The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Pony-n-trap on July 09, 2010, 09:07:52 pm

Title: Can a sheep be sick?
Post by: Pony-n-trap on July 09, 2010, 09:07:52 pm
Well when I say a sheep I mean a lamb of around 12 weeks of age, he is an orphan lamb, now weaned and in the field with the other sheep and his 5 orphan siblings.  They all fed off the feeder bucket except him, he would only take the bottle so he is more tame than the rest.

I am still giving them a scoop of nuts in the trough in the field, reason for this is to get the other sheep down ready for when we shear (we dont have a dog and ran ourselves ragged for worming and vaccs etc)

Anyway, I sprinkled the few nuts in the trough and I am assuming he bolted his food as he suddenly stopped and wretched and the whole lot (a lot of it) came out, he looked a little bit shocked and held his head down for a second then came over to me, I scraped up about 5 remaining nuts (Lamb pellets) and he munched them down fine.

DOes this sound like he has just been a greedy lambie?  He wandered off with the other orphans and started grazing almost straight away.
Title: Re: Can a sheep be sick?
Post by: Fleecewife on July 09, 2010, 10:06:44 pm
Hi there.  Yes it sounds like greedy lambie syndrome to me  ;D  Sheep don't vomit as far as I know but of course they do chew the cud so burp up what they've just chewed to chew it again. Sounds like a modification of that.
Title: Re: Can a sheep be sick?
Post by: VSS on July 10, 2010, 09:08:10 pm
The only thing that really makes them throw up is rhodedendron poisoning - by the time they get to that stage they are almost certainly gonners.
Title: Re: Can a sheep be sick?
Post by: Pony-n-trap on July 25, 2010, 03:34:41 pm
Well he's still alive, must have been greedy lammie, he's fine now and eats at a reasonable rate I think, still comes over for a pat, you can tell the bottle fed ones a mile off cant you!!