Tiny Chihuahua shows talent for herding sheep

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8603257/Tiny-Chihuahua-shows-talent-for-herding-sheep.html

Rescue dog Nancy's potential for herding flocks was discovered after she was adopted by a sheep dog trainer. Ali Taylor, who trains rescued border collies, said the tiny dog picked up herding straight away. "I started in a very controlled environment but it quickly became evident that Nancy has natural ability and loves herding sheep," she said. Nancy was hand-reared after being taken to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home at just three weeks old with a skin disease caused by parasitic mites.

Read on (and watch the video)...

Sheep dog is scared of his flock

A Border Collie has been branded Britain's worst sheep dog after developing a fear of his flock. Despite his pedigree, Ci proves instinct alone is not enough to overcome a bad case of ovinophobia. The four-year-old developed his fear of sheep when owner Jane Lippington placed him in their field as a puppy.

Read on...

Mass culling for foot-and-mouth 'may be unnecessary'

6 May 2011
By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News

The mass cull of farm animals to control the spread of foot-and-mouth disease may be unnecessary if there is a new outbreak, scientists suggest.

A new analysis of disease transmission suggests that future outbreaks might be controlled by early detection and killing only affected animals.

The scientists said their findings did not suggest the mass slaughter policy during the 2001 UK outbreak was wrong.

The research, by a UK team, is reported in the journal Science.

Until now, vets had assumed animals could be infectious while they carried the virus that causes foot-and-mouth, which may be for between four and eight days.

However, by exposing calves to infected cattle and closely monitoring them, researchers from the Institute for Animal Health in Surrey and Edinburgh University discovered that the period of infection was less than two days.

Perhaps more importantly, the researchers also discovered that animals were not infectious until they showed symptoms of the disease.

Scientists had previously thought animals were infectious for hours or even days before manifesting any symptoms.

These results suggest that any future outbreak could be brought under control by closely monitoring animals and slaughtering them as soon as they become ill.

This approach is in contrast to the policy adopted to bring the 2001 epidemic under control.

Too drastic

Ten years ago, the UK Government slaughtered not only all the animals on infected farms but also all animals on adjacent farms, regardless of whether infection had been reported there.

The policy of "contiguous culling" was adopted following scientific advice that this was the only way of controlling the epidemic.

It led to the slaughter of 6.5 million cattle, sheep and pigs, some of which were burned on open air pyres.

Many vets and farmers felt at the time - and still argue - that the policy was far too drastic, and that a more targeted approach would have been sufficient to bring the outbreak under control.

Dr Bryan Charleston, of the Institute for Animal Health, was among those asked to undertake the new study in response to public concern about the use of contiguous culling.

The research, he says, "doesn't say that this policy was wrong" - but it does suggest that mass culling could be avoided in the future.

Writing in Science, his team says: "These results imply that controversial pre-emptive control measures may be unnecessary.

"Instead, efforts should be directed at early identification of infection and rapid intervention."

Dr Charleston also told BBC News it would be worth developing simple test kits to detect herds that are infected before the onset of clinical signs, and also to detect herds that are not infected "so they would not need to be culled".

Targeted approach

So if mass culling could be avoided in the future, why was it not "wrong" in 2001, as Dr Charleston argues?

Professor Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, was among those advising government on how to control the epidemic a decade ago.

He said the more targeted approach suggested by the new research would have been impossible by the time government had realised that there was a major outbreak.

"The biggest problem in 2001 was that by the time we realised what was happening, there were something between 30 and 50 infected farms," he said.

"It took a huge amount of effort to deal with that, and so very intensive surveillance of infected areas proved impossible from the outset."

But government agencies are now much better placed to detect new infections much earlier.

That being the case, the implications of this paper are that in future, vets will be able to nip foot-and-mouth outbreaks in the bud.

Indeed, this is what happened in 2007 when there was a small outbreak as a result of a leak of foot-and-mouth virus from a laboratory in Surrey.

That outbreak was confined to a small area, and so vets were able to monitor closely and test herds that were in close proximity to infected animals.

Those that were found to have the virus were culled; those that tested negative were not.

This approach was sufficient to bring the 2007 outbreak under control. But such a scheme could not be applied to a larger outbreak, according to Professor Ferguson.

He said: "When the outbreak is very small, it becomes more feasible to pick up any signs of infection on a farm as soon as possible; and this research suggests that might be very effective at stopping onward transmission.

