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Barnyard Buddies:  Ewe sick, how would you have treated her?  |
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 16 2012 : 07:55:42 AM
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I won't get into all the details but I had an ewe down and I thought she was a goner. I wrote all about it on my blog. What would you have done? I would appreciate any info from my sheepy friends.
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." EE Cummings
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kysheeplady
True Blue Farmgirl
1291 Posts
Teri
KY
USA
1291 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2012 : 08:35:10 AM
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Oh, have I been there and back, would have done the same thing, only you would not be able to pry me out of the barn.
I just lost one of my older girls to the heat. But, it was 110 degrees, all you can do at that point is pray. I do give my sheep a vitamin and electrolytes in their water during the summer,it does cost me a bit, but it really does help. They LOVE how the water tastes and I have to refill sometimes 2-3 times a day, they drink it so fast with that in it.
Hope your ewe continues to do well, sheep are funny creatures!
Teri
White Sheep Farm
www.whitesheepfarm.com |
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2012 : 4:33:24 PM
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This heat is terrible on all the animals. I have a fan running in the barn to help keep the sheep and dogs cool. They go out early to the eat in the meadow in the morning cool and come back to the barn during the middle of the day when it gets the hottest and then when it cools a little in late afternoon they go back out to the pasture till almost dark. There is a row of trees along the south fence line and it is shady but they seldom go to the shady areas to eat....don't know their crazy reasoning.
I will continue to feed the baby with the bottle until his mom is back providing the meals.
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." EE Cummings
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2012 : 8:25:37 PM
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Sarita I so understand all you did and your right sheep sometimes just do not fight. I hope you find out the cause but sometimes it is a perfect storm of many small things that just overwhelm them. I would check the pastures because with this drought there are sneeky things out there. I would keep the baby on close watch too because Mom might have something that could pass on to baby if it is plant base. You know me - I would have been in the barn all night - not that I care more but because I am such a nervous nelly I could not have slept a wink. I am praying for you all and know that you are a very skilled sherpardess and treat your charges with love, care and prayer.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.artfire.com
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 5:25:44 PM
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Isabel and baby are doing great now. Issy is eating like a horse. I think it might have been worms with the heat on top of that. I always give a dose of penicillin when I see bottle jaw. Her eyes were pale and her gums were very pale. All sheep have worms but add stress of lambing and this heat and I think Issy just did not show the typical signs of having worms. She went out with the others that morning. Little shetland sheep are so hardy, that often they keep ticking like a clock but will just lay down and die....I have had a couple die on me but after the last one, I decided that they were not going to just up and die on me...I will practice very aggressive medicine.
Grace, I run back and forth to the barn all the time but an old guy told me to give the sheep the medication and do for it what you can and let the poor thing get some rest so the medication will have a chance to work. It is hard and I don't sleep much. I do alots of talking to God.
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." EE Cummings
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SandraM
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
Sandra
Coldwater
Michigan
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2012 : 5:47:39 PM
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We would have done the same things you did.
Antibiotics, Thiamine, dewormer if showing signs.
Probiotic to help their rumen with all of the different meds, etc.
We had a ewe go down, showing no signs other than couldn't walk. We bought her in and put her on a regiment of antibiotics.
After about 10 days of showing no other signs but no sign of improvement (still couldn't walk) my husband decided we should put her down. He went out and couldn't find her...she had gotten up and was running around the barn. Strangest thing ever.
Never did figure out exactly what happened to her.
We still have her, she is one tough cookie :)
I am glad that your ewe made it!
Sandra
www.mittenstatesheepandwool.com |
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2012 : 5:09:55 PM
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Sandra, I agree, they are very hardy and just as unhardy at times. Isabel is doing great and baby was wormed last night and still sucking the bottle some.
My daughter lives in Hickory Corners...are you far from there? Are you going to the Michigan Wool and Fiber Festival in August?
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." EE Cummings
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
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SandraM
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
Sandra
Coldwater
Michigan
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2012 : 3:43:13 PM
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My husband has family that live by Hickory Corners. I think we are about 1 1/2 hours away.
we may be at the Fiber Festival on Saturday. Our fair week is the week before. Depends on how worn out we are from that ;)
Sandra
www.mittenstatesheepandwool.com |
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2012 : 10:36:26 AM
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Sandra, I hope all goes well and you get to come to the Sheep and wool Fest.
Update on Isabel and Hot Shot...Isabel is doing great and so is Hot Shot.
I put pictures of Hot Shot drinking his bottle on my blog last night. He is one little character! He does not think twice in butting the older lambs and he follows Louey around almost trying to get a rall out of him.
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
"It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are." EE Cummings
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Barnyard Buddies: Ewe sick, how would you have treated her? |
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Ewe sick, how would you have treated her?
