The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: the two Bs on November 02, 2016, 11:08:00 am
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HI All,
Has anyone got any clever ideas about reassuring sheep when fireworks go off? My 3 3year old pet ewes are absolutely terrified of fireworks, even if they are not very loud/overhead. They dash into their little house and really look petrified.
Last couple of years I have just stayed with them if I have known about it and offered them their favourite treats.
I tried asking the vet yesterday when I took the dog in, and she suggested putting cotton wool in their ears, but not sure how insulted they will be by me trying to stuff cotton wool down their ears.....suspect she has not tried it. ;)
Any ideas welcome. Many thanks!!
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Would putting them in an empty, clean shed help? Until the fireworks stop?
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Give them some rescue remedy.
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I was going to recommend rescue remedy too. I only found out about it recently from a dog judge who said that they used to give it to dogs they rescued to help calm them during the process.
I recently used it for my dog who hates being groomed and this time he fell asleep whilst I was clipping him. :-)
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Are we sure that Rescue Remedy is safe for sheep (or ponies or any other livestock we may wish to calm during fireworks.)?
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What are the active ingredients of rescue remedy? How long is its effect? If they are genuinely stressed and not just on hyper alert then putting them indoors in a familiar shed where they can't see the flashes, perhaps with the radio on really loud sounds a better option.
We get a lot of very low flying military planes here and the sheep do startle (so do I although I love the planes), but are grazing again almost immediately. I suppose fireworks go on for longer.
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I can't see you really being able to do much about it, other than trying to dissuade your neighbours from having the really loud ones.
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Must your neighbours let off fireworks? Folks can, I know, be horrendously thoughtless about such things.
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I agree with Fleecwife, put a radio in their shed and sit with them a while till they seem ok with the noise.
Hopefully it wont go on for too long .
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Why would it insult a sheep to have cotton wool stuffed in their ears? What do they do in a thunderstorm? They obviously see their shed as a safe place so lock them in with plenty of hay.
My neighbours used to let off fireworks for the grandchildren during half term week when they use the house for a week. After a discussion they now only use quiet ones.
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Why would it insult a sheep to have cotton wool stuffed in their ears?
I guess that depends on what you say about them when they can't hear you! :)
How about some earmuffs?
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41EmGTPivbL._SX300_.jpg)
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Womble - coming face to face with those coming out of the side of their chums heads would scare the living doodah out of the poor things :tired: . It might even take their minds off the fireworks ;D :thumbsup:
ps I think the vet was not being serious but didn't appreciate your concern.
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Womble - coming face to face with those coming out of the side of their chums heads would scare the living doodah out of the poor things :tired: . It might even take their minds off the fireworks ;D :thumbsup:
ps I think the vet was not being serious but didn't appreciate your concern.
The vet would be serious as it is often used with horses, Although we use tampons as the string makes removal easy.
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Thank you so much everyone. I will investigate rescue remedy but want to be sure its safe... and otherwise have a cosy hour in with a radio (not tried that), lots of hay, yummy lamb creep feed and 3 sheep. We also get low flying aircraft and yes, with fireworks they go on being scared, rather than just running around "hyper alert" as you say. I think it is because fireworks go on a while.
The vet did mention tampons - says she uses them occasionally in dogs at Guy Fawkes - but thought cotton wool might be softer. I am not sure if they will keep still enough to put them in, but will have a go. Not fair to formally "immobilise" them to do it I don't think ( they are huge and I am not very good at bringing them down, so it is traumatic for all of us).
Re the neighbours - one set of neighbours do at least warn me, but the other is a commercial sheep farmer and this is where the fireworks are to be on Sat. He would not be overly sensitive to the emotional needs of sheep re fireworks (although a very caring farmer to his animals in other respects, he does not identify with the smallholder/pet owner attitude to their flock) so no good there.
Thank you again. Will let you know if I find out anything definitive re rescue remedy. Might ask my sheep vet.
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He would not be overly sensitive to the emotional needs of sheep re fireworks (although a very caring farmer to his animals in other respects, he does not identify with the smallholder/pet owner attitude to their flock) so no good there.
Well, he jolly well should be, or can he move his sheep well away from the display? I've known sheep run headlong into fencing and do a lot of damage, even though they're used to low-flying aircraft.