"But in 2001, really rapid diagnosis proved to be challenging.

"If you have a lot of animals on a lot of farms, it's hard to inspect them all every day. So although the general conclusion is that rapid diagnosis might have a big effect in practice, it might be hard to achieve (once the outbreak exceeds a certain size)."

The research also suggests that vets should not be wary of using vaccination to control any future outbreak, as they were in 2001.

Then, there was concern that vaccination would lead to animals becoming infected at a very low level without displaying symptoms, and that these animals could in turn have infected animals in other farms.

The new research, however, suggests that this kind of subclinical infection is not a worry.

It indicates that if an animal does not show symptoms, it is not infectious; so vaccinating in the face of an outbreak might be more effective than scientists previously thought.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13299666

South Devon steam train in emergency stop to save lamb

"Lucky" the lamb was taken to Totnes on

board the train

25 April 2011

A steam train crew in Devon has had to make an emergency stop to avoid hitting a sick lamb on the track.

The animal was spotted lying between the rails by the driver and fireman on board the South Devon Railway locomotive on Sunday.

The tourist train was travelling from Buckfastleigh to Totnes when it was brought to a "rapid halt".

The lamb, who has been named "Lucky", was rescued and is currently being cared for at Totnes Rare Breeds Farm.

Dick Wood, general manager of the South Devon Railway Trust, was on the train at the time of the incident.

He said: "The crew spotted the animal near Woodville by the River Dart and brought the 11.40 train from Buckfastleigh to a rapid halt.

"I looked out to see the crew climb down from their engine and gently lift the tired and dishevelled looking animal up on to the footplate where it was looked after until arriving at Totnes a few minutes later."

Mr Wood said it was believed the lamb had escaped from a neighbouring field and got lost on the railway after becoming separated from its mother.

Last year 112,000 passengers travelled on the South Devon Railway, the highest number of people in the organisation's 19-year history.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-13187728
(Via Dawn Holloway)

Dotty the donkey saves sheep from savage dog

Stanley, pictured with Dotty

8:54am Tuesday 5th April 2011

A donkey who saved a sheep from a dog attack in North Yorkshire is to receive an animal bravery award.

Dotty the donkey stepped in when her stable mate, Stanley the sheep, was attacked by a dog in a paddock at Row Brow Farm, near Scarborough.

Dotty will be presented with her award today, by representatives from pets charity PDSA.

Dotty’s owner, Ann Rogers, 63, said: “Dotty saw her friend in distress and charged down the field to rescue him from the dog’s jaws.”

Dotty then pinned the dog to the ground until it let go of Stanley, who was orphaned as a lamb. As a result of the attack, the sheep lost two teeth and suffered facial paralysis.

Ms Rogers said Stanley has now recovered and is never far from his rescuer.

PDSA vet Elaine Pendlebury said Dotty’s behaviour was outstanding.

She said: “Often when faced with a threat, donkeys will rise up to face their enemy, in this case an aggressive dog. Dotty showed herself to be a true protector of the animals she sees as her family.”

See video at: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8954032.Donkey_to_receive_animal_bravery_award/
(Via Colin Meddings)

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

'Miracle': The sheep/dog and the ewe that allegedly gave birth to him in
Shaanxi Province, China

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 7:29 PM on 25th March 2011

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.

His 'sheep dog' even plays like a hound.

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.

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 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.

‘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.’

21 February 2011 Last updated at 08:54
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12521541

Study shows Welsh sheep 'more clever than thought'

Sheep aren't viewed as the cleverest of creatures, but new research has found they might be a lot more intelligent than previously thought.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge found that Welsh mountain sheep can map their surroundings, and may even be able to plan ahead.

The discovery shows they have the brainpower to equal rodents, monkeys and, in some tests, even humans.

The study was part of wider research into Huntington's Disease.

Professor Jenny Morton from the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Cambridge says the beasts' 'stupid' reputation may be unwarranted.

She told BBC Wales: "Our tests showed they can do what is known as executive decision making.

"We looked at whether they were able to understand rules and got them to do what is known as a choice discrimination task.

"But when we changed the rules, they behaved pretty much as a human in that they got bothered about us changing those rules."

Professor Morton put a flock of Welsh mountain sheep through a series of tests to measure their intelligence.

One saw her using coloured buckets to see how long it would take the sheep to work out they could find food in the same-coloured bucket every time.

