S.O.S. from Sheal

We heard this morning that our farmers have declared an emergency situation. Cattle, sheep and particularly lambs are dying because they can't be reached to feed them, let alone move them. Some farmers that have managed to move them have lost animals because the weight of snow on the sheds/barns has made them collapse with livestock inside. It's a very sad situation.

A lot of the breeds here, cattle and sheep are 'specialist' stock, but I don't think farmers would raise anything that isn't of a hardy nature.

 

It's a must Mowgley! An experience that will stay with you forever.

 

Amazing pics Sheal ......

 

Its casper the 'un-friendly' snow ghost

 

Glad to hear things are getting back to normal Sheal! If it's any consolation things are still pretty bad near me. These pics are from Thorncliffe near Leek, Staffs today.

 

Robajobs, I knew parts of the UK had similar issues but yours are the first pictures I've seen. That first picture looks a real cliff hanger!

 

what the..... Thats amazing

 

Great photos Sheal/Robajobs and happy to see you at least have blue skies (not a smidgen of blue here for many days). That sounds grim re the animals, certainly here which isn't nearly as bad, the farmers are working flat out round the clock to keep those animals not in shelter, fed. I've even stopped swearing at the deer who are demolishing my garden, they must be seriously struggling to survive as they have been right up to my house foraging. God I hope they don't like Tree Peonies, they are right by my house, the demolished Camellias etc etc is bad but if they scoff my VERY expensive Peonies!!!!
If things don't improve wonder if anybody will enter the TT with a snowmobile!

 

Thanks Silu. I've not experienced deer on the loose but know they are pretty much like goats for eating everything. Do you like venison by any chance? Just thinking ahead regarding your Tree Paeonies.

I really don't want to think about snowmobiles, especially at the end of May when TT starts. Perish the thought!

Ironically, my GP has told me I'm suffering from lack of Vitamin D after blood tests. She says I have to get out in the sun more..... no I'm not joking! Time to emigrate I think!

 

There's one in the sky Armandii, but I think the bulbs blown!

 

We should find a way to store snow..for droughts i mean

 

There's no such thing as a drought here Joolz. I've not had need for a water butt either.

 

the poor deer, it never even crossed my mind that they may be struggling too, if it were me i'd be tempted to buy a bale of hay or even just a few of those large bags of hay from the pet shop to chuck around the garden for them, i know they must be a nuisance but i wouldn't like to think of them out there going hungry either.

apparently the snows really bad up in the north of Ireland too, i couldn't help but feel upset watching the news today, they had pics of all the sheep & lambs that had died from the cold. there was a warning at the start but i didn't think they'd be that graphic! so terribly sad to say the least

 

The farmers here have gone into emergency status. Sheep and lambs are the worst to be affected and we are losing many that are buried in drifts. A farmer that works the hills put out an appeal to help him locate 300 sheep that are buried and he also said that his tractor was under a drift. It's amazing how the usually staid Brits pull together in times of crisis, this farmer and others are being helped now with the general public turning up to do whatever they can. Five sheds/barns have collapsed around the island with the weight of snow that were housing animals. The sheep on high grazing ground (around the mountain) are almost certainly lost as the roads are impassable and the farmers can't get there, with know chance for the foreseeable future either.

On a brighter note, three sheep were found alive in a drift here in my village yesterday.