The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Bramblecot on April 09, 2012, 11:18:41 am
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Set of twins born 4 days early - perfectly ok but very, very tiny. They were kept penned in the barn for 3 days and then had 2 days and nights outside.
It turned really cold and wet last night so I penned them and mum in a field shelter, and there is a gate across the entrance. When I let them out this morning they all shot out but I noticed the smallest lamb has dried blood down her back leg. I can see she has two puncture holes right next to her tail but it is hard to judge because of the dried blood. Culprit? Rat, fox or something else? :-\ She seems ok and is running well but all three have become really wary and I have not been able to catch her again. Mum will not even come near to feed - and she was hand tame.
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Something's frightened them, hasn't it :-\ Seems unlikely a rat would have such an impact? Stoat, mink or as you say, fox?
If you can catch the little one, a squirt of the blue terramycin spray on the puncture wounds would be a good idea.
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It's tipping down with rain :&> but I'm donning the wet weather gear to try and tempt them into the barn again. Why are the smallest ones always the quickest?
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you penned them in so mum blames you for it if it has been bitten you will need antibiotic for it :farmer:
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I would do more than a spray of terramycin as puncture holes are deep and can fester from the germs on a predators teeth, not reached by a surface spray. I would say this is a situation where a long-acting antibiotic injection is in order.
The distance between the puncture marks should give a clue as to the culprit.
We have sometimes penned our sheep with new lambs in outdoor field shelters, but by barricading them in you are preventing them from escaping if attacked. It's one of those difficult calls
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Confirmed probably a fox bite. >:( A scrawny vixen was seen in the lamb field Sunday night (by a man with a gun - but she was too close to the ewes for a shot). OH finally caught the little lamb which has a great turn of speed and she is dosed with Betamox. :) :)