The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Lostlambs on February 04, 2012, 12:07:25 pm
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I had a lamb yesterday that I think got stepped on by a cow on his back end,leg and foot.Poor little thing was beyond any help and as such had to dispatch him but didn't know the quickest and most humanely way to do it. :( Called the neighbor to see if they would be able to shoot him but they also don't have a gun.He came over and put the poor thing out of it's misery but I am looking for the best way to handle something like this. I know it's an awful question but if anyone knows a good method that causes the least trauma to the lamb if I have to face this again I'd really want to know what I'm doing. Thanks
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I really feel for you over this one as I had an incident several years ago where my flock was chased by children trying to catch a lamb ::) Unfortunately in the melee and panic a small lamb had been trampled. The vet destroyed it for me as very local. However in the extreme circumstances you describe and no vet to hand I personally would have to use something v quick and v effective......I will leave it at that..... :(
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We take them to the vet.
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Take it to your vet. :wave:
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Probably best to find out what is legal in your country first, then what is most humane of those options. Certainly with that kind of injury you would want to put the animal out of its misery quickly, especially if you are far from a vet. We are lucky to have a licensed gun, and most farmers round here have one, or rely on a neighbour with one.
I think it's great that you are investigating this before you have to do it again.
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I have a gun, but if you haven't got one and you don't want to drag a suffering animal all the way to the vets, the only way you can kill it quickly without a gun is by slitting its throat. Not nice, I know, and I wouldn't reccomend it if you don't know what you are doing, but when the alternative is trying to drag a maimed animal to a trailer/truck and then drive it 1/2 an hour to get it euthanaised, its definitely the kinder option.
I know of shepherds who will do it where footpaths are close, because of a (perhaps misplaced) fear of 'anti' types witnessing a sheep being shot and then complaning etc, as it is, at least, quiet.
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If you are talking a full-grown sheep then you can get the dead cart to shoot it when they come to pick it up. If it's a lamb it's easy enough transported to the vet, although the dead cart will dispatch and collect lambs too. We're only 15 mins from the vet so it's not an issue for us with lambs, I guess if it were much further I might ask the vet if we could have anything here we could use.
Similarly, we normally get the dead cart pretty promptly but if I had a ewe going to suffer for days I'd ask the vet to stop by when they were passing and put her out of her misery.
If you are planning on shooting anything yourself, best get some training on how to kill cleanly.
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I'm glad you came in Steve. I was going to say you cut it's throat. Sounds terrible and I hope I don't have to do it (seen it done once) but very quick. Like you, I think it's better than leaving an animal in bad pain waiting for the vet/kill cart or whatever.
The Tim Tyne book shows how it's done, for home butchering (in his defence he points out you are supposed to stun the animal first, for a normal kill).
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I will have to learn to shoot, seems here that growing up boys were taught to handle a gun but not us girls as most weren't interested in going hunting. Here a course of firearms safety is required and will book into the next available one. Since I'm here by myself as OH works away all winter and most summer ,come to think of it ,I need to learn how to do a few things that I didn't before. The vets are a least 1 hour away - 2 hrs if he's out on call to the next one. With an animal suffering that long it's just not feasible many times to get to a vet We don't have any dead pickup other than for cattle either so it's alot of neighbor and self help here. Maybe I will go talk to the local meat processor they might be able to show me the best way. Some things I wish I didn't have learn or know about!
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I know, it's definitely the down side! But being able to do what's needed, however distressing we find it, I think is part of of the responsibility we owe our animals.
Anyway, good on you for facing up to it :-*
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Here our home kill butcher uses a bolt gun to stun then throat slits.....you could (if vet trip is too dificult) use a heavy (ish) hammer to stun then throat slit. (My german friend dispatches meat bunnies this way)
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Here our home kill butcher uses a bolt gun to stun then throat slits.....you could (if vet trip is too dificult) use a heavy (ish) hammer to stun
Please don't hit a sheep on the head with a hammer. I think it would rather wait for the dead cart or be taken to the vet.
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if the bunnie huggers were to read some of the posts on here they would have a field day with livestock keepers and there dispatch methods :farmer:
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Yes they would, but I wonder what their alternative suggestions would be. I used to use chloroform years ago, but you can't get it now. Not everyone agreed with that, but we always found it to be humane and painless, as long as you made sure to use enough.
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if you have not got a bolt gun or rifle you would need to get the vet plain and simple :farmer:
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Not all the bunny huggers would ;)
Nobody wants to see an animal suffer and many of us bunny huggers love a bit of mint sauce 8) Cannot say it would be a job I would relish though. I agree, if you want to keep any animals you have to know what to do if needs be. Thats just responsible.
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Sally I was not sugesting you dispatch a sheep with a hammer but it was a reference to the injured lamb if all else failed. (the throat needs doing too)
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The reason they are meant to be stunned before slitting the throat is so that they are not aware they are bleeding to death. Ipso facto, if the throat is slit without stunning, the animal is aware it is being slaughtered. Not nice.
Hitting any animal with a hammer, whether a rabbit or lamb, unless you have the veterinary knowledge to know that your single blow renders the animal immediately and painlessly unconscious, every time, seems to me to be far more cruel than alternatives.
I can't help feeling that, if people really are stuck with an injured lamb and too far from the vet, a farmer with a shotgun, or a knacker, then they should either have injectable drugs in their cupboard or, if this couldn't have been foreseen (eg, snowed in) then maybe drowning is kinder - although I am sure the animal would know it is being killed, it is at least, reputedly 'a nice way to go'.
But the whole conversation is distressing me - if I was situated where I may need to dispatch an animal myself I would feel obliged to have a gun and know how to use it for a quick safe certain kill. Or have meds in my cupboard and know how to use them ditto.
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If the animal is in pain, I'd cut its throat, but for goodnes sake - SHARPEN the knife first, likely if its in serious pain it may not feel it that much and it could only be a relief in a relatively short time. But it may be best to either get a gun or find out if a neighbour has one, not everyone shouts it out that they have a gun on the premises, just found out recently that an nearby elderly lady has a 12 bore, I've known her over 20yrs!.
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A .410 shotgun is a perfectly humane way of killing an animal either for euthanasia or for home butchery - it combines the stunning and killing into one easy operation.
Small, easy to handle and doesn't make too much mess.
Recommended by the Humane Slaughter Association.