Dozens of sheep deaths trigger toxic acorn warning

A farmer found dead sheep all over his farm last week

A farmer has lost dozens of sheep, worth more than £5,000, to acorn poisoning - with union officials advising industry to move livestock away from oak trees where possible.

Geraint Davies, who runs Fedwarian Uchaf, in Bala, Gwynedd, said he went to check on his livestock on Thursday and came across sheep corpses lying in field upon field on his farm.

When he noticed some of the bodies were lying under oak trees, he realised what had happened: "My heart just sank," said Mr Davies.

This year's warm and dry spring is thought to have led to a "mast year" for oak trees, triggering a bumper crop of acorns. Acorns are highly toxic to some livestock, and when eaten in large quantities can be fatal.

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Farmer Geraint Davies said the sheep had been poisoned by eating acorns

"I kind of knew what had happened, but we sent them [the sheeps' bodies] to Aberystwyth to be post-mortemed," said Mr Davies.

"The results came back showing high toxicity levels within their kidneys."

It is believed that acorns' toxicity comes from their tannin content, with tannic acids causing ulcers in the digestive tract and damaging kidneys - which can ultimately lead to kidney failure.

Mr Davies said the post-mortem showed the sheeps' kidneys "were struggling to function".

"So they were poisoning themselves by eating acorns."

Mr Davies said he had lost 34 sheep to acorn poisoning so far this autumn

Thirty four sheep have died so far on Mr Davies' farm, and "it looks like there will be one or two others as well," he said.

"It's a bit a a kick in the teeth really," said Mr Davies, adding each of the sheep was worth around £150 each.

"The losses can be massive. It can happen so fast," said NFU Cymru president Aled Jones, who advises moving livestock away from acorns if possible, adding he sympathised with anyone affected.

"You want to encourage nature on your farm, but nature can be cruel. It can pay you back in ways you never thought it would."

The RSPCA says signs of acorn poisoning - which can also affect cattle, horses and even dogs - include vomiting, diarrhoea and rapid weight loss.

"Acorns, sycamore seeds, seedlings and young oak leaves can be poisonous to farm animals and pets.

"Symptoms can appear within a few hours, or may take several days to develop - so if you are worried that your animals or pets may have eaten something harmful, it's important to contact your vet straight away.

What is a mast year?

The number of nuts produced by some of our most recognisable tree species, such as oak and beech - fluctuate from year to year.

"Every few years, some species of trees and shrubs produce a bumper crop of their fruits or nuts," said Owen Phillips, from The Woodland Trust

"The collective term for these fruits and nuts is 'mast', so we call this a mast year."

Acorns can be deadly poisonous to some animals