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Sheep and Salt water?

  • 21-04-2011 6:00pm
    #1
    rightyabe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 812 ✭✭✭


    Just heard a story of a neighbours friend who put ewes out on a island in summer, it didn't rain much for the couple of months they were out on the island, he reckoned sheep "thrive" on salt water, would this be the case?

    Theres no well/springs whatsoever on the small 6 acre island....

    Would be great if you could guide me to any info on sheep or cattle living on salt water.

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    johngalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,271 ✭✭✭✭johngalway


    Absolute load of ballcocks IMO.

    Only person I know of who put sheep onto an island which ran out of fresh water had an investigation into the number of deaths to contend with afterwards.

    We have put sheep onto two different islands and always used to watch the water issue like hawks.


  • #3
    rightyabe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 812 ✭✭✭rightyabe


    Thats what I thought, would the dew on the grass in the morning do them?


  • #4
    johngalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,271 ✭✭✭✭johngalway


    We used to rely on pools of water that rain used to fill up on both islands. If there were an extended dry period we'd be off down the bay in the currach checking. Sheep would be taken off if they were dry. Not sure I'd like to rely on dew, may do, may not, I'd not chance it myself.


  • #5
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    rightyabe wrote: »
    Just heard a story of a neighbours friend who put ewes out on a island in summer, it didn't rain much for the couple of months they were out on the island, he reckoned sheep "thrive" on salt water, would this be the case?

    Theres no well/springs whatsoever on the small 6 acre island....

    Would be great if you could guide me to any info on sheep or cattle living on salt water.

    Thanks

    Re salt water - I dont think so.

    But its amazing how sheep can survive on very little, of any water. I assume they take in water from the dewy grass, and the weather wouldnt want to be extreme. But if was a bad summer, with a bit of rain fairly often, I would say they'd manage away.

    This is based on sheep on our place having access to water a bit away from the fields. But they never went near it. Now, this was dry sheep. Sheep with young lambs is a different story altogether...


  • #6
    Horace
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 55 ✭✭Horace


    Maybe these sheep are similer to the North Ronaldsay sheep their main diet is seaweed and access to fresh water in summer time is also limited when the fresh water ponds can dry up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Ronaldsay_(sheep)


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  • #7
    rightyabe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 812 ✭✭✭rightyabe


    Horace wrote: »
    Maybe these sheep are similer to the North Ronaldsay sheep their main diet is seaweed and access to fresh water in summer time is also limited when the fresh water ponds can dry up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Ronaldsay_(sheep)


    There tough, but not that tough...:)


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