Amanda Owen, 50, breaks silence on backlash to son Reuben’s ‘disturbing’ farming methods
Amanda Owen has spoken out after her son Reuben, 21, faced criticism over a video of him assisting a ewe during lambing season at their family farm.
The Yorkshire Shepherdess, 50, took to Instagram last night to address the controversy, which erupted after a clip she posted earlier this month showed Reuben helping a struggling sheep.
Some social media users misinterpreted the footage, accusing the young farmer of mistreatment.
In a candid post, Amanda wrote: “Here we go !!!! More disgusting and disturbing behaviour just for ewe. *Obviously we haven’t learnt anything, even after being slammed for the ill treatment of these woolly commodities.* Time to finally explain myself.”
She continued: “Amazingly enough it’s been a busy couple of months, the physical birth element of lambing time is just a part of the picture. Post natal care is of utmost importance and consequently feeding issues can sometimes require a sheep to be caught in order to treat the issue.
“They are not particularly good patients but we treat them with care, compassion and as infrequently as possible.
“So far, after a lifetime of shepherding I have never had one willingly saunter over and request help with labour, breast feeding or any other minor ailment.”
Owen added: “Maybe it would be a lot easier to take care of them and handle them if they were all crammed into an industrial shed, not free to exercise and graze the meadows, moors & pastures ????? But I reckon that we all know that being outside, free to wander and live naturally is a far better way for them.”
She finished by writing: “Incidentally the person most likely to be injured in the whole process of catching and restraining a sheep is me or even one of the sheepdogs.”
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The original video, shared on Amanda’s Instagram, showed Reuben lying across a ewe and her lamb. Amanda can be heard saying: “Well, this is what you’ve been getting up to in lambing fields.”
Reuben then lifts the ewe by the horns, prompting Amanda to add: “You did great there! And you got the lamb at the same time.”
She captioned the post: “Caught ewe. Reuben downs tools and springs into action. Everyone lends a hand, there is no one exempt from lambing time tasks.”
While many followers praised Reuben’s hands-on approach, others reacted with concern.
One comment read: “Why are you treating the ewe like that? Absolutely disgusting and I’m disappointed as I thought you were better than that.”
Another added: “I didn’t like how you held the sheep! Absolutely disturbing! Animals are treated with respect and not like trash!”
Supporters were quick to defend Reuben, with one follower urging Amanda to ignore critics: “Please ignore comments from any animal activist… if we all listened to them nothing would ever get done.”
Reuben, who stars in his own Channel 5 show Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales, has made it clear he doesn’t dwell on online negativity.
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, he said: “I don’t have the time or the inclination to scroll through social media.”
He added: “If you do ever see me on my phone, I’ll be searching for machinery sales. I don’t want a career on television, I want to be known as the guy who digs big holes; my current ambition is to buy a 50-ton excavator. Now that really would be the realisation of a dream.”
Reuben’s passion for farming remains undimmed, and he continues to assist on the family’s farm, while viewers can catch more of his life and work in the latest episodes of Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales.
The new series also introduces viewers to his girlfriend, Jessica Ellwood, 21, whom he met at a Young Farmers’ event.