Sheep Health

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that two flocks of sheep the federal government says might suffer from a version of the always-fatal mad cow disease should be killed. U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha in Brattleboro refused to issue an injunction that would have stopped the slaughter of the flocks, which are owned by Larry and Linda Faillace of East Warren, and Houghton Freeman of Stowe.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that two flocks of sheep the federal government says might suffer from a version of the always-fatal mad cow disease should be killed. U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha in Brattleboro refused to issue an injunction that would have stopped the slaughter of the flocks, which are owned by Larry and Linda Faillace of East Warren, and Houghton Freeman of Stowe.

Disgruntled Vermont farmers went to court Wednesday in an attempt to prevent the U.S. Department of Agriculture from destroying their sheep because they may carry an ailment similar to "mad cow" disease in cattle. The USDA, which has been closely monitoring all American livestock since the 1996 outbreak of mad cow disease in Europe, wants to destroy sheep on three Vermont farms as a precaution.

Disgruntled Vermont farmers went to court Wednesday in an attempt to prevent the U.S. Department of Agriculture from destroying their sheep because they may carry an ailment similar to "mad cow" disease in cattle. The USDA, which has been closely monitoring all American livestock since the 1996 outbreak of mad cow disease in Europe, wants to destroy sheep on three Vermont farms as a precaution.