[fiestyredhead331]

very sad, but I'm like you suspect, always optimistic and will give them a decent go at life, even when you know deep down its not going to work.
I had the same 2 weeks ago, a twin lamb from a neighbour whose mother couldnt look after 2 so he left it outside and hoped the mother would take it back but the snow started so my lad lifted it and took it home and nursed it till it died an hour later so we take heart from the fact that she died in peace and warmth instead of out in the snow all alone.
When I told my neighbour she'd died, his answer was that from the minute a sheep is born it spends its life looking for the most awkward way to die....I did chuckle about that

[Buttermilk]

Incidentally, I was told a little while ago of a farmer who killed both lambs and sheep by tying a plastic bag over their heads and leaving them for half an hour... 

I worked at a large commercial goat farm and we used this method, except there was a bit of scrumpled paper with a splash of cloroform in the bottom of the bag.  A different method was used on small/newborns.

[Porterlauren]

Hevxxx - I'm sorry if that sounded like a dig. I'm very much like you, in that I will always try my hardest to give an animal a chance. But it's a difficult judgement call sometimes, especially when you are unsure of the long term chances. I.e A blind lamb, it's heart breaking to rear them on ok in a pen, on the bottle, only to turn them out and end up having to shoot them as they just cannot cope. I've got a similar one here, a badly undershot ram lamb that I have reared to 2 weeks, and the jury os out on how well he will be able to graze. . . . . fingers crossed.

When I said it was a bit silly, I meant of the other farmer. It's one thing giving your weak / orphan lambs a chance with someone, but often it seems like people just palm them off to well meaning folk, as it's easier than having to make the decision and action themselves.

P.S anyone having putting down sheep with a plastic bag. . . . . needs a bloody good slap.

[Maureen]

Needs more than a good slap - another plastic bag would be more appropriate!

[verdifish]

Incidentally, I was told a little while ago of a farmer who killed both lambs and sheep by tying a plastic bag over their heads and leaving them for half an hour... 

I worked at a large commercial goat farm and we used this method, except there was a bit of scrumpled paper with a splash of cloroform in the bottom of the bag.  A different method was used on small/newborns.

Suffocation is not an legal or accepted method of euthanasia,

[Marches Farmer]

Our view is that putting an animal of any kind down should be a hard decision.  If it's not then you don't care enough.  If making that decision is too hard, though, and causes the animal to have a life of pain, discomfort or anxiety, then you shouldn't be keeping livestock.  Hard decisions come with the territory or, to use another well known saying, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

[Kimbo]

its always very hard. if it isn't hard for you then please stop rearing animals. Im horrified that anyone might think that a plastic bag over the head is acceptable in ANY circumstances.
You did what you could given  awful odds. That's all anyone can expect of you. 

[ewesaidit]

  disgusted with the plastic bag story - any animal that has to go must have a quick an painless end

[Hevxxx99]

Agreed.  Ending an animal's life is a very hard decision, but one that has to be made in their best interests rather than our sentimentality if they are suffering and it should be as swift, stress-free (for them) and painless as possible. I don't think plastic bags with or without chloroform should come into it.

It's not easier taking them to the abbatoir either but unless I'm going to turn vegitarian, I'd rather have meat from animals I know had a good life than from some poor battery farmed beast from a supermarket shelf.

I agree, Porterlauren: fobbing off unviable lambs is not only silly but irresponsible.  TBH I'm getting fairly fed up with this guy.  He's the one who got his own place, but is still tending my friend's flock even though he lives about 40 miles away. He only seems to be there a few hours each day with the odd day off.  Part-time shepherding doesn't really work over lambing. He's lost a lot that would have been saved had someone been there full time and the last 3 or 4 lambs we've had haven't had navels treated and have scant colostrum I suspect, so we now have 2 with joint ill and have had 3 scouring when we collected them, so far.

[Hellybee]

Part time lambing, god we clock up so many hours over lambing it s all encompassing......

[fiestyredhead331]

part time lambing?... there's no such thing if you are doing it right.
Some people just see it as a money making exercise, I know people up our way who have no interest in sheep but get a nice subsidy, the sheep are for the most part left to fend for themselves or I jump the fence and sort stuff out and I don't even get a subsidy!

[piglady]

I'm truly shocked at some of the quotes on here which suggest inhumane ways of killing sheep (or any animal).  If people can't afford vets' fees, then don't keep animals.  It is illegal to kill animals in some of the ways suggested because of the suffering inflicted and you could be prosecuted if found out. 

I would ask the vet's advice about these lambs and be guided by it.  If these animals need to be put down, then only the vet or a registered person should do it.

[Hevxxx99]

The remaining weedy lamb is on antibiotics and is holding her own but still looks dull.  I have high hopes she'll get there in the end.

Agree: part-time lambing is a joke. 2 days before lambing was due to start, he was still only turning up once a week.  I happened to be there on that day when a shearling prematurely dropped a very small lamb which she promptly deserted. When we got her caught up, she still had another starting to come out with one leg back.  Sadly that one was dead.  She had no milk to feed the living lamb and there were no other lambed ewes around so we had to hand feed her from scratch.  She is doing well now, but if we hadn't been there, she'd most certainly have died.  There have been a lot lost this year that I'm sure could have survived with closer monitoring.

[fiestyredhead331]

  for the wee toot

just aswell you are around 

[Robyn]

I'm truly shocked at some of the quotes on here which suggest inhumane ways of killing sheep (or any animal).

I'm with you 100% on that piglady, it's very irresponsible on an open forum.

Our view is that putting an animal of any kind down should be a hard decision.  If it's not then you don't care enough.

I believe I know what you are trying to say, but I don't agree with the way it's being relayed. When you are guardians of livestock, you sometimes have to make welfare related decisions which ultimately result in terminating life, that doesn't mean that you don't care enough (in fact it's the exact opposite), or that the correct decision has to be hard, it shouldn't be (leaving them suffer is totally unacceptable).

part time lambing?... there's no such thing if you are doing it right.

I need at least 6 hours sleep in any 24 hour period, does that make me a 'part time' lamber, or am I not doing it right?