Pedigree Suffolk with estimated worth of €1,100 reported missing in Sligo
A pedigree Suffolk ram lamb with an estimated worth of €1,100 was reported missing from land in Cloonnamanagh, Ballymote, Co. Sligo.
According to the owner, the lamb was last seen on Wednesday (September 3), and had a harness with an orange crayon. The Suffolk is most identifiable by a 1cm by 1cm notch out of his left ear.
The owner, TJ Keaveney notified Colooney Garda Station that the lamb was missing on Saturday evening (September 6).
Agriland spoke to Keaveney about the incident, and asked when he first realised the lamb was missing.
He said: "The lamb was in the field with eight sheep, and I wasn't about Thursday. I went out Friday morning to bring five pedigree Suffolk sheep to go with him. This was at 12:00p.m. and he was gone.
"I spent the day walking looking for him. If he went one direction, he would have ended up in a field at the end of a cul de sac.
"If he went another direction he would have went into three or four ewe lambs, and if he went the other direction he was into 30 pedigree sheep with a ram in the field already.
"The only other option he had was to come through a gate to get out a lane, which he couldn't do. So my believe is that the lamb has been stolen."
Keaveney said that when he reported the sheep missing to gardai, they were of the same opinion.
According to Keaveney, the gardaí questioned whether the lamb could have gone into a nearby river, but Keaveney noted that the river did not border the field the ram was in.
Keaveney also stressed that the lamb was in a 1.5ac field that was surrounded with sheep wire, and no hole or gap in the fence was located.
The pedigree Suffolk owner highlighted the fact that if the lamb was stolen, it would not be easily sold in an ordinary mart as "too many questions" will be asked.
Keaveney noted: "He's 85kg in weight. There was a harness on him and there was an orange crayon on the harness.
"So even if the harness was taken off, there would still be a bit of orange on his legs which would raise a question what was he at."
Keaveney told Agriland that he had 10 butchers lambs stolen from the same field five years ago.
When asked if the field was close to a main road, Keaveney said: "You have to drive nearly a mile to get into the field, and you go in by four houses.
"I would say it's a place where no one has any business going. The problem with a sheep is you can take a tag out and put in another tag, but with cattle you need to have the card."
Since the lamb was reported missing, a post on the Irish Suffolk Sheep Society Facebook page with TJ Keaveney's mobile number has been uploaded.
Anyone that might have further information on the lamb is requested to contact him.
