RAM: fancy footwork needed to avoid being flattened

WHEN you consider that, before foot-and-mouth struck, there were an estimated 40 million sheep in this country, it comes as a shock that the Government still wants to tattoo or tag every single one.

Many farmers were dismayed by this EU-inspired directive.

The national bill to ensure that no individual animal remains anonymous in the system is also likely to top £6million.

Under proposals announced by former Agriculture Minister Nick Brown, each sheep could either be tattooed on its head or have a tag attached to its ear.

Critics say the scheme is a waste of time, amounting to yet more bureaucratic interference which will further shackle farmers.

But supporters of the plan say it will help trace outbreaks of disease back to the farm where affected sheep originate from.

Whatever your views, there is no doubt that a lot of work will be needed on farms before those millions of sheep are individually dealt with.

There are many different types of sheep in this country but they are all hardy animals which can withstand appalling weather conditions.

One of the toughest and most common is the Scottish Blackface sheep, found not just in the Scottish Highlands but on Dartmoor and other windswept territories across Britain.

The blackface is, not surprisingly, so named because it has a black face which contrasts markedly with its long, shaggy white coat.

Rams of this breed are quite striking with a prominent, high bridged nose and big horns.

They also enjoy a fight with each other during the October breeding season when the clash of horns can be heard for miles across open country.

Rams can be pretty impressive animals.

Years ago, I was walking home one day when I suddenly heard a thundering noise ahead of me on the country track I was following.

Within seconds, I was confronted by a huge ram racing at full pelt towards me.

It had obviously just escaped from some farm hands, now in hot pursuit.

If I hadn't stepped smartly aside I would doubtless have been flattened by its enormous spiralled horns.

I watched in awe as this mighty animal then leapt a 5ft gate behind me like a cat and carried on going with the farm hands still struggling to catch up.

I must admit I felt distinctly grateful that they were the ones trying to tackle this enraged beast.

That ram was not a black faced sheep.

Its face was actually white like its coat and, from looking at sheep pictures since, I think it was possibly a Whitefaced Woodland ram.

Coincidentally, Whitefaced Woodland rams are sometimes used to breed with the ewes of black faced species to pass on their greater size and weight.

In fact, many species are cross-bred to take on board the finer points of others.

Much of the land where sheep graze would be too inhospitable for cattle or horses, which makes them an invaluable resource - or at least used to, before our domestic meat trade all but collapsed under foot-and-mouth and other pressures.

I fear tattoos will make little difference to that.