Wounded lamb - to notify or not?

[Simon E.]

Report it. Its better dead than in great pain, when its going to die anyway whatever you do.

[Knotty Veneer]

Background: Here in Norway it is customary for sheep farmers to let their herd graze unattended in the wilderness during the summer. Around this time of the year the sheep are gathered from the wilderness to be sent away for slaughter, or returned to the farm (most of the male lamb, and many of the females are slaughtered).
If one sees wounded or dead livestock one is obliged by law to report this to the farmer (if known), or the proper authorities.

Today I saw a ram lamb with a injured hind leg (probably broken).

From the perspective of what is best for the lamb, should I notify the farmer or not?

If I notify them the lamb is probably going to be sent directly to the slaughterhouse, or slaughtered on the spot (since it is a male it is unlikely that treatment of the injury is tried). If I don't notify the farmer, it is likely that the lamb will be collected and slaughtered in a few days anyway, if it is not killed by a predator by then, or have died from other complications.

What would you do?

I would notify the farmer. If you had the time and resources you could offer to buy it and take it to a vet and then look after it until it dies of old age. But... like me you probably don't. Probably best that the poor thing is put out its misery sooner rather than later.

[shaunc]

If the animal is in pain it should be put down as quickly and humanely as possible. You should follow the laws in whatever country you are in.

[Norwegian]

§ 4. Hjelpeplikt
Enhver som påtreffer et dyr som åpenbart er sykt, skadet eller hjelpeløst, skal så langt mulig hjelpe dyret. Dersom dyret er et dyr fra dyrehold eller storvilt, og det ikke er mulig å yte god nok hjelp, skal eieren eller politiet varsles umiddelbart.
Dersom det er åpenbart at dyret ikke kan leve eller bli friskt, kan den som påtreffer dyret avlive dette med det samme. Dyr fra dyrehold og storvilt skal ikke avlives i henhold til denne bestemmelsen dersom det lar seg gjøre å få tak i eieren, veterinær eller politiet innen rimelig tid.
Nødvendige utgifter til tiltak etter denne bestemmelsen skal staten betale, men utgifter knyttet til tiltak overfor dyr fra dyrehold kan kreves tilbake fra dyreholderen eller eieren.
Bestemmelsen i første og andre ledd gjelder tilsvarende for den som påfører dyr skade, men vedkommende kan ikke kreve dekning av staten for utgifter til hjelpetiltak.
Kongen kan gi nærmere forskrifter om dekning av utgifter.

From https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/2009-06-19-97

The important part: Norwegian law states that anybody who comes across an animal which is obviously ill/sick, injured, or helpless, should help them as far as possible. And furthermore, if the animal is a domestic animal or is a farm animal, and if one cannot help it adequately enough there and then, the owner or police should be notified immediately.

[Inge]

Thanks for the input.

I ended up reporting it. Then at least there is a chance it will get medical attention.

[Simon E.]

I think you did the right thing.

We have no such law here in the UK, but I came across a lamb which had escaped the field in which the rest of the herd was grazing, and had injured its leg. I found the phone number of the owner of the farm and told him. Then I put it back the other side of the fence. But I realised that the outcome was probably not going to be happy for the lamb...