The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: widget on December 08, 2013, 06:25:57 pm
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Anyone had one? I've been asked to take on one that got attacked by crows last week. To be honest I'm not convinced it's entirely ethical but wanted your opinions/experiences have you had one that survived this?
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What was wrong with it that crows made it blind ? Why are the present owners not wanting it ? Very sad but it would be better culled than going to a strange new place.
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Hi it got cast on it's back and crows set in : ( I agree mcvung home would be scary for her and disorientating but they are stopping farming so I guess cull is best for her.
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Blind sheep are often quite hard to handle especially when startled. If you were trying to get them in with other sheep, they'd find it hard to find the gateway. We had a blind ewe who's eye sight returned but she was difficult to handle and ran into fences a few times.
Hope that helps.
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I have had a few blind ewes over the years---some lost one eye to crows and a couple blind in both eyes
They are fine until separated from the flock---at lambing they seemed to cope if left to their own devices
Also farmed a 3 legged ewe for 2 years!
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My neighbour had a blind ewe - cast and attacked by crows. She was in lamb at the time, made it through and threw 2 lambs. They acted as 'guide lambs' for her in the field, she followed them around to feed. A bit disconsolate when weaned though...
He separated her off for several months, best part of a year, and I used to walk past her every day. She seemed fine, stood around a lot, adjusted her posture to use ears more than eyes, but ate well. Then culled...
Shame in some ways; she seemed a very mature and good mother. Not meant to be, though.
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My vote is for culling too. Maybe different if she was on familiar ground in small, flat fields and could follow a belled member of the flock. A sheep that can't find the rest of the flock when she wants to is a distressed sheep.
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It's a tough one but you also must consider if you kept her alive and blind depending on how badly the eyes have been damaged the amount of antibiotics required to stop the infection killing her as crows are scavengers and carry all sorts of bacteria, I have worked with one blackface ewe (whilst shepherding for someone else). the ewe got tipped on her back and lost both eyes to crows it was a pointless expedition, jagging her daily with antibiotics as the infection killed her after tens days. (Even though veterinary advice and very high doeses of both long and short acting antibiotics were given along side pain relief.) I didn't matter how gentle you were with her or how slowly you moved she panicked.
It sounds like you will just be gaining trouble I'm afraid I agree with the other comments it would probably be kinder to cull her now than let her possibly suffer.
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If the ewe is in lamb I would nuture her through and then cull her once she has reared he lambs. If she is empty, get rid now.
We had a ewe last year who lost the sight in one eye due to an eye infection and then a couple of weeks later she got stuck on her back and the crows had her other eye. She reared a cracking set of twins. She was turned out with the rest of the flock all summer. She managed ok on a day to day basis - it was just a bit tricky for us when we gathered the sheep in.
She has gone now though. Pity, but there we are!
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Thanks for all your replies really helpful. We decided against the ewe and she has been culled. She wasn't ours but someone who responded to our advert for a goat (don't ask!) we have now been offered a toggenburg nanny so everyone's happy : )
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I'm glad everything's worked out for you widget good luck with you're new goat.