Sheep Rustling – How to keep your flock safe!

Farmers in the South West have recently been warned to be aware of sheep rustlers in operation. This blog post will look at ways that you can help protect your flock and keep them safe.

 

Farming UK reported that 200 incidences of sheep rustling have been reported in 3 months in the Wiltshire area. Whilst tragically, only 1% of UK rustling cases traditionally lead to conviction due to insufficient evidence.

 

This news story has caused concern to us being so close to our home here in Bristol, but also due to the great impact it has on farmers whom we work so closely with.

 

Below we’ve listed our top tips to help you protect your animals, your land, and your livelihood.

Using TecTRACER paint to mark your flock works by using thousands of forensic coded microdots that stick to the fleeces and coats and are virtually impossible to remove. They can then be easily read by the police and traced back to their owner. The forensic codes are held in a secure database, once an animal is stolen a broadcast is put out to auction marts, abattoirs and the police. If the sheep is taken to any of these they can be reconnected with their true owner. Much like micro-chipping in dogs. Though this is useful should an animal be stolen. TecTRACER signage around the property is used as a deterrent to warn off thieves.

Setting up CCTV on your property again acts as a deterrent but should anything happen, it also aids in improving poor conviction rates as evidence can be supplied to the police. When trying to cover sheep rustling the type of camera system you use is dependent on the field location and proximity to power. If you have a field that is a long way from power then we would recommend our Waterproof Trail Wildlife Camera this is a battery operated trail camera that can be hidden at key access points like field tracks and gateways, these cameras are a reactive measure and help gather key evidence in recovering sheep. If on the other hand you have power local to the field we recommend using a long lens PTZ (pan, tilt & camera) these cameras can be positioned over 200metres from key areas and still easily capture events and send alerts to mobile phones either over the internet or over 4G.

 

To get the best system to suit your needs give our knowledgable and experienced sales team and they can advise you on your options. Find out ways to contact us here.