Seven ewes and their 14 lambs have been stolen from a farm at Knockybrin, outside Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
Farmer John Russell told the Irish Farmers Journal that the sheep were taken from an out farm between Sunday 9 April and Saturday 15 April.
The sheep were lowland Suffolk and Texel crosses with four-week-old Charolais and Texel lambs at foot.
They are marked with blue numbers on their sides, between 18 and the low 40s, and are worth at least €2,000 in total, according to the farmer.
Theft
Russell’s sheep were with seven other pairs of doubles which were left in the field. He discovered the sheep missing after finding the lock on the gate to the 40ac block cut open.
Some of the remaining ewes and lambs in John Russell's flock, similar to those which were stolen. \ John Russell
“It was hard to see tracks with the rain. The other sheep were left there. I met them on the road,” he said.
The Donegal sheep farmer had 270 ewes finish lambing in recent weeks. The stolen ewes had lambed between 15 and 20 March.
Previous theft
Russell said that unfortunately this latest sheep theft isn’t his “first rodeo”.
Ten in-lamb ewes of his were stolen in January, from the same field, and have not since been recovered. The farmer said a neighbour had five ewes stolen at the same time.
Gardaí continue to investigate both thefts and anyone with information on the sheep is asked to contact the Letterkenny station on 074-916 7100.
Read more
Dog drives flock of ewes into Donegal sea
Seven ewes and their 14 lambs have been stolen from a farm at Knockybrin, outside Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
Farmer John Russell told the Irish Farmers Journal that the sheep were taken from an out farm between Sunday 9 April and Saturday 15 April.
The sheep were lowland Suffolk and Texel crosses with four-week-old Charolais and Texel lambs at foot.
They are marked with blue numbers on their sides, between 18 and the low 40s, and are worth at least €2,000 in total, according to the farmer.
Theft
Russell’s sheep were with seven other pairs of doubles which were left in the field. He discovered the sheep missing after finding the lock on the gate to the 40ac block cut open.
Some of the remaining ewes and lambs in John Russell's flock, similar to those which were stolen. \ John Russell
“It was hard to see tracks with the rain. The other sheep were left there. I met them on the road,” he said.
The Donegal sheep farmer had 270 ewes finish lambing in recent weeks. The stolen ewes had lambed between 15 and 20 March.
Previous theft
Russell said that unfortunately this latest sheep theft isn’t his “first rodeo”.
Ten in-lamb ewes of his were stolen in January, from the same field, and have not since been recovered. The farmer said a neighbour had five ewes stolen at the same time.
Gardaí continue to investigate both thefts and anyone with information on the sheep is asked to contact the Letterkenny station on 074-916 7100.
Read more
Dog drives flock of ewes into Donegal sea
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