Who's baarmy idea was that? Keepers dye sheep pink (but luckily they're practically colour blind so don't mind too much!)

By JILL REILLY

Pink and proud: Park bosses originally dyed the animals as part of breast cancer awareness week, but they proved to be such a hit with visitors, that they decided to keep them as a permanent feature

Parents should prepare for some tricky questions from their confused children if they head to a a New Zealand nature park and find this flock of pink wooly mammals grazing on the hills.
The extraordinary sight is causing a sensation at SheepWorld, near Auckland.
Park bosses originally dyed the animals as part of breast cancer awareness week, but it proved to be such a hit with visitors that they decided to keep them as a permanent feature.

Mother and baby alike: They are dyed with harmless food colouring and the dye washes out in the rain

Only five sheep are coloured at one time and the dye washes out in the rain.
John Collyer, from SheepWorld, said the food colouring they use is completely harmless to the animals and had even been approved by a local vet.
He added: 'We use food colouring, which eventually washes out in the rain.
'Sheep are practically colour blind and so would probably not notice if they or other sheep were pink.
'The dye is harmless so there are no side effects. We have cleared what we do with our local vet.

Feeding time: A member of staff from SheepWorld, said 'Sheep are practically colour blind and so would probably not notice if they or other sheep were pink'

'Feedback from visitors is 99 per cent positive. One per cent are concerned about the sheep - normally these people don't understand the precautions we've taken.'
SheepWorld is dubbed an insight into sheep farming in New Zealand.
Visitors can watch sheep-dog shows and also watch as the flocks are shorn of their woolly fleeces.

Unusual sight: SheepWorld visitor feedback 'is 99 per cent positive'

source: dailymail

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What a shaggy sheepdog tale! The lamb raised alongside springer spaniel who thinks he's a canine

By JESSICA SATHERLEY

Best friends: Alison Sinstadt sits in Adderley Wharf Farm in Shropshire with her pet dog Jessie and Jack the sheep - who thinks he is also a dog

A sheep that was rescued as a lamb and brought up with a springer spaniel is now convinced he is a sheep dog.

Jack is so sure he is a canine he fetches sticks, wears a collar and a lead, jumps up on his hind legs and even tries to bark.

The six-month-old pet doesn't even recognise his own species and tries to herd sheep when he is put in the field with the rest of the flock.


Chilling out: Jack and Jessie can't get enough of each other and seem to be inseparable since the springer spaniel befriended the sheep when he was just a lamb

Owners Alison Sinstadt, 48, and her partner Simon Sherwin, 50, were stunned when the Lleyn sheep was befriended by their nine-year-old springer spaniel Jessie.

Mother-of-two Alison, who runs Adderley Wharf Farm and a shop near Market Drayton, Shropshire, said: "Jack was born one of three lambs, which is quite rare.


Daily walk: Jack the sheep even joins Jessie on her daily walk with their owner Alison... and has his own collar and lead

"He was very small and we decided to bring him in the house and put the hair drier on him and forced him to drink milk.

"It ended up that he took to the dog and they now sleep together in a dog basket in the porch.


source: dailymail

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Is that a baa-cket on your head? Bungling sheep tries to get every last grain from its food container

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Feeling a bit sheepish: This woolly headed sheep got his head stuck in its feed bucket in a field near Berwick Upon Tweed, Scotland

This woolly wally probably felt rather sheepish... after getting a feed bucket stuck on his head.

The bungling animal ended up in the sticky situation as he tried to gobble up every last grain of food left in the container.

As he tilted the bucket up, the handle came down behind his head, wedging it firmly in place.

Photographer Phil McLean took the amusing snap as he passed this field near Berwick Upon Tweed, Scotland.

The 55-year-old, from Chirnside, said: ‘I had been looking for wildlife to photograph from my car when I spotted this sheep.

‘I can only assume that, in its eagerness to get the last drop of food, it tilted the bucket too much and the handle got stuck behind its head.

‘I watched it for a little while and it didn't seem too bothered.

