The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Robb on May 04, 2021, 08:07:42 pm
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I had a baby lamb this year and day after born found in morning with broken leg, mum is very affectionate, but late to first motherhood and bit of rough old girl!! Trampled or rolled her we think.
Anyway, took her to vet and had a cast, clean break, no muscle/tendon damage, and came off today vet hoping it wont need recasting, me too.
My question - what do people who live off their animals do?
This is my hobby and the couple of sheep (and now their lambs) are pets so vet bills just cost of my lifestyle and consequence of any pet accident, just like the dog might have.
But if I was living off my smallholding then any profit has long gone on existig vet bills, let alone any further intervention.
Would a real farmer have just splinted leg and hoped for the best?
Or, kill it as soon as broken leg discovered?
As I say just curious how people needing to live off their livestock manage?
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Most farmers will give an animal a chance-vet bills are spread across the herd so the costing per animal is less. That said we’re mostly realistic that if an animal isn’t going to get better or is going to start costing a lot of money, that it is better to cull. I guess a lot of farmers would have splinted the leg themselves and given pain relief. A caesarean on a cow will wipe out any profit for 12 months even if you get a live calf, but we still do it on welfare grounds. Most farmers would not think twice.
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Had a few broken legs over the years , one this year at 3 days old back leg just above the joint , no broken skin , wrap in sheeps wool ,plastic tube and horse bandage . 12 days later take of and fully healed . If there was broken skin or the break was very high up the leg / shoulder / hip then beyond my abilities so vet . Most farmers will try their best
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The only difference really is that farmers/commercial type smallholders would probably euthanase a very sick animal rather than give it a prolonged vet treatment hoping it would recover. A straightforward broken leg on a lamb would be set by the farmer.
The euthanase decision will be commercially driven .... ie value of animal to cost (in both time and money) to have long term vet treatment. .... but all farmers care deeply for their stock and the decision is never taken lightly.