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Unfortunately we can't dictate to others how they enjoy themselves, human kids etc love the big bangs. Though im sure some try to be considerate if they realise the problem, not everyone thinks of these things.
If you are friendly with the farmer could you at least find out what time they are setting them off? Ask them if they could get the loud ones over quickly?
I agree about staying with them, door shut and radio on, + cover windows?
If OH is doing anything noisy I stay and talk to the goats, they come to me for reassurance, apart from one who makes herself small in a corner :-(.
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Sorry - perhaps I put that very badly as my farmer friend is good to his sheep and, I believe a good farmer. He may indeed have plans to move his sheep away from the display and I certainly don't want to do him down. However, in my defence, I do know for sure that he thinks I'm soft about my sheep, which is why I wasn't proposing to broach the subject with him. As the display will be a fair way from my property (though still in the middle of his land), I think he'll probably think I am making a fuss about nothing. Trouble is, rockets travel quite a way before going bang and my location is well within scaring distance for them.
I must say I hadn't really thought seriously about enlisting his help and he might be happy for the loud ones to go off close together to get them over. I will talk to him about it - thank you MF for pulling me up re the farmer and PHB for the idea to let them off close together. I will also ask what he is doing about his sheep in case he has any ideas.
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A quick thought - Ordinarily I would be tempted to say you're being a bit too soft, but have they been running with a tup? Stress in early pregnancy can apparently cause problems with egg implantation etc, so if fireworks are going to stress them out, I would definitely be taking whatever steps I could to manage or reduce that, and would not feel at all silly for doing so. HTH!
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A quick thought - Ordinarily I would be tempted to say you're being a bit too soft, but have they been running with a tup? Stress in early pregnancy can apparently cause problems with egg implantation etc, so if fireworks are going to stress them out, I would definitely be taking whatever steps I could to manage or reduce that, and would not feel at all silly for doing so. HTH!
Round here they turn the majority of tups out on the 5th. Brings a whole new meaning to "Going with a bang".
I
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......which of course results in lambs when? April 1st!
Who says sheep don't have a sense of humour? :)
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I don't know what sort - and size - of sheep you have, but the idea of sticking tampons into a sheep's ear canal sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. Perforated eardrums might make them less sensitive to fireworks in the future, of course... :-J
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Good point Womble, thanks, will discuss with farmer.
Sally, be reassured, my sheep have more sense than to let me. And one is nearly twice my size, so except in major arguments, it tends to win.
However, for information, the vet explained that the ear canal turns a right angle in dogs and sheep and therefore you aren't getting near the ear drum itself as tampon doesn't go round the corner. Bet you always wanted to know that? :-\
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Well, you learn something every day on here! :D
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Thank you all for your wise advice.
Just thought I'd let you know that Mother Nature intervened! She kindly provided a steady 40 mph wind - gusting to 60 - which both headed the fireworks away from said sheep and provided better background noise than Classic FM ever could. That'll teach me to ask for help!
The rockets sounded like a fairly distant backfiring car in all the racket and although there there was a little bit of angst, it was easily compensated for by their favourite treat, a handful of lamb creep feed and a bit of hay..... All's well that ends well, eh? :relief:
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I'm glad things went well this year. You have had lots of ideas you can store away to use in future in case Mother Nature decides against intervention next year!
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Glad all went well.
I left the light on in the barn, sneaked in a couple of times and they seemed settled, despite a lot of cracks and booms from various directions, and a big pub display about half mile down the valley.
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Glad it went well. Here is was windy except for the evening!! The holiday cottage across the field from us had fireworks. Dogs barked but otherwise all pigs, ponies and sheep were fine. When I checked round they were either fast asleep, half asleep or eating their hay. :relief:
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We had the dog indoors on bonfire night as it really distressed her. The new heifers, pregnant might I add, were very spooked, as the neighbours next door had a huge bonfire and very loud fireworks, I was surprised they did as they are fellow farmers. I have been watching them in case of early births (IE abortions) they seem very well. one of them is due to calve in december, really hoping for a heifer! I do enjoy the colours of the fireworks. For mum bonfire night is a horrible reminder of a tradgedy in her earlier life, so I have to try and cheer her up in the week leading up to and bonfire night :( I hear they designed a sort of harness for dogs to wear which helps them during fireworks.