The colour of the buckets was then changed, so the sheep had to re-learn the association. They were able to do this in the same amount of time it takes monkeys and rodents in similar tests.

In a more complex task the sheep had to learn where the food was according to coloured shapes and were able to learn the new rules within 32 attempts.

Professor Morton added: "We expected that looking at sheep wouldn't be that helpful but they are actually reasonably similar to humans in many ways.

Mutant gene

"They're very good animals and very enthusiastic subjects.

"If you talk to farmers they'll probably tell you that they have a very good spatial memory - they're not as daft as they look."

Her research, which is published in the journal Public Library of Science One, is part of a wider attempt to use sheep as an animal model for examining Huntington's Disease (HD).

The disease, which is genetically inherited, affects muscle co-ordination, often causing involuntary writhing movements called chorea, and it leads to cognitive decline.

It currently affects at least 6,700 people in England and Wales.

Anyone who carries the mutant gene will go on to develop HD, and their child has a 50% chance of inheriting it.

"Sheep have great potential, not only for use as a large animal model of HD, but also for studying cognitive function and the evolution of complex behaviours in normal animals," added Professor Morton.

She has also conducted trials to test the spatial memory of sheep and found they are able to navigate by forming memories of their surrounding environments.

She is now conducting tests to see whether sheep are able to plan ahead.

Previous research at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge has also shown that sheep have the ability to recall human faces and react to different facial expressions.

They can also recognise other sheep by their facial features.

Dolly the Sheep 'reborn' as four new clones created

The quads, nicknamed “The Dollies”, are said to be exact genetic copies of their predecessor, who was put down seven years ago.


Dolly was plagued by health problems and suffered from premature arthritis. She was put down in 2003 after contracting lung disease.

“Dolly is alive and well. Genetically these are Dolly,” Professor Keith Campbell, who keeps the Dollies as pets on land at Nottingham University, told the Daily Mail.

“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 the health of the clones was being closely watched.

He said the latest experiments were carried out to investigate whether improvements to the technique could cut the risk of problems in and out of the womb.

The arrival of Dolly was a landmark in genetic technology, demonstrating that scientists could reverse cellular time by converting an adult sheep's cell into an embryo, which was then grown into a new sheep.

Her birth prompted a fierce debate about the ethics and ramifications of cloning, with one writer claiming that Dolly "looks at you with those intense red eyes – eyes full of hate".

The ethical arguments against animal cloning were strengthened by the ill health that forced her to be put down.

Dolly the Sheep 'reborn' as four new clones created

The quads, nicknamed “The Dollies”, are said to be exact genetic copies of their predecessor, who was put down seven years ago.


Dolly was plagued by health problems and suffered from premature arthritis. She was put down in 2003 after contracting lung disease.

“Dolly is alive and well. Genetically these are Dolly,” Professor Keith Campbell, who keeps the Dollies as pets on land at Nottingham University, told the Daily Mail.

“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 the health of the clones was being closely watched.

He said the latest experiments were carried out to investigate whether improvements to the technique could cut the risk of problems in and out of the womb.

The arrival of Dolly was a landmark in genetic technology, demonstrating that scientists could reverse cellular time by converting an adult sheep's cell into an embryo, which was then grown into a new sheep.

Her birth prompted a fierce debate about the ethics and ramifications of cloning, with one writer claiming that Dolly "looks at you with those intense red eyes – eyes full of hate".

The ethical arguments against animal cloning were strengthened by the ill health that forced her to be put down.

Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep ravaged by disease

Laura Zuckerman, Reuters · Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010

SALMON, Idaho - Across the northern Rocky Mountains, bighorn sheep are dying by the hundreds from pneumonia and alarmed wildlife officials are hunting and killing the majestic animals to halt the spread of the disease.

Since winter, nine disease outbreaks across five states in the West have claimed nearly 1,000 bighorns, prized as a game animal for the prominent curled horns of the adult males, or rams.

Scientists recently confirmed what they long suspected — the cause of the plague is contact between the wild bighorns and domestic sheep flocks.

Putting the blame on domestic sheep has heightened a furious debate between advocates of the wild bighorns and sheep ranchers — one skirmish in a bigger war between proponents of economic interests and those seeking protection of remaining wild areas and species in America’s West.

The population of bighorns has declined sharply since the settlement of the West. Fewer than 100,000 sheep are believed to roam the rugged mountain slopes today, compared with an estimated 1.2 million head of bighorn at one time.