‘There was a farmer on a quad bike in the field so I'm sure he would have come to the rescue.’

He added: ‘I thought this scene was a little different and would probably raise a smile on people's faces.’

source: dailymail

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Bleating the competition: Sheep take to the tracks in a race of woolly jumpers

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Ewe can't do that! The sheep racers at Cannon Hall Farm. Five races are held at the farm every day throughout the holiday season

As far as fence racing goes, it's not something ewe see every day.

The four-legged competitors assemble at the start line, preparing to tackle jumps such as the Bechers Brook, The Chair and The Canal Turn.

However, these are not race horses competing at Aintree's Grand National. These competitors are slightly more woolly in their approach.


Baa-my: The farm's most agile sheep are put through their paces on a racecourse mimicking Aintree's Grand National


A farm in South Yorkshire has resurrected the baa-my attraction of sheep racing.

With teddy bear 'jockeys' strapped to their backs - and motivated by a bag of cereal at the finish line - 25 of the most agile ewes at Cannon Hall Farm, in Cawthorne near Barnsley, have been trained to navigate a 250-metre course, complete with 20-inch high hurdles.


Fleeced: Punters can place bets on the races, which are a new attraction at Cannon Hall Farm


'The sheep like it and it’s quite good fun - they can run as fast as a person, especially once they get to the finish line where they know a cereal treat is waiting, they want to get there first.

'It’s the first time we’ve trained sheep for racing. We’ve found it quite challenging getting them to go in the right direction.'

The races will be held at the farm until September 4 when the sheep will leave behind the hurdles and return to their usual routine of eating grass all day.

source: dailymail

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The sheep-loving three-year-old who's winning awards (and hearts) by showing his flock at fairs

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Prodigy: Three-year-old William Mullin has been training sheep for over a year

There's a new rising star in the world of agricultural shows - and he's only three years old.

William Mullin, from Marsden in West Yorkshire, has been beating more experienced handlers to take home a number of sheep-showing prizes.

He started entering farming fairs aged two, and will soon compete in a Champion of Champions contest.


Animal lover: William now has his own flock of sheep to look after

His mother, Jamie Mitchell said: 'He is such a keen farmer and has won lots of awards.

'His latest competition was the Great Yorkshire Show. He competed in the three to nine-year-old category for sheep handlers and came second. The crowd roared as he collected his prize.'

William comes from a long line of successful handlers. His grandfather, 54-year-old Clive Mitchell, started sheep showing when he was 10.

His father, 27-year-old Daniel Mullin, has also recently got involved in the sport.


Champion: William has beaten dozens of more experienced herdsmen at agricultural shows


William started sheep showing when he was two after he trained his lamb, Laddie. He has won several competitions with Laddie, but has now acquired a whole flock of sheep.

He will compete in August with his sheep Boris at the Halifax Agricultural Show. To prepare for the event, William is responsible for washing the sheep, brushing them up and making sure that their behaviour is impeccable while they follow him around the ring.

He must wear smart attire for the competition as he is also judged on this.

Having won his category at Harden Moss Sheepdog Trials, William is due to compete against other winners in the Champion of Champions competition at the Hope Show in Derbyshire on August Bank Holiday weekend.

Animal-lover William turns four in August and will start full-time at Marsden Infant and Nursery School in September.

sourc: dailymail

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Sheepdog that gets the collywobbles every time he goes near... sheep

By LUKE SALKELD

Border collie Ci has developed a fear of sheep


He has sharper teeth, faster legs, and is bred to be bossy.

But as he cowers in front of a flock of sheep, Ci the border collie is definitely not top dog.

His owner says four-year-old Ci, whose name is Welsh for dog, has been intimidated by sheep ever since he was introduced to them as a pup.

And although not the brightest animals, the 100-strong flock quickly realised there was safety in numbers and reset the natural order on their Somerset farm.


It's a fleece off: A nervous Ci tries to stand his ground as the flock approaches him


Now Ci’s reaction to the flock borders on the ridiculous. When faced with the woolly bullies, he simply turns tail and flees.

