The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: BenBhoy on September 13, 2011, 08:41:27 am
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hey guys.
as some of you may know, i work at a special needs school with a smallholding. we have been trimming the ewe's feet ready for tuping, but one of the students cut the hoof a bit too low and made it bleed. i put powder on to stop the bleeding but she is limping quite badly. what would you suggest? i'm worried about her picking up some infection through the cut, is that likely? it's her front right. thanks.
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Unless it is really horrific I would give it a good squirt of purple spray to help guard against infection and keep an eye on her for a day or two. I suspect it may be a lot better by then. Good Luck.
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Ditto Just keep it sprayed with antibacterial spray she be ok
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good to hear, thanks guys, thats exactly what i did do.
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Occasionally a toe that has been cut too short will form a granuloma. Keep an eye open for it - once it has forned though, there isn't really anything you can about them.
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I think with respect that you may be jumping to conclusions. I have a son with special needs and I would not quibble for a moment with a description of a child or young adult with a severe disorder on the autistic spectrum being described as unpredictable but I have in the past worked fairly extensively with children with special needs in a professional capacity and many would certainly not fit that description at all. Bear in mind also please that children with special needs are frequently in school until they reach the age of 18. I have cut the hoof too short before now and I certainly don't fall into the category of unpredictable and untrained.
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I am absolutely all for everyone doing as much as they possibly can and I know how wonderful allotments, smallholdings and farm work can be for special needs people.
I think Worzel Gummidge expressed a valid concern eloquently and with sensitivity.
The law is not explicit, but does refer to foot paring as 'a skilled procedure'.
I would not expect fully-abled children to be paring live sheep's feet unless it were part of an authorised agricultural course / qualification / apprenticeship and being conducted under the close supervision of a fully qualified shepherd / veterinarian.
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hello all.
worzel - i completely understand your concern and no offence whatsover has been taken, you made your point very diplomatic way.
the student in question isn 18 and has just begun a agriculture NVQ level 2, after completing level 1. I agree with you that only those with sufficient training should be taking on such a task, and the amount of people I would trust to work with my sheep can be counted on one hand.
accidents do happen, and we can only make sure we learn from them.
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I kind of though the same as Worsel but didnt say anything because everybody makes mistakes. I have made lots and lots of them. My late father once said if there was a hardway to learn then I would do it. usualy folks only make a mistake once and learn by them. Remember nobody is perfect as long as they try to be.
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I agree with big Chicken you don't become a skill stockman/woman from reading books/internet forums(sorry Dan!) / watching it on TV or watching others do it. You learn from bending your back over and trying to do things yourself, you learn from your mistakes and get on and do it better next time.
I think its a little over reactive to ban any person from doing anything they make a mistake at whether they be less or more abled. We need to be carefull with livestock husbandry however we should not be in a place wheres the Nanny state beckons!!