is a permit needed to keep farm animals?

bazaarboy

bazaarboy

bazaarboy

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my neighbours decided to get about 40 sheep which they keep penned up on their land.

there's plenty of land, something like 5 acres but the problem is that most of that land is often wet. I'd say a good proportion of the time it's either water-logged on just boggy.

I'm annoyed because they always start doing some "small-holder" venture and they mess up - most recently they managed to lose about 90% of their beehives.
now I'm worried about the sheep - specifically with regards to foot scald and foot rot. I don't care if they waste their money on silly ideas but I don't see why animals have to suffer

so - I wanted to ask, can you just keep so many animals without a permit, and do you have to have some sort of animal welfare inspector approve what you're doing??
thanks
 
Reminds me of a farmer who has a concrete and corrugated iron barn for cattle next to a stream.

When the stream rises it floods the barn so the cows stand in muck and water while muck flows into the stream.
 
Hotwired said:
Reminds me of a farmer who has a concrete and corrugated iron barn for cattle next to a stream.

When the stream rises it floods the barn so the cows stand in muck and water while muck flows into the stream.
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yup, something similar in this case - the land is adjacent to a river and the banks often overflow turning the place into a swamp.
 
DEFRA / welfare of animals act....

13. give your animals that are not kept in buildings access to a well-drained lying area at all times and, if necessary, protection from adverse weather conditions, predators and risks to their health;
 
http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/keeping-animals/registering/sheep-goats/

Take a look at the above link for the basics in terms of any 'permit' needed.

Your neighbour should have a holdings number from the local authority in order to keep livestock.

Each animal should then each have its own identity, that is the yellow ear tag you should see. This allows the authorities to track animals and any movement on or off the holding is recorded.

Its worth bearing in mind that many sheep are hardy creatures. If the sheep are penned into an area that is nothing more than a swamp with no cover available from the elements, then your worries are perhaps well founded.

Otherwise sheep are by their nature designed to live up in the hills and moors over winter and are well suited to wet conditions.
 
Fair play to your neighbours giving the whole idea a go. Shame more people don't do this.
Welfare aside of course!
Are their names Tom and Barbara :D
 
Bees are hard to keep, i was looking into it and even the most experienced bee keepers can lose their bees. but sheep are different, as GJM said, they are hardly. But keep an eye on them.
 
Fuzz said:
Fair play to your neighbours giving the whole idea a go. Shame more people don't do this.
Welfare aside of course!
Are their names Tom and Barbara :D
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No, those aren't their names lol :p

The problem is they're not "starter-finishers", they always start something and then due to reasons that are never their fault it goes wrong.

I'm all for small holders by the way :D
 
GJM said:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/keeping-animals/registering/sheep-goats/

Take a look at the above link for the basics in terms of any 'permit' needed.

Your neighbour should have a holdings number from the local authority in order to keep livestock.

Each animal should then each have its own identity, that is the yellow ear tag you should see. This allows the authorities to track animals and any movement on or off the holding is recorded.

Its worth bearing in mind that many sheep are hardy creatures. If the sheep are penned into an area that is nothing more than a swamp with no cover available from the elements, then your worries are perhaps well founded.

Otherwise sheep are by their nature designed to live up in the hills and moors over winter and are well suited to wet conditions.
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thanks, will read through :)
 
sports_brah said:
Unless it is REALLY affecting you personally, please bugger off and let people get on with their own lives.
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I tend to agree, but if there's a genuine animal welfare concern as opposed to just busy-body neighbours getting too interested in other people's affairs, then it's fair to ask.
 
sports_brah said:
Unless it is REALLY affecting you personally, please bugger off and let people get on with their own lives.
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Did you read the thread?

bazaarboy said:
I don't care if they waste their money on silly ideas but I don't see why animals have to suffer
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As per OP this won't affect him but may results in the animals suffering, is your recommendation that he ignores this?
 
GSXRMovistar said:
this won't affect him but may results in the animals suffering
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His concern seems to be based on a previous failure at keeping bees?

If he'd said I think the sheep are overly fluffy or something, then that's a concern, otherwise it is unwarranted curtain twitching.

Also, +1 for attempting to due something useful with his land other than grow prize pansies.
 
bitslice said:
His concern seems to be based on a previous failure at keeping bees?

If he'd said I think the sheep are overly fluffy or something, then that's a concern, otherwise it is unwarranted curtain twitching.

Also, +1 for attempting to due something useful with his land other than grow prize pansies.
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So overly fluffy sheep is fine to complain about, but sheep that may have foot scald or rot isn't?
 
Dunks said:
So overly fluffy sheep is fine to complain about, but sheep that may have foot scald or rot isn't?
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Do you not have a sense of humour? :confused:


Its_so_fluffy_text_big_zpsa67384e5.gif
 
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