[pdurrant]

I'm currently outraged by a negligent 'farmers'.

Spoilered for the squeamish. In short: Injured/unwell sheep, and I've called the RSPCA.

Spoiler:

I was out for a walk in the countryside today. One bit of the public footpath ran alongside a new-ish fence around a field with a few sheep in it. First I noticed that there were some half-grown lambs. At the end of October? They were certainly born much later in the year than usual. And then I noticed they had undocked tails. Also unusual.

And then I noticed that one of them had a definite limp in its back legs when walking.

And then at one end of the field, I noticed a lamb lying down near-motionless, just chewing a little. And then I saw it had clearly been lying there for some hours or days, and that it made no move to get up, when I was just a few feet away from it (outside the fence, of course). It looked really unwell. It appeared to be lying in its own faeces, with bits of its wool scattered around.

So I've phoned the RSPCA, and given them details and directions, and sent them a photo of the ill/injured lamb, and I hope they will have time to get there today.

My guess is that someone got some sheep to keep this spring, and doesn't really know what they're doing, and has neglected these animals shamefully. If that is the case, I hope the RSPCA prosecutes them, and gets a big fine and a ban on keeping animals. I've told the RSPCA I'd be happy to be a witness, although I suspect their own inspector will be enough, once they get there and investigate.