed, used and maintained so that contact with them does not cause more than momentary discomfort to the sheep. Tethering by the horns is unacceptable.ĥ0 Fences and hedges should be well maintained so as to avoid injury to sheep and prevent entanglement. They should be checked regularly and should not be used for longer than necessary. Care should be taken with horns which may be broken off if sheep are roughly handled.Ĥ9 Devices such as raddles, harnesses, tethers and yokes should be of suitable material and should be properly fitted and adjusted to avoid causing injury or discomfort. Lifting or dragging sheep by the fleece, tail, ears, horns or legs is unacceptable. They should be handled or restrained by means of a hand or an arm under the neck (holding the neck wool, if necessary) with the other arm placed on or around the rear. It is helpful if the sheep are familiar with these handling pens in order to minimise stress levels.Ĥ8 Sheep should not be caught by the fleece alone. Pens and floors should be maintained in good repair and should not have any sharp edges or projections which might injure sheep.Ĥ7 When sheep are to be transported, well-designed collecting, loading and unloading facilities should be available on the farm.
If horned breeds of sheep are to be marked for flock management purposes, horn branding is to be preferred.Ĥ5 Aerosols or paints used for temporary marking should be non-toxic.Ĥ6 All sheep farmers should have easily operated and efficient handling pens, to facilitate routine management and treatment, on a size and scale to suit the flock numbers.
Where, for flock management purposes, ear marking is by notching or punching, this should be done using proprietary equipment. If marking does have to be carried out during the fly season, farmers should take measures which will prevent or reduce the threat of fly strike. Wherever possible marking should not be undertaken during the fly season.
Ear tags used should be suitable for use in sheep. 388) states that:Īnimals not kept in buildings must, where necessary and possible, be given protection from adverse weather conditions, predators and risks to their health and, at all times, have access to a well-drained lying area.Ĥ4 Permanent marking of sheep by, for example, ear tattooting or tagging, should be carried out only by a skilled stockman using properly maintained instruments. Schedule 1, paragraph 17 of the Welfare of Farmed Animals (Scotland) Regulations 2010 (S.S.I. Where there is no natural shelter for the sheep, artificial shelter, such as the placement of straw bales, should be provided. 42 All fields and buildings should be kept clear of debris such as wire or plastic which could be harmful to sheep.Ĥ3 When sheep are outdoors in winter, and particularly when fed on root crops, they should be either allowed to run back to pasture or to a straw bedded area which gives a more comfortable lying area, as well as limiting the build up of mud or dung on the fleece.
0 kommentar(er)
