NSA SheepNI 2017 dog sale

The biannual National Sheep Association (NSA) SheepNI event taking place at Ballymena mart on 3 July will again include a sale of working sheepdogs and pups.

The sale will be held in a field adjacent to the mart, with dogs given a short time to show off their skills, handling a small flock of blackface hoggets.

Due to time pressures on the day, the number of entries is restricted. Vendors are encouraged to have their entries in well ahead of the closing date of 23 June. Entry forms are available from Eamon McCormick. For further information, phone: 07740175698.

Fleece competition at SheepNI

A fleece competition will be held at SheepNI on 3 July in conjunction with the British Wool Marketing Board (BWMB). Farmers are encouraged to bring a fleece with them to the event. The board will supply a wool grader to judge the competition. There will be four classes: short wool, long wool, lustre and coloured.

Report dog attacks on sheep – NSA

The chief executive of the National Sheep Association (NSA) Phil Stocker has encouraged sheep farmers to report all dog attacks on sheep to the police.

His comments followed the UK-wide survey of farmers, which indicated that just 40% of respondents reported every incident.

“If we’re to build up an accurate picture of the true scale of the problem, it is vital that those who’ve experienced an attack on their livestock report it to the police and ask for a crime or incident number. We have to continue to put pressure on police forces to deal with this crime in a serious and consistent way,” said Stocker.

The survey also highlighted that 40% of attacks were by stray or unaccompanied dogs. Central to the problem is an assumption from pet owners that their dog won’t do any damage to livestock.