Episodic outbreaks of disease have thinned bighorn herds for years. A study published in the latest edition of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases concluded that domestic sheep were the carrier-culprits behind bighorn pneumonia epidemics.

Led by a team at Washington State University-Pullman, researchers placed an identifying protein into a bacteria culture, then documented how the pathogen moved from domestic sheep to wild ones.

“The study proves what a lot of us suspected all along: that domestic sheep are the biggest management challenge to the restoration of wild sheep,” said Kevin Hurley, a bighorn expert for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and head of an interstate wild sheep task force.

Following the study, the Payette National Forest in western Idaho, where domestic sheep herding is prevalent, announced it was cutting its sheep grazing allotments by nearly 70% over the next three years.

Sheep ranchers are angered by the Payette decision. They fear it sets a precedent for public land management that could sound the death knell to an industry, already beset by falling production and competition from meat and wool imports.

Third-generation Idaho sheep rancher Frank Shirts, whose grazing lands on the Payette are targeted for cuts, is skeptical that flocks such as his are infecting the bighorns.

“It’s a bunch of baloney,” said Mr. Shirts, 57. “I bought my first sheep when I was 7, and I’ve worked my whole life to build this outfit. It’s a shame what’s going on here. They’re going to put the Western sheep industry out of business.”

To save the bighorn, wildlife agencies in several Western states where the disease has spread are killing not only sick bighorns but healthy animals that make contact with domestic flocks.

“I know it sounds strange that we have to kill bighorns to save them, but we can’t allow an atomic ram to go back into the population and infect the rest of the band. It’s like gangrene — you cut off the toe to save the leg,” said Wyoming’s Hurley.

Tom Keegan, wildlife manager for Idaho Fish and Game, said the disease lowered bighorn lamb production for many years. The current reproduction rate is barely enough to sustain the herds, one reason biologists take extreme measures when an animal appears ill, he said.

The killing of bighorns by wildlife agencies has sparked opposition from some conservation groups that share the same goal of preserving the wild sheep.

“The bighorns should never come into contact with domestic sheep,” said John McCarthy of the Wilderness Society, among the environmental groups that have sued to get domestic sheep flocks off the Payette altogether. “We don’t need to have punitive measures against the bighorns.”

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Rocky+Mountain+bighorn+sheep+ravaged+disease/3615259/story.html#ixzz11n7wfw3v
(Submitted by Chad Arment)

Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep ravaged by disease

Laura Zuckerman, Reuters · Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010

SALMON, Idaho - Across the northern Rocky Mountains, bighorn sheep are dying by the hundreds from pneumonia and alarmed wildlife officials are hunting and killing the majestic animals to halt the spread of the disease.

Since winter, nine disease outbreaks across five states in the West have claimed nearly 1,000 bighorns, prized as a game animal for the prominent curled horns of the adult males, or rams.

Scientists recently confirmed what they long suspected — the cause of the plague is contact between the wild bighorns and domestic sheep flocks.

Putting the blame on domestic sheep has heightened a furious debate between advocates of the wild bighorns and sheep ranchers — one skirmish in a bigger war between proponents of economic interests and those seeking protection of remaining wild areas and species in America’s West.

The population of bighorns has declined sharply since the settlement of the West. Fewer than 100,000 sheep are believed to roam the rugged mountain slopes today, compared with an estimated 1.2 million head of bighorn at one time.

Episodic outbreaks of disease have thinned bighorn herds for years. A study published in the latest edition of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases concluded that domestic sheep were the carrier-culprits behind bighorn pneumonia epidemics.

Led by a team at Washington State University-Pullman, researchers placed an identifying protein into a bacteria culture, then documented how the pathogen moved from domestic sheep to wild ones.

“The study proves what a lot of us suspected all along: that domestic sheep are the biggest management challenge to the restoration of wild sheep,” said Kevin Hurley, a bighorn expert for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and head of an interstate wild sheep task force.

Following the study, the Payette National Forest in western Idaho, where domestic sheep herding is prevalent, announced it was cutting its sheep grazing allotments by nearly 70% over the next three years.

Sheep ranchers are angered by the Payette decision. They fear it sets a precedent for public land management that could sound the death knell to an industry, already beset by falling production and competition from meat and wool imports.

Third-generation Idaho sheep rancher Frank Shirts, whose grazing lands on the Payette are targeted for cuts, is skeptical that flocks such as his are infecting the bighorns.

