High-tech markers deter sheep rustlers on Scottish estate

The Drummond Estate in Perthshire, Scotland has become the latest sheep enterprise to start using the TecTracer theft-deterrent system in a bid to overcome instances of sheep rustling.

The product, which works by ingraining thousands of coded microdot markers into each sheep’s fleece, was adapted from technology used to discourage the theft of lead from church roofs.

It is now being promoted by Police Scotland as part of its efforts to clamp down on rural crime.

See also: How technology is helping farmers curb sheep thefts

Drummond Estate near Comrie, Perthshire, which grazes nearly 3,000 sheep across the Glenartney Hills, has been the victim of several incidents of sheep rustling in recent years, so is aware of how costly it can be.

 “The remote and isolated nature of much of Scotland’s sheep grazing land and hill farms means thieves can operate unseen when they target flocks,” said the estate’s David Wallace.

“Sheep rustling is an increasing worry and this system is a valuable tool in our fight against would-be criminals intent on stealing our property and damaging our livelihoods.”

Jamie Smart, legal and technical committee chairman of NFU Scotland, said the loss of pedigree animals from a flock could have a devastating effect on a sheep farmer. In one recent case, a farmer in northern Scotland lost £60,000 worth of livestock overnight.

“They not only lose valuable animals, but possibly the entire bloodline in a stock that has taken years to establish,” he explained. “We have to make thieves realise that sheep are no longer a soft option.”

Watch the Police Scotland video.

Partnerships

The TecTracer system was first trialled last year in North Yorkshire in partnership with North Yorkshire Police and the farming community.

According to managing director John Minary, the product is now being used on about 60 farms in the UK and has attracted interest from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand and Botswana.

“The simple inclusion of thousands of coded microdots, backed up by our powerful database, provides a multi-layered response that protects sheep on hills and in glens,” he said.

“Where traditional ear tags can be removed, the microdots stay within the fleece and this simple preventative step turns the tables on would be thieves, making flocks identifiable and keeping them safe.”

One tub of the paste costs about £30 and is enough to treat 100 sheep.

Earlier this year, Farmers Weekly reported on a Cumbrian sheep farmer, Pip Simpson, who had had 14 pregnant ewes, worth £2,500, returned to his field when he posted on social media that they were protected with TecTracer markers.

According to the NFU Mutual, sheep theft cost farmers about £2.4m last year and is increasing, although the majority of crimes are believed to go unreported.