farmer who laughed in court over horrific case of rotting lambs' walks free

[llamedos]

Animal welfare inspectors found scenes of horror at a farm in Cornwall where newborn lambs had died after becoming trapped in mud.

A court heard how rotting carcasses of lambs were found scattered across the farm and many of the surviving sheep were lame and stumbling on bloodied feet.

On another visit, inspectors were stunned to find a pool of fresh blood and discovered the 76-year-old farmer had sliced off lambs’ tails with a carving knife without using any anaesthetic.

http://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/lambs-horror-farm-court-benney-722969

 

[Lincoln75]

Animal welfare inspectors found scenes of horror at a farm in Cornwall where newborn lambs had died after becoming trapped in mud.

A court heard how rotting carcasses of lambs were found scattered across the farm and many of the surviving sheep were lame and stumbling on bloodied feet.

On another visit, inspectors were stunned to find a pool of fresh blood and discovered the 76-year-old farmer had sliced off lambs’ tails with a carving knife without using any anaesthetic.

http://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/lambs-horror-farm-court-benney-722969

Not fit to be called a farmer , he`s just a piece off ***t.

 

[ollie989898]

I think it best I don't click that link I'm afraid.

 

[Lincoln75]

I think it best I don't click that link I'm afraid.

Why?

 

[Castle Farm]

Karma will get him.

.I had the same problem with my neighbour 3 court visits for serious neglect, starvation and corpses everywhere.. The lazy barsteward died after a simple operation..Not missed by me, but missed by the crows foxes and magpies.

 

[spin cycle]

not condoning but not a young man...there by the grace of god ect

 

[Lincoln75]

not condoning but not a young man...there by the grace of god ect

Unless proven mentally ill there is no excuse , old or not, if you cant cope downsize or sell up ,alternatively use the Farmers version of the mess revolver.

 

[Formatted]

not condoning but not a young man...there by the grace of god ect

But why cut lambs tales off with a knife? Surely if you've got the capacity and ability to do that you've got enough energy to care for the rest of the stock.

 

[Old Boar]

Horrible! Trouble is the general public will see this and tar us all with the same brush.

 

[Walterp]

Common enough practices in New Zealand, the Promised Land of many a UK farmer - why all the protestations?

I thought de-regulation was all the rage?

 

[Lincoln75]

Common enough practices in New Zealand, the Promised Land of many a UK farmer - why all the protestations?

I thought de-regulation was all the rage?

No decent farmer would behave like that even if it was legal , I`ve visited NZ farms and not seen neglect or wilful cruelty.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

No decent farmer would behave like that even if it was legal , I`ve visited NZ farms and not seen neglect or wilful cruelty.

You obviously didn't see @Walterp out helping tailing, with his carving knife.
Perhaps your paths didn't cross?

 

[spin cycle]

Unless proven mentally ill there is no excuse , old or not, if you cant cope downsize or sell up ,alternatively use the Farmers version of the mess revolver.

But why cut lambs tales off with a knife? Surely if you've got the capacity and ability to do that you've got enough energy to care for the rest of the stock.

we all get old...he perhaps didn't realise he might not be able, or thought he could, cope....by all accounts he'd been a decent farmer in his younger days.....if i get to 76 i'd like to think i could still have a few ewes

 

[Tarw Coch]

But why cut lambs tales off with a knife? Surely if you've got the capacity and ability to do that you've got enough energy to care for the rest of the stock.

Would have been common enough at one time, rubber rings ain't been around forever. I didn't realise it was illegal to cut lambs tails now although I can see how it would be deemed unacceptable by the public.
So what is the situation in NZ @Kiwi Pete ?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

No anaesthesia for tail docking, @Tarw Coch.
Very little use of the rubber ring for tails as most farmers just won't have it done, for mismothering reasons.
Hot searing is generally used, I do notice more and more lambs going untailed as most of the more modern crossbreds have considerably less tail, due to texel genetics.
We are pretty far south though - I don't venture far enough to comment on other areas - flystrike is a once a decade issue down here!
Personally I don't follow the code of common practice, I ring mine while they're still wet!

 

[Douglasmn]

It's bizarre, we've got way too many rules and regulations for some things, but nothing like enough when it comes to animal welfare. So many people keeping stock who shouldn't be, it's pretty disturbing.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Horrible! Trouble is the general public will see this and tar us all with the same brush.

This is the trouble, the good farmers never get in the public domain just the cruel vile ones

 

[An Gof]

Would have been common enough at one time, rubber rings ain't been around forever. I didn't realise it was illegal to cut lambs tails now although I can see how it would be deemed unacceptable by the public.
So what is the situation in NZ @Kiwi Pete ?

When I did my sheep stock proficiency tests in the '80's for my AWB Craftsman certificate we tailed lambs with hot iron and no anaesthetic. On our own farm we used rubber rings but the test farm used hot iron and that's what we had to do for the test.
Don't keep sheep now.

 

[unlacedgecko]

If I was to cut my finger off I'd rather do it with a hot iron than a carrying knife...

I've docked plenty of piglets with a hot iron. Hot iron is still legal for lambs in UK. I hope to offer this service at some point soon.

If/when I keep my own closed flock I will be breeding sheep which don't require docking.

 

[Formatted]

Hot iron is still legal for lambs in UK.

With metacam or at first gather