“It’s a bunch of baloney,” said Mr. Shirts, 57. “I bought my first sheep when I was 7, and I’ve worked my whole life to build this outfit. It’s a shame what’s going on here. They’re going to put the Western sheep industry out of business.”

To save the bighorn, wildlife agencies in several Western states where the disease has spread are killing not only sick bighorns but healthy animals that make contact with domestic flocks.

“I know it sounds strange that we have to kill bighorns to save them, but we can’t allow an atomic ram to go back into the population and infect the rest of the band. It’s like gangrene — you cut off the toe to save the leg,” said Wyoming’s Hurley.

Tom Keegan, wildlife manager for Idaho Fish and Game, said the disease lowered bighorn lamb production for many years. The current reproduction rate is barely enough to sustain the herds, one reason biologists take extreme measures when an animal appears ill, he said.

The killing of bighorns by wildlife agencies has sparked opposition from some conservation groups that share the same goal of preserving the wild sheep.

“The bighorns should never come into contact with domestic sheep,” said John McCarthy of the Wilderness Society, among the environmental groups that have sued to get domestic sheep flocks off the Payette altogether. “We don’t need to have punitive measures against the bighorns.”

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Rocky+Mountain+bighorn+sheep+ravaged+disease/3615259/story.html#ixzz11n7wfw3v
(Submitted by Chad Arment)

Sheep 'take over' Hobbit homes in NZ

Tuesday, August 10 2010, 11:00 BST
By Mayer Nissim, Entertainment Reporter

A flock of sheep has reportedly moved into the empty Hobbit homes constructed in Matamata, New Zealand for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.

Images from various social networking sites reposted on Kuriositas show the creatures moving in and around the Hobbit holes, 17 of the original 37 of which have been preserved as a tourist attraction.

The homes themselves are empty, as all internal shots of Hobbiton in Peter Jackson's award-winning trilogy were filmed in studios.

Fans of the films can book a two-hour guided visit to the working farm with Hobbiton Movie Set & Farm Tours, with refreshments available at The Shires Rest Cafe.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/odd/news/a259079/sheep-take-over-hobbit-homes-in-nz.html?rss

Farmer raises two-legged lamb

4 August 2010, 9:35

A Chinese farmer is raising a lamb which was born with only two legs.

Cui Jinxiu, of Dadongzhuang village, Laizhou, Shandong province, says the lamb was one of two born on the farm two months ago.

"The first one was very healthy and normal. However, the second one surprised me," she said.

"It looked normal but just lay on the grass and when I looked again I was amazed to see it had only two legs."

The family doubted the two-legged lamb would survive but decided to try to raise it by feeding it from baby bottles.

"The very next morning after it was born, it managed to stand up by itself," added Cui.

"In the beginning it struggled to balance but now manages perfectly well by lifting its butt in the air.

"It is very strong willed and brave. Despite only having two legs, it is living normally just like other lambs.

"Once it sees me or hears my voice, it runs to me with excitement, and rub my pants with its head."

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Farmer_raises_two_legged_lamb

Curry fed to sheep could curb global warming

Jul 6th 2010 By Tom Cullen

Scientists have claimed that coriander and turmeric - spices traditionally used to flavour curries - can reduce the amount of methane produced by sheep by up to 40 per cent, thus significantly reducing global warming.

The findings are part of a study by Newcastle University research student Mohammad Mehedi Hasan and Dr Abdul Shakoor Chaudhry who suggest that the two ingredients work like an antibiotic, the spices were found to kill the methane-producing ''bad'' bacteria in the animal's gut while allowing the ''good'' bacteria to flourish.

Mr Hasan told the Telegraph: ''Methane is a major contributor to global warming and the slow digestive system of ruminant animals such as cows and sheep makes them a key producer of the gas.

''What my research found was that certain spices contain properties which make this digestive process more efficient so producing less waste - in this case, methane.''

Odd, then, that last night's curry appears to have done the exact opposite to us.

http://www.asylum.co.uk/2010/07/06/curry-for-sheep-could-curb-global-warming/#ixzz0t0J3SipS

Farmers amazed by sheep 'slippers'

RIGHT: Mr Hughes with one of the speak grass seed 'shoes' he found on the feet of a sheep. (ABC Local: Julia Harris)

By Chrissy Arthur
Updated Fri Jun 18, 2010 7:48am AEST

A south-west Queensland grazier says there is so much grass around, it is sticking to the wool around the sheep's legs, making the animals look like they are wearing "big slippers".

