Sheep breeders in fear: MKS outbreak threatens hundreds of animals!

Sheep breeders in fear: MKS outbreak threatens hundreds of animals!

sheep and goat breeders in Brandenburg are on alert! The outbreak of the mouth and claw disease (MKS) put the region into a critical situation. Jonas Scholz, a 28-year-old breeder from the vicinity of Berlin, uses drastic words: "That can quickly develop into a super-gau!" His flock of sheep with 550 animals, which serves to maintain landscape, is under particularly strict precautions. In the affected areas, especially in the Märkisch-Oderland district, 170 pigs and four sheep from a hobby breeding have already lost their lives to contain the further spread of the highly-containing virus, as reported by BZ Berlin.

The plague that is spread through droplets infection and the faeces of the animals is a threat to all animal husbandry. In Brandenburg alone, 73,000 sheep and 12,571 goats are important for meat and milk production. Jonas Scholz, the chairman of the Berlin-Brandenburg sheep breeding association, emphasizes that hygiene is the be-all and end-all: "I disinfect my vehicle and my clothes." The situation already has an impact on the upcoming green week in which the animal breeders have to take part without their animals. The examination of the surrounding claw animals has also started to identify the spread of the plague.

About the animals: sheep and goats

The interest in sheep and goats is not only economic in nature. These herd animals are sociable and need the company of other animals. According to a study by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, goats are particularly intelligent and adaptable, which distinguishes them from their furry relatives, as reported by Landtiere.de. Goats tend to better adapt to new challenges and are able to learn from their experiences. Their ability to live in herds is also evident in their social behavior, with a strict ranking regulates the future.

Although sheep also forms social bonds, their way of life is a little slower and more leisurely. These animals not only communicate with each other, but are also able to recognize human faces. This emotional depth in the relationship with their herd and to people could be of great importance in times of the crisis and the current epidemic -like situation. The breeders therefore ask the public for cooperation: "Keep your distance to sheep and summarize the animals!"

bz berlin