Owner Jane Lippington, 54, has become so exasperated she has given up using him as a working dog.

‘I have tried to use Ci to herd the sheep and get them in the right place lots of times but they are just too scary for him,’ she said at the 200-acre farm she runs at Langridge, near Bath with husband Donald, 62.


Can't we talk about this chaps? The sheep surge forward and Ci prepares to make his move


'Collies are very instinctive and they want to work the sheep and Ci wants to do it but he is terrified of them.

‘If they run away from him he will go after them and act like a proper sheepdog.

‘But the moment they turn and face him he runs away. Sheep can be quite aggressive if they think they have the upper hand – they stamp their feet and gang up and act like an army.

‘Now they’ve worked out that he can’t push them around because he is too soft.
‘He might be the worst sheepdog in Britain but there’s no way we would be without Ci, he’s part of the family.’


I'm out of here: Ci runs away from the flock as they claim victory


'Sheep can be quite aggressive if they think they have the upper hand - they stamp their feet and gang up in numbers and act like an army.

'When that happens Ci gets intimidated and runs off.

'The only way to make it work is for me to get behind them first and shoo them so they run away from you and then Ci joins in. It just means a lot more work for us to do.


Jane Lippington says she needs to give up trying to use Ci as a working dog


'He might be the worst sheepdog in Britain but there's no way we would be without Ci, he's part of the family.'

She added: 'I took some footage of it simply because I thought it was funny.

'But somebody told me I should put it on YouTube because it is quite unusual.

'I don't think he would get very far on One Man and His Dog, he's more suited to You've Been Framed.'


Sheep dog terrified of sheep


source: dailymail

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Better call the fire baa-gade: Sheep stuck on roof of house is rescued by firefighters

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Woolly-headed: The sheep, which reached the roof by climbing up a nearby garage, was coaxed down by firefighters


This is the bizarre moment two fire engines were called to rescue a sheep - which was stuck on the roof of a house.

Stunned residents dialled 999 after the creature was spotted scrambling across roof tiles in the remote village of Pontycymer, South Wales.

A team from Bridgend Fire and Rescue Service took 40 minutes to bring the animal down from the terraced row using a Large Animal Rescue appliance.


Feeling sheepish? The animal found itself having to be rescued after being stuck on a rooftop


Homeowner Claire Walters, 38, photographed the drama as it unfolded on the roof of her house on Saturday afternoon.

She said, 'I was sitting in my lounge watching television when suddenly I could hear a noise out in the street.

'When I went outside and was facing the front of my house, I looked up towards the roof and there was a sheep standing there.'

A spokesman for Bridgend Fire and Rescue Service said the sheep had got on to the roof by climbing up from a garage at the rear of the terrace.



Rescue squad: Two fire engines were dispatched to deal with the stranded sheep in the small Welsh village of Pontycymer


He said, 'We have never had anything like that before, though we have found sheep in some difficult places.

'It was running back and forward on the roof, but eventually it must have realised how many firefighters were there trying to get it down. So it thought, I'd better come down now.

The spokesman added that the sheep was fine and had not been harmed by its adventure.

'It was certainly an interesting call-out, it's not where you'd expect to find a sheep, really quite funny,' he added. 'It brightened up our weekend, that's for sure.'

source: dailymail

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Fare-wool: New Zealanders mourn the death of Shrek, the world's shaggiest sheep

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Playboy sheep: Shrek, widely considered to be the world's woolliest sheep, has died in New Zealand at the age of 17


New Zealand is in mourning after the death of one of its biggest stars, a celebrity sheep called Shrek who was reckoned to be the woolliest in the world.

The 17-year-old Merino sheep was put to sleep yesterday after a long and glamourous life that included TV shows, national tours, his own barn and a personal carer; he even made it into the pages of Playboy magazine.

Shrek captured the public's imagination in 2004 after he evaded the annual shearing round-ups for seven years by hiding in caves on his farm on South Island. When finally found, he was clad in an astonishing 27kg of wool.


