A FARMERS’ feed fund has so far received more than £1,000 in donations to provide milk for lambs orphaned by the recent snow – but more would still be gratefully received.
Alison Perry who started off the fund said time and family commitments had stopped her offering practical help digging sheep out of drifts but like many others she still wanted to do something to help.
‘I guessed there were a few people who would have liked to help but could not. So many sheep were lost leaving meg (orphaned)lambs I thought a food fund would help the farmers out.
‘Having raised sheep myself, I know how much it costs. Fortunately it seems to have taken off and I have been driving round farms myself delivering milk for them.’
Things really started to take off after a Facebook page was created, she said, and people had been getting in contact with fundraising ideas and donations. In addition there is an orphaned lamb register to match lambs with people able to care for them and bottle feed them.
‘It’s time-consuming and heart breaking at times because occasionally you lose one. I’ve got seven myself and I’m expecting another five soon. Many farmers have suffered huge losses which will not be known for some time.’
‘We even had someone who is an artist who has kindly agreed to auction some paintings.’
She said the bad summer had compounded matters by ruining some crops meaning farmers had been forced to buy in hay. Now, with so many sheep dead they were having to spend money on special powdered milk to feed the surviving lambs.
In addition, bottle fed lambs are more sickly because they don’t benefit from the anibodies in the mother’s milk. With so many lambs and sheep dead it meant next year’s sheep stock was also depleted.
‘In some cases the losses could run into tens of thousands of pounds,’ she said.
‘Even some of the surviving ewes are aborting lambs or failing to produce milk because of the stress.’
Having the animals indoors brings further difficulties because farmers need to be vigilant against the spread of diseases such as e-coli which can affect animals in close proximity.
Mrs Perry said: ‘We really want to encourage people to help. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend caring for a lamb for someone who is inexperienced but some people may be grateful for some help with feeding, or better still make a donation to the fund.’
To assist with donations, Mrs Perry has set up a Paypal account which is Aliperry@hotmail.co.uk Cheques can be posted to Mrs Perry at 2 Boilley Spittal, Peel. There are collection buckets at Ramsey and Douglas Post offices and at Pets at Home. She will also collect cash donations. If anyone is holding an event and would like to donate proceeds, she can be contacted on 435898