laws on pet sheep scotland - not totally o/t ?

[NeverSayNever]

can anyone advise me please?

i find myself with too much grass in summer and my vet suggested cross grazing yesterday when i was discussing worming....

ive always fancied a few pet sheep , im only speaking 3 or 4......

but im struggling to find out what the rules/laws are reagrding me having them?

 

[nicnag]

You'll have to have a holding number so that you can keep sheep on your place. If you buy lambs then the chances are you'll have to blue tongue vacc them by the time they are 6 months. Older animals may already be done - or should be. Your local SEERAD office will be able to advise.

 

[MagicMelon]

I didnt think you needed anything? I know of some friends who have pet sheep with their horses and I dont think they got anything etc.

 

[nicnag]

To keep any form of agricultural livestock you need (or should have) a holding number - I got pet lambs for a woman who kept them in her garden but as she was planning on butchering them via a abbattoir she needed to have a holing number for movement licences etc. With the Blue tongue vaccinations and the Foot and Mouth it just makes it even more important that little pet flocks are traceable. If we ha an outbreak of BT and they hadn't been vaccinated the consequences would not be good. There are a lot of pet flocks where people just keep them without the right legislation but it's a bit of a bugbear with farmers as they are 'escaping' some of the things we all have to do and putting commercial flocks at risk (sometimes - not everyone!). If you plan to put them in a freezer you will definately need a holding number and ear tags as an abbatoir will not slaughter them without both. This is UK wide not specific to Scotland, BTV is specific to Scotland.
ETA apologies for missing letters - keyboard being temperamental!

 

[Cuffey]

Make friends with local farmer and offer summer grazing for half a dozen of his sheep/rams/tup lambs. you get your land 'cleaned' and dont have extra mouths to feed in winter.

 

[nicnag]

If he is within a 5 mile radius you might just get away with that one Cuffey! In fact I'd have said that was the best idea, sheep spend their lifes trying to die!