Posted on 01/26/2005 8:19:05 AM PST by Rakkasan1
There was little surprise at Shepherd's Way Farm Tuesday when state and county investigators determined that the fire that killed hundreds of sheep Monday morning was arson.
"That was obviously the suspicion from the get-go," said Steve Read, who with his wife, Jodi, owns the Rice County farm near Nerstrand, Minn. "We were prepared for that based on what happened last week" -- when another fire set hay bales ablaze in the middle of the night.
Read added, "It certainly saddens you."
He said he'd prefer that his four sons, aged 6 to 13, would "carry a sense of security in their home, in their place, beyond childhood. Now they feel like there is not a safe place."
Investigators from the state fire marshal's office and the Rice County Sheriff's Office said the fire started in the lamb nursery, killing all 225 lambs there.
Read said the farm is insured, but no dollar value has been put on the loss. The investigation is continuing, and a reward of up to $2,500 is being offered for information that leads to the identification of those responsible.
The farm, 45 miles south of the Twin Cities, is the largest farmstead in North America that makes cheese from the milk of its own sheep, and it is well-known in the nation's small sheep cheese industry.
There's also a critical period of 48 to 72 hours that will determine whether the injured animals will strengthen or decline, Read said. And lung illness from the smoke may ultimately kill even those who survive.
Veterinary students from the University of Minnesota who worked with the animals all day Monday were back on Tuesday afternoon. Read said the university has grief counseling available for the students.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
oh for pete's sake.
Baaa-Baaaa-Que!
Apparently they were more closely emotionally tied to the sheep than is considered natural.
Baaaaah humbug.
The World's largest Wool Blazer!
Probably "animal rights activists" trying to free the sheep. Animal Liberation Front screwup.
The police suspect arson, and assume the perps are on the lamb, but as far as additional clues, they have mutton to go on.
BTW: I've seen farmers openly weep after the demise of livestock (for example in Britain during the BSE scare of the 90s farmers would literally break down in tears when they saw their herds heading for the furnace). Hence it can happen.
I'd say the students just had an attachment to the animals, and seeing them burned to death for no reason apart from an arsonist's malice is not the best thing that can happen.
that's baaaaaad.
Now, now! Don't you know that a loving, committed relationship between a man and his sheep is legitimate & healthy lifestyle choice? You're an anti-ovine baa-got.
If they would only put water on it the fire would shrink.
let my sheeple go.
Here's an excerpt from another article..
Shepherd's Way Farms is the second largest producer of cheese made from sheep's milk in North America and the second largest dairy sheep farm in North America. (The largest is Old Chatham Farms in New York.) The Reads only began processing cheese four years ago.
Sheep cheese may sound strange, but sheep and goats have been milked for thousands of years in the Middle East.
"Actually in ancient Rome, cow's milk was for the lower classes," Steven said.
When the black plague depleted the work force, milk cows became more prevalent. "You have a lot less labor and a lot more milk with cows," he said.
Dairy sheep are still more common in Europe and the Middle Eastern countries because there isn't the space for cows. In North America, space has always been abundant, making raising dairy cattle feasible. Despite the fact that sheep are rarely milked in North America, the United States imports about $100 million in sheep cheese each year, according to Steven.
He said the sheep cheese industry in the United States is at about the same stage as the goat cheese industry was 30 years ago. The sheep cheese market is small but growing in Minnesota. Shepherd's Way is one of the few dairy sheep farms in the state.
Of the 500 Friesan sheep on the Read's farm, 300 are milked daily. In a renovated, old-fashioned brick dairy cow barn, the Reads transform sheep milk to queso fresco in the space of a few yards.
And what's my point?
Every one of those 225 lambs would have lived for 10 or 15 years, maybe longer, become known as individuals..
They probably already were considered individuals, as each was the lamb of well known ewes..
All that notwithstanding, this is a "life's work" of a family farm..
Such a loss is truly devastating, not something to make light of..
I personally hope law enforcement finds and fully prosecutes the bastards that did this, and I hope they spend a long time in prison comtemplating the evil of their acts..
I think it's very sad. This isn't anything to make fun of. Can you imagine the suffering they went through? And these folks made their living off these animals. I remember a dear friend of mine sadly standing by and weeping when he had to sell off his cattle. You do get to know them, their names, their personalities; they begin to be like family.
I agree with everything you've written.
I hope the LEO's catch the perps too. I was reared on a farm. ALF or some other group would be stupid enough to burn up dairy sheep.I'm sure they believe milking is cruel.
Talk is sheep!
D'OH! Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwe.
Imagine being someone who loves animals and has dedicated themselves to the well-being of animals..
Then being thrust into the midst of a mass burning.. of new born lambs, no less..
I have no doubt that several students found that they couldn't take it, and have decided to foregoe vet training for another feild..
While many such students are probably from farms, and are used to things happening, ( wild dogs ) there are probably some who were wholly unprepared..
I can see where counseling may be called for in some cases.
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