The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Bionic on June 19, 2012, 10:23:29 am
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This morning one of my shearlings was lying on her side with her head at a funny angle. I watched for a moment and couldn't see her breathing and thought she was dead.
I was too frightened to get close so called OH. He went into the field, she got up, wee'd, poo'd and ate some grass and looked at me as if to say "what's all the fuss about". Oh well, I guess I will get used to their ways.
Sally
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;D Sally - I've literally just come in from doing something quite similar! I was checking mine for strike when I saw that one of the rams belonging to the commercial farmer opposite was on his side looking quite dead. The farmer grazes all his boys over here next to our sheep field.
Wandered over trying to work out what breed it was so I could tell him which of his tups had carked and it jumped to its feet scaring the bejeeeeeezes out of me. Gah!
We will get used to them, I'm sure (all good fun!!)
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Plums, that has made me feel a whole lot better. ;D
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I did it once when the chickens were sunbathing - very new to chickens we were - I was shouting that the fox had been and massacred them. Course they all got up, shook their feathers and carried on scratching about ::)
The one time we did have a dead sheep, it was my 10 year old that found her - if you find a lot of crow activity near a 'sleeping' sheep, its not a good sign I found :-[
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...... if you find a lot of crow activity near a 'sleeping' sheep, its not a good sign I found :-[
Too true :(
My OH was taking a visitor out to show how to shear a tup a couple of days ago. Went into the small paddock where he had previously corralled them, only to find one lying dead. He went up to it to haul it off somewhere but noticed it looking at him. Just snoozing after all and too comfy to move ::) - but he was the one used for the demo. Usually they would move off when we get within about ten feet of them. I think they must just be enjoying the late arrival of some sunshine. :sheep:
Sunbatheing hens can look as if they are dying of some hideous and painful condition :o ;D ;D :chook: :chook:
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Yes - done the same quite often - ewe's lying as what I thought looked like an uncomfortable angle - deep sign and an oh no under my breath - only to walk across to find it jump to it's feet, turn around and give me an annoyed look!! Lot beater than the alternative though :thumbsup:
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Yes - one of the early things that struck me when we got sheep is that they don't move around much really. There's alot of sitting around cudding.
The obvious realisation dawned on me that whenever I see them from a train or car they are usually running away..... from the train or car.... hence an illusion that sheep are active creatures always running around.
My flock are a bunch of lounge lizards who like to hide in amongst the nettles under the trees so I am always fretting when I count them and find one or two missing......
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My goat kids, and occasionally Rowan, lie with their heads back at such an angle against their bodies I have been convinced a few times they must have broken their necks somehow :o But no, clearly that is a comfortable way to sleep if you are a goat :D
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I think they take it in turns to pretend to be dead. Sheep sense of humour ;D
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I think they take it in turns to pretend to be dead. Sheep sense of humour ;D
Absolutely true. ;D
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I can just see them at dusk, drawing straws - ok Hazel you'll have a limp tomorrow and refused to get caught, Ash your on head stuck in fence duty, Juniper - no running to the feed bucket really give her something to worry about and Virgina just play dead - sorted
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Brucklay,
I don't think mine are quite that organised yet but they are getting there ;D ;D
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Did exactly the same the day after I took all of my last years ram lambs to the big field in the sky, went into the field to find my Tup lying deathly still on his side - heart missing several beats, I walk up to him whistling and calling his name. Nothing. Literally get up to him, touch his back leg at which point he jumps up turns around and tries to head butt me as a thank you for my concerns. bugger.
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Well sheep obviously play up to their reputation of being 'born to die'! Many of mine have given me the 'oh no, a dead sheep' moment, only to turn out to be 'sleeping' even if they are stretched out with their necks twisted back in an unnatural angle!
The b*ggers ;D
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I've had sheep, hens, our Shetland pony all to this to me but the worst was one of our collies. Tess was lying on the sofa, dead still, I couldn't see her ribs moving - worst bit was that her eyes were open and staring and her tongue was sticking out. What a sinking feeling.
But she was fine. Weird but fine.
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Mine never do that dead sheep act. Heads always seem to be up and alert even if resting.
Must confess that I quite often cross the lane and stand clapping and calling to my neighbours sheep ...... it's when they extend their necks back at such a funny angle ..... can't be comfy ??? ;D
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ITH, never say never ;D ;D
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This thread has reminded me of my 5 year old daughter's rabbit 'BennyBunny'. He used to lie down in that dead pose and one day the girls said he looked ill so I said "oh just prod him! He'll jump up then". Of course, the one day I didn't panic he was dead, he was ::)
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Bionic .... if I see mine doing it, I will be in a panic ...... probably will be dead!!
Plums ..... shouldn't laugh, but ;D that made me smile.
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Sally
You was right to have a look, they sleep at really odd angles at times. If you do find one cast, with all 4 legs in air, they will lay very still if they have been there a fair while, just turn them downhill. Nine times out of ten they try to get up uphill and it doesn't work. If they are o.k. they will get up have a shake, do their business and then walk off to have something to eat.
Sheep are funny creatures.
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Yes Karen, they are funny creatures. They have just been making me laugh.
When they saw me they ran to meet me at full pelt. Of course they were only after food but they don't seem o have realised yet that they only get a couple of sheep nuts each in the morning to keep them tame.
Sally
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had 2 big texel tups laid "dead" next to each other,turns out they were ust sunbathing but i still had to shake them to wake them up!
lazy sods :-[
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;D ;D ;D
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Looking after a friend's beloved horse while she's at the Olympics and found him stretched out motionless in the paddock this morning. Ran as fast as my legs could carry me and found him perfectly ok and not at all pleased to be woken up, even for his breakfast!
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;D ;D