Walking cloud: Shrek was toured around the country for charity events in the back of a van by musterer Danny Devine (left) and owner John Perriam


In a country where sheep outnumber people by nearly 10 to one, Shrek's story of stubbornness and guile appealed to many.

After his capture, Shrek was shorn on live TV in a broadcast which was picked up around the world and watched by millions. His story inspired three books.

'He was quite an elderly statesman,' said owner John Perriam.


Before: Shrek was nine years old when he was eventually caught for shearing and was carrying 27kg of wool


'He taught us a lot.'

Until becoming sick three weeks ago, Shrek toured the country, commanding huge sums of money for appearances and getting the star treatment wherever he went.

In one appearance, he was shorn on top of a large iceberg which was floating near the South Island coast.


... And after: Shrek, with his owner John Perriam after being shorn in Cromwell, on 28 April 2004, before 200 onlookers and a live worldwide television audience


Shrek was one of about 17,000 sheep on the the 27,000-acre Bendigo farm in the small town of Tarras.

Mr Perriam believes Shrek was able to survive the winters and avoid detection by moving about a series of sheltered caves and by munching on small native shrubs.
'It's bizarre that we missed him seven years in a row,' he said.

'But from his point of view, it was the perfect environment.'

After Shrek became a star, Mr Perriam gave him his own barn and showroom. Shrek even had a personal carer to look after him when he became sick, before being put to sleep yesterday at the age of 17.

Mr Perriam said that as well as laying claim to being New Zealand's woolliest sheep, Shrek may also have been its oldest.

Most sheep live for no more than six years before being slaughtered.


source: dailymail

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A zoo in Amneville

A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows one of the mountain sheep babies borned lately at the zoo.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows a Humboldt Penguin.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows an Orangutan.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows one of the three babies kangourou wallaby borned lately at the zoo carried by its mother.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows one of the three babies kangourou wallaby borned lately at the zoo carried by its mother.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows two mountain sheep babies borned lately.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows one of the three babies kangourou wallaby borned lately at the zoo carried by its mother.

source: daylife
photo: Gettyimages

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That should stop the ram raiders: Farmer dyes his flock orange to deter sheep rustlers

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

I can see ewe! Farmer John Heard and his son James were forced to take desperate measures after their flock was decimated by rustlers and coated some 250 sheep with harmless orange dye


Farmer John Heard decided desperate measures were needed to stop the sheep rustling that was decimating his flocks.

And his solution to the problem has created an eye-catching sensation on his farm after he turned his sheep orange.

The 48-year-old has put his flock of 250 blackface ewes through a harmless dip of orange dye making them so highly visible wary thieves are giving them a wide berth.



Valuable commodity: The National Farmer's Union has warned that the financial hardship facing the country has led to a big increase in rural crimes like sheep rustling


Mr Heard, who runs his livestock farm near Okehampton, Devon had lost 200 sheep over the past few years but says the orange dye is working wonders.

He explained: 'Sheep rustling has become a big problem with ewes worth around £140 each. My flock roams Dartmoor and I was getting mighty fed up with losing so many.

'My son James suggested the orange dye and although it produces some strange-looking sheep it has done the trick and I haven’t lost one this year.

'It works because they are so easy to distinguish making it easier for me and my neighbours to keep a wary eye out for them. Plus the rustlers are obviously nervous about stealing such easily distinguished animals.'

source: dailymail

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Ewe have got to be kidding! The 'puppy' born to a SHEEP

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

'Miracle': The sheep/dog and the ewe that allegedly gave birth to him in Shaanxi Province, China
His 'sheep dog' even plays like a hound.


Vets say it’s impossible - but to Chinese farmer Liu Naiying his birth is a miracle.
For Mr Liu insists one of his sheep has given birth to a dog

The 'puppy' has wool like a lamb but its mouth, nose, eyes, paws and tail look more like a dog's

The birth has prompted thousands to flock to his farm in Shaanxi Province to see for themselves.

