A Dog Didn’t Do This

at

sheep

Wake up.

Sheep people.

Liamo writes:

While hiking around the Galty mountains last weekend I came across at least ten dead sheep and lambs with the carcasses left abandoned on the hills. Not one bore [any] sign of being attacked by dogs.
Wicklow hill-men who were with me said the sheep were likely dying of mineral deficiencies and that it cost more to safely dispose of the carcasses in accordance with health and safety and waste legislation than the sheep was worth.
I wondered whether some of your commenters would reassess their position in regards the welfare of hill sheep and the perceived dangers from dogs in light of this clear evidence of sheer neglect by their humans?

Sponsored Link

59 thoughts on “A Dog Didn’t Do This

  1. MajorThrill

    So dogs aren’t a danger to sheep because some hill men told you the sheep probably died of other causes and the farmers deliberately left the corpses there?
    Well, I’m sold.

      1. Lan

        Actually it sounds like that is exactly what they’re suggesting.

        Yes sheep die of other things, I doubt those “hill-men” have the experience or education to diagnose mineral deficiency from a corpse (because I dont know even a vet who would be able to do that without an autopsy) but hey lets suggest it was neglect not natural causes….

          1. Lan

            Mineral deficiency does happen and can be an issue for farmers, for instance some land has molybdenum (took 3 tries to spell that right) that locks up copper in the soil and causes copper deficiency in cattle.

            Upland ewes on the other hand are a hardy bunch (as much as sheep can be) and have generally been bred from animals adapted to their environment.
            Whats a far more likely cause is those animals got into something someone dumped up there that killed them, like bread with plastic on (twisted guts) or some toxic rubbish

          2. Joe the Lion

            So it’s the land’s fault for farmers not taking care of their sheep?

          3. Lan

            What? No really what?

            “So it’s the land’s fault for farmers not taking care of their sheep?” Doesnt make a lick of sense

          4. Joe the Lion

            The OP said he saw 10 sheep in one weekend who died from mineral deficiencies and you are claiming that all of them must have ate plastic (presumably all at or around the same time) and this is what has contributed to their demise? What you lickin bro>?

      2. MajorThrill

        I’ll need you to spell out the nuances there then because it reads very much like an unsupported assertion followed by an inferral that the previous claims about dogs being a danger to sheep should be changed due to this shocking new anecdotal evidence.

        Of course, if the implication is that farmers will claim losses due to animal predation rather than their own negiligence then I can’t disagree with that but it doesn’t remotely alter the fact that unsupervised dogs are a serious danger to sheep (or any prey species).

  2. Odis

    “I wondered whether some of your commenters would reassess their position in regards the welfare of hill sheep and the perceived dangers from dogs in light of this clear evidence of sheer neglect by their humans?” – Feck off you dim ****. To whatever dim website you came from!

  3. the good helen

    yep that is exactly what i wanted to see first thing in the morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  4. Vote Rep #1

    Weird Wicklow yokels are hill men I presume? You have no idea how it died but lets blame the farmer. With regards getting rid of the carcass, the two farmers from the Dwyer case said that they give their carcasses to travellers.

          1. Casey

            Someone should tell you all to flock off for the sheeeer rubbishness of your baaaaddd puns. Pun the pens down and field off the urge to write any more. Shower of lungworms!

          1. Joe the Lion

            Yes we need to spool our remaining resources to keep the thread spinning

      1. Casey

        Thanks for mutton Hoop. You’re all full of sheeeeep around here but despite that it is a ewe-tifal place for clover comments.

    1. Lan

      Because they cant accept nature. Our dogs who give us puppy eyes and roll over are just well bred wolves. They have the instincts needed to kill and hunt.
      People dont like seeing the red of tooth and claw side of nature just the cute pictures and fantasy

      Its the same reason people cant accept that their cats are walking serial killers, hell they’ve wiped out entire species

      1. Caroline

        In fairness, dogs don’t drag the cow home alive, pull it through the a flap in the door and then toy with it noisily at 4am in the sitting room. Anyone with a cat knows they have done at least a few bad murders.

  5. Nugget

    The harsh realities of farming. Animals die. I can’t stand city slickers who take weekend strolls in the countryside and lecture the people who live and work there on how it should be maintained for the weekend leisure. Wrap that in your north face fleece. Rant over.

  6. wearnicehats

    Dogs don’t actually have to physically harm the sheep to kill it. It’s called “sheep worrying” because the stress alone can kill them

    1. Barry Billy

      They will injure themselves getting away, or if pregnant the ewes can miscarry their lambs.

  7. Domestos

    As long as the rest of the country/continent keeps subsidising your way of life you’re alright, Jackie.

Comments are closed.

Sponsored Link
Broadsheet.ie