[Azzdodd]

Well I went down last night and he was lay on his side I thought o god went over got hold off him check all over for injuries and flystrike not a thing he is limping and holding one leg up....no signs off a break I am going to take him to the vet sometime over the weekend but by his ways the out come won't be good.....I refuse to have him PTS cause I had a goat done a few years back and it was horrific....so I will take him to the abbotior purely cause I know how fast it's done there. I don't know if I could eat him as he was my first ever sheep.....centimental attachment....but I feel I wouldn't want to waste it he is about 6 so pretty old...a welsh mountain? What could I do mince him all? Or will there be some good

[Anke]

First our knackerman is really quite good and quick with old sheep, so I am surprised that you will not have him sorted that way.
 
But, we have eaten 4 (or maybe he was 5 by the time he went) year old Shetland tup. However took him in the spring, not in autumn/winter - despite firing blanks he was still incredibly smelly in November... and I guess the meat would have been tainted more earlier on in the season. Slow roasting with loads of liquid, casseroles and currries all very nice from him. Mince can be quite fatty for the older ones, unless you cut the carcass up yourself and then can choose what goes in and what goes into the pot to render for soap.
 
Not sure if abattoir takes in animals that limp?

[lachlanandmarcus]

Abbatoir won't take anything that's not weight bearing on all 4 legs normally.


Maybe reconsider PTS, I had our old ram PTS and it was incredibly peaceful and dignified. Plus no journey stress and stress of being at an abbatoir.....

[SallyintNorth]

It's a painful time for you, I know,  - but please remember that it is illegal to transport a sheep that cannot bear weight on all four legs.  So you will need to get him sorted at home.  It will be cheaper to get the vet to visit on a weekday than at the weekend, plus if he is in pain you shouldn't be waiting another two days to get a vet to see him.

If you can't see any sign of a break then could he have been rammed and have a very bruised shoulder or something?    it is some injury that could heal.

However, if it is as you fear, and you need to get him PTS, and if you don't want the vet to do it, then as Anke says, the knackerman can usually sort this out for you, or your local hunt may offer the service.

If you want to use the meat for yourselves or friends, you should be able to arrange this but I am not sure at what cost.  We have a merchant we use when we get a beast (bullock or cow) with a broken leg but otherwise suitable for human consumption.  We have to get the vet to co-ordinate their visit to certify the animal suitable for human consumption with the merchant coming to the farm to slaughter and remove.  However, by the time you pay for the vet's visit and certification it may be too costly for a tup; you would need to make enquiries and decide.

I hope it isn't as bad as you fear 

[Azzdodd]

Well gonna try get the vet out tonight to see him he is normally first to the gate for a biscuit....he does bear some weight on it just not very happy about it. See what the vet says and go from there all I can do....

[shygirl]

we had a goat PTS by the vet and she didnt do it properly, wasnt in the vein and it took him 2 injections (one on each side) and 5 mins of crying before he died (and goats do cry). never again. it cost £110 on a sunday morning.
now i get the knacker man to shoot them, very very quick, very professionally and cost about £7. even for a horse its much kinder than sticking needles in.
 

[GoWest]

6 years is not very old for a sheep, unless he has had a hard life in the mountains

Could be a painful abcess/infection. An antibiotic injection could do the trick.

[fsmnutter]

As a vet, I try to offer the option of euthanasia of sheep/cattle/horses by injection or by captive bolt gun.
Some people (myself included) often prefer the gun as it suddenly renders the animal unconscious with no further suffering.
Others absolutely prefer an injection.
It can be difficult to find a vein in an animal that is unwell and close to death, so it can be very difficult, but it can cause reactions and if not injected fully into the vein it can leave the animal awake for a while.
It is not something we vets like to see either, but sometimes the vascular access can be unpredictable and we have to do what we can to rectify the situation, and cause euthanasia with the least possible harm.
With your tup, certainly worth going to the vet and checking if there's anything you can do for him
All the best

[17AndCounting]

We had an alpaca PTS and it took the vet more than an hour. Very distressing experience. We don't use the same vet for our sheep, I sincerely hope if we ever find ourselves in that situationagain it will be more dignified.

[SteveHants]

If you keep sheep - get a .410.


If you call the vet/knackerman you will have to wait for him to turn up whilst the animal is suffering and pay em nigh on £100.


My old .410 cost £150, will soon pay for itself and I can end suffering instantly. Your livestock, your responsability.

[shygirl]

If you keep sheep - get a .410.


If you call the vet/knackerman you will have to wait for him to turn up whilst the animal is suffering and pay em nigh on £100.


My old .410 cost £150, will soon pay for itself and I can end suffering instantly. Your livestock, your responsability.

does it require a license etc?

[SallyintNorth]

Our fallen stock collection is just over £20 per sheep.  I don't think they charge extra for shooting. 

fsmnutter - please can you answer me a question?  I read that the captive bolt only stuns and that the animal must be killed while stunned - by shooting, slitting its throat, electrification, for instance - or it will wake up.

[SteveHants]

If you keep sheep - get a .410.


If you call the vet/knackerman you will have to wait for him to turn up whilst the animal is suffering and pay em nigh on £100.


My old .410 cost £150, will soon pay for itself and I can end suffering instantly. Your livestock, your responsability.

does it require a license etc?

Yes - you can have one on a shotgun ticket, which most should be able to get.


Sally - a captive bolt is just that, the 'charge' goes behind the bolt - there used to be ones that penetrate, but they were considered a disease risk and now they deliver a blow to the skull without penetrating - basically its a bit like being hit over the head with a hammer. Given that this might not kill an animal, it is best to bleed it. You'd do that after 'normal' slaughter anyway...

[SallyintNorth]

Sally - a captive bolt is just that, the 'charge' goes behind the bolt - there used to be ones that penetrate, but they were considered a disease risk and now they deliver a blow to the skull without penetrating - basically its a bit like being hit over the head with a hammer. Given that this might not kill an animal, it is best to bleed it. You'd do that after 'normal' slaughter anyway...

That's pretty much what I had understood, which is why I asked fmsnutter for more info as her post suggested to me that she euthanased by captive bolt gun only 

As a vet, I try to offer the option of euthanasia of sheep/cattle/horses by injection or by captive bolt gun.
Some people (myself included) often prefer the gun as it suddenly renders the animal unconscious with no further suffering.
Others absolutely prefer an injection.

[wayfarer]

Just to reassure some people.  I also had an alpaca PTS but in her case it was extremely peaceful and well done.  The vet was experienced with alpacas and was calm and knew that the dosage required for an alpaca is very high compared to a similar weight animal - he used two bottles and I think said that it was the equivalent volume required to PTS a cow,