Mr Liu told how he found the unusual baby animal shortly after it was born in one of his fields.

‘I was herding the sheep, and saw a sheep licking her newborn lamb on the grassland. The lamb was still wet,’ he said.

‘When I went up close to check on the lamb I was shocked because it looked so weird, like a cross between a sheep and a dog.


Strange: The 'puppy' has wool like a lamb but it's mouth, nose, eyes, paws and tail look more like a dog's


‘I was a bit frightened, as I've been raising sheep for 20 years and had never seen such a creature.’

Yue Guozhang, a researcher at Xi'an City Animal Husbandry Technology Centre, said sheep and dogs were different species.

‘It's not possible that a sheep could become pregnant with a puppy,’ he said. ‘It's likely that this is just an abnormal lamb.’



source: dailymail

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They pulled the wool over our eyes! Sheep are so intelligent they can make 'executive decisions'

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Underrated: Sheep are actually so smart they make 'executive decisions' and have long memories, scientists said


Sheep aren't as stupid as previously thought, according to researchers.

Never considered particularly intelligent, sheep are actually so smart they make 'executive decisions' and have long memories, remembering friends for two years.

They can remember faces, be they other sheep or human, and can recall faces when looking at photographs, University of Cambridge scientists said.

Sheep can also pass psychological tests that monkeys would fail, according to their study.

Dr Laura Avanzo and Dr Jennifer Morton were studying neurodegeneration with a focus on Huntingdon's disease, an inherited disorder that leads to nerve damage and dementia, when they stumbled on their findings quite by accident.

As part of their research they studied a new breed of genetically-modified sheep that carry a detective gene that causes Huntingdon's in people. They also needed to study normal sheep in order to compare and contrast their findings with the GM sheep.

So they subjected seven female domestic sheep - or Ovis aries - to a series of tests normally carried out on humans with Huntingdon's.

What they found amazed them.

The scientists placed pairs of different coloured buckets in front of them; with one containing food each time.

They them switched the food from bucket to bucket, while also alternating the colours and, eventually, changing the shapes of the buckets.

The sheep learnt to recognise different patterns in colours and changed their behaviour according to the pattern they were looking at. They also altered their behaviour based on the various shapes placed in front of them.

Only humans and other primates find these kind of responses easy; most other large animals struggle with them, the scientists said.

Successfully completing the tasks relies on the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain larger in humans than other animals, New Scientist reported.

Animal behavioural specialists have for decades focused their attention on monkeys during testing.

Dr Avanzo and Dr Morton believe this is because sheep, like many humans, behave differently when in a flock compared to when alone.

Dr Morton said: 'Sheep live in a flock, and in a flock they’re rather silly. When you work with them as individuals, they behave very differently.'

source: dailymail

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Dolly reborn! Four clones created of sheep that changed science

By FIONA MACRAE

Four of a kind: The four sheep are exact genetic duplicates of Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell 14 years ago


Dolly the sheep has been reborn. Four clones have been made by the scientist behind the original research.

The quads, which have been nicknamed ‘the Dollies’, are exact genetic copies of their predecessor, who was put down seven years ago.

As the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, Dolly made headlines around the world when she was born at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh in 1996.

She was hailed as a scientific sensation but critics warned the technology brought with it a high risk of miscarriage and still birth – and for those creatures that did survive, ill health and premature death.

The need to put Dolly down aged only six, to end her suffering from advanced lung disease and arthritis, further inflamed fears about the long-term health of cloned animals.

The latest experiments were partly carried out to check if improvements to the technique cut the risk of problems in and out of the womb.


Named after country and western singer Dolly Parton, Dolly was created from a cell taken from a mammary gland. The rest of the sample of tissue has lain in a freezer since, until it was defrosted to make the Dollies.

This means the quads are genetically identical to each other, as well as to Dolly, and to the ewe that donated the udder tissue. Professor Keith Campbell, who keeps the Dollies as pets on land at Nottingham University, said: ‘Dolly is alive and well. Genetically these are Dolly.’

