Missing lambing live 2012?
If you were a fan of Lambing Live 2011 and are missing it this year as much as us, this Spring the Soil Association attempts to scratch the itch by bringing you lambing films from Hadrian Organics in Cumbria.
What are organic sheep?
Free rangers
Our farmers are encouraged to keep their sheep out on pasture all year round if ground conditions allow. However during bad weather or when the ewes start lambing they can be brought indoors for shelter and to give time for lambs to bond with their mothers.
Pasture munchers
Our sheep munch a range of pastures dependant on the farm they are on. From clover rich fields to traditional native grasses and herbs, you can be sure they are mainly fed naturally on the good stuff under their hooves. Occasionally their diet is supplemented with organic cereals or a mixture of organic cereals known as ‘cake’ to help give the sheep extra energy for times like lambing.
Naturally healthy as can be
Our standards do not permit continuous use of antibiotics, wormers or other veterinary products. We believe health must start with the right livestock on the right farm with the right management. If you get these three right, medical intervention can be kept to a minimum.
Like us animals can get ill, if this is the case swift management must always be taken by the farmer and vet to restore the animal back to health. If veterinary products are used then we double what is known as the withdrawal period to ensure little or no residues are in the food you will eat.
Don’t support GM
There are lots of reasons why we don’t support GM. Our sheep are encouraged to eat a natural diet that is free from GM and hopefully packed with Omega 3+6s from the pasture they eat.
Organophosphorus (OP) free
Organo – what? This chemical has been historically used in sheep baths to clean the sheep of external parasites like lice and mites. There have been concerns raised on the use of OP dips and therefore we do not permit them under our standards for the health of our farmers and consumers. If our sheep need treatment for external parasites then alternative therapies are available which target the specific ailment.
Landscape managers and recyclers
Sheep play a vital role in managing the hills and upland areas of the UK. Without them these landscapes would revert back to scrub and forest. Much of this wilderness cannot be farmed with traditional crops that we can digest; therefore sheep play a vital role in converting this low value grazing to highly digestible and nutritious meat that we can enjoy.
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