The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: LandieMan on June 15, 2013, 10:26:16 pm
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One of my Heb lambs, which was bottle fed, is looking lost and lethargic. He always seems to have a mouth full of chewed grass. I have put him in front of the creep feed, he pushes it around but does not swallow it. He has been weaned for the last month and has only been like this the past couple of days. I have bottle fed him some lectade to give him some electrolytes in case he is dehydrated. Any suggestions?
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Is his rumen working properly? Are his teeth ok?
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He has been on grass for the past couple of weeks. I assume his rumen is working, although how do you check? His teeth look fine. I will isolate him, keep feeding the isotonic solution and feed him just creep. I have pig enclosure that is like the desert.
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To check the rumen, first smell the breath - you don't want to be smelling any ketones or sourness. Secondly, watch his left flank for the 'rumen wave' and keep an eye, ear (and nose!) out for farts and belches. The rumen should contract every 30 seconds or so, and you can see the wave travel along the flank as it does this. You may also often catch the belch, or sometimes fart, that accompanies its conclusion!
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Have they been wormed ??