The cloning of Dolly was a long and tortuous process. In all, 277 eggs were used and only one lamb – Dolly – survived.

This time, only five embryos were needed to produce each one of the Dollies.
Professor Campbell said the health of the clones was being closely watched. He added: ‘They have got the life of Reilly – they potter around and get fed.

‘We are not doing anything to them, they have no health concerns and they show none of the signs of developing the arthritis that Dolly had.’

The professor, who plans to publish details about the Dollies in a scientific journal, said improvements in the technology raised the odds of clones being born alive and healthy but admitted the method was still not perfect.

Animal welfare campaigners say that cloned animals and their surrogate mothers still suffer immensely.

Peter Stevenson, of Compassion in World Farming, said: ‘Cloning is a welfare disaster.’
The Dollies were born three-and-a-half years ago but their existence became public only when Professor Campbell mentioned them during a lecture at a recent European
Parliament debate on cloning and animal welfare.

He said he had not tried to hide their existence and had spoken of the animals to other scientists.

Despite controversy over animal welfare, cloning is used in agriculture to make copies of prize-winning animals, allowing them to be bred from over and over again.

It is also of interest to stem cell scientists and to those trying to create designer animals that produce medicines in their milk.


source: dailymail

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How 'mutton bustin' (sticking your pre-school child on a 180lb sheep) is taking hold in the U.S.

By Mailonline Reporter

A 'mutton bustin' girl clings on for dear life while riding a sheep at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, California. The children must be under the age of six and weigh no more than 60lb


Holding on for dear life to their wooly steeds, these wild west kids are getting in on some rodeo action by taking part in America's burgeoning 'Mutton Bustin' scene.

Wearing an ice hockey helmet, face guard and a child sized protective vest, any young bronco under the age of six and weighing no more than 60lb can take part.

The aim of the game is to hold onto the 180lb Cross Colombian ewes for up to six seconds as they are released from a gate into the 150ft long and 50ft wide run.

Most fall off after a second or so, but for those who can ride out the rough and tumble a place awaits at the Mutton Bustin world championships being held this October in Fresno, California and a £3, 200 prize.

"I have been doing this with my company Wool Warriors for 25 years," said rodeo entrepreneur Tommy G, who runs his sheep riding business out of Pueblo, Colorado.

"We own around 500 sheep and we take around 75 to around 14 fairs across the USA for the mutton bustin events.

"That way we ensure that they are rotated and properly rested and in no way over worked.


I'm slipping... This unfortunate rider's grip is loosened by the sheep at a fair in Missouri


Ouch, that's going to hurt. The rider is up-ended as the sheep veers off to the right


"They are more than capable of carrying a small child on their back and the Houston Livestock Board gave us the once over for safety in 2008 and declared that skateboarding or roller blading was more dangerous for the kids than this."

Originally starting as a filler during proper rodeo events in America, Tommy, 44, quickly so the potential for growth in riding sheep.

"The mutton bustin was done as a half time entertainment and always I would see 40 or 50 kids disappointed that they had missed their turn," explained Tommy.

"So, by setting up Wool Warriors and having our own purpose built track and seating capabilities lets us entertain every child who wants to have a go."


His legs firmly tucked in under the sheep, this boy holds on for dear life as he rides a sheep at the Ventura County Fair in California. Originally starting as a filler during proper rodeo event, organisers soon saw the potential for growth in riding sheep


Charging around £8 for the pleasure of riding a put upon ewe, Tommy estimates that during their countrywide tours around 8,000 kids get a chance to act out as their rodeo heroes.

"Safety is the key," said Tommy.

"They are padded and their head is protected. No child is forced to do it if they change their mind.

"And in Fresno this year we will be hosting the mutton bustin world championship.

"The winners of the 'Golden Buckle', from each of the 14 previous fairs are invited to play off against each other.

"We are expecting 300 kids and their families to arrive and the first prize is a £3,200 saving bond for the winner."



source: dailymail

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