Andrew Hughes from Autumnvale near Thargomindah says the best season in 30 years has resulted in the unusual problem among his sheep flock.

Mr Hughes says it is creating the appearance the sheep are wearing boots.

"No one has ever seen them on the feet like this," he said.

"People have seen the grass seed get in the sheep's face when they stick their head down and into the feed but nothing this extreme.

"We've never seen this on our place in the 27 years we've been here, so it's quite amazing.

"It's sort of like a really big slipper, or work boot - they look like a human could put them on."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/18/2930258.htm

Down on the farm

Click to enlarge

http://e-edition.metroherald.ie/2010/05/24/ - p9.

Sheep scans

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/nottinghamshire/8690897.stm

Putting a live sheep into a CT scanner looks ungainly, even slightly comical, but the science behind it has serious implications for Britain's national flock.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47874000/jpg/_47874095_-15.jpg

One by one they are mildly sedated by a vet and then strapped to a gurney, complete with head cushion for comfort. Once loaded on to the machine itself, a slow conveyor takes them through the large white, donut-shaped scanner. This is not happening because the animal is hurt or injured, in fact the Charollais ram is in tip top condition and his owner wants more like him.

Dr Kevin Sinclair, a professor in developmental biology at The University of Nottingham, is helping farmers pick the best of the best to breed better quality meat into their flocks.

He says: "One argument for lamb becoming less popular as a meat is because people complain about it being too fatty. "Breeders are increasingly testing their animals for leanness and this does it with pinpoint accuracy." When asked about the issues surrounding genetics in farming he added: "Genetic modification conjures up all the wrong images in people's minds. What we're doing here is a process of selection, akin to natural selection, except we're speeding up the process and selecting for characteristics that we favour.

"This isn't new. Domestication in farm animals occurred 10,000 years ago and we've been doing it ever since. By using the technology we can do it with greater precision and accuracy that ever before."

The mobile scanner was brought down to Nottingham from the Scottish Agricultural College in Edinburgh which developed the technique. The university is the only place it has been used south of the border and it has been such a hit with farmers it is hoped a permanent unit will be set up at its Sutton Bonnington campus by the end of the year. Virtual cross-section slices appear on a radiologist's screen as each lamb passes through the former NHS scanner.

The images show the animal's fat, muscle and bone content. To improve their stock, farmers are looking for less fat and more muscle. The information is being put to good use by Charles Sercombe, who has a sheep farm in Leicestershire. At £85 per animal, he can only afford to scan a hand-picked trailer full, but believes it is a good investment for the future of his flock. By pinpointing the best of the best, Mr Sercombe says he can achieve better margins and sustainability: "As farmers I think we have a real duty at this moment in time to produce food more efficiently.

"There are obviously finite resources on this planet and I think we have a duty to the general population to produce faster growing, more muscled animals that use less resources and have less impact on the climate."

The superior genes of his fitter, leaner lambs fetch a premium when sold for breeding. The programme is being welcomed by an industry worth £822m a year in Britain. Mr Sercombe says the breeding programme has already increased his yield per lamb by two kilos. It will take two to three years for that to filter down through his whole flock and longer still to reach the general sheep population.

But as more farmers cotton on to this technology the future of British lamb is looking good.

Sheep attacked 'by aliens'

5 April 2010, 10:07

Unexplained sheep attacks in Shropshire have led to claims that aliens are to blame.

Farmers near Shrewsbury have found the animals dead after seemingly being "experimented on", reports The Sun.

UFO hunters are linking the mutilations - including the removal of sheep brains and eyes - to sightings of mysterious orange lights in the sky and claim to have witnessed sheep being zapped by two of the spheres.

Phil Hoyle, 53, who has spent nine years probing the riddle of livestock found killed, said: "For a short while it looked more like a Star Wars battle."

He also interviewed farmers and "all but one had had some type of unusual disappearance of animals or deaths with strange injuries".

The retired steelworker added: "Animals are being clinically and surgically sampled by a highly advanced technology."

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/sheep_attacked_by_aliens

Anniversary of the cloned sheep

Click to enlarge

http://e-edition.metro.co.uk/2010/02/22/ - p22.

Baa,baa black belt

Click to enlarge

http://e-edition.metroireland.ie/2010/02/18/