Sheep shot and injured at Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm, near Stowmarket

A sheep at a Suffolk petting farm has been shot and injured while it was grazing in a field.

The incident was at sometime on Sunday morning at Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm, near Stowmarket.

The sheep was in a field close to the Mill Lane footpath and has since been treated for its injuries.

On Facebook, a post from the farm said: “To our absolute horror one of our sheep has been shot.

“She is doing okay considering and has been given pain relief, antibiotics and cleaned up.”

Farm manager Kate Ockleton said that the sheep was part of a tupping group for the farm’s lambing season in February — but an incident like this has ‘almost certainly’ caused enough stress for her to reabsorb her pregnancy.

“We are in shock and completely devastated this has happened to one of our sheep,” Kate said.

“Given the scared state of the rest of that herd we may well loose more lambs to this incident.

“Livestock are so vulnerable to these types of attacks, along with dog attacks, it’s just so sad and devastating.

“She is still a little shaken and lame. She is eating which is a good sign and her wounds are clear of infection so far.”

Suffolk Police’s Rural Crime Team has launched an investigation and is asking anyone with information to get in touch, quoting crime reference 37/55631/24.