The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Ermingtrude on February 08, 2018, 06:23:02 pm
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My sheep are more pets than anything - all hand tame, named, and friendly. I fed them this morning at about 0700 as per usual, and everyone was fine. Nasty wet day so after doing morning feeding, checks and water, and walking the dog, I headed back in. Went back out at lunchtime and found one of last years lambs cast in a dip on the field, and the way she had rolled she had ended up wedged, and causing a dam, which meant her face was under water from the surface water draining through the field. She had drowned. I doubt there is more than 2 hours before I check them all during the day, as I am lucky to see them from the house, but this was one of those ""time made no difference"" ones. Very gutted, very upset and feeling like the worst ever sheep owner, to allow one to drown.
Be careful with standing water.
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I know that it is no comfort to you but there is an old farmers saying that a sheep's greatest desire in life is to drop dead.
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Sad to hear about your loss, makes you feel so guilty. Life has many trials.
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Poor girl, I'd be sickened as well, ive cried myself to sleep over some losses, but these things happen, things you never imagine would happen, all you can do is prevent same thing happening again.
Sorry for yor loss, but chin up, don't beat yourself up, work out how to prevent it happening again, and think about tomorrow rather than yesterday.
(I'm in a strange mood with strange words tonight :-),)
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A great shame. It can happen to anyone.
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you are clearly a really caring shepherd, and it wasn't your fault. If it's any consolation, it would have been quick. :hug:
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It's not even an "if only" situation. How could you have known that something like that could happen?
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I would consider it very unusual for a non-pregnant sheep to cast at this time of year. Occasionally it has happened to one of our pregnant ones in the last few weeks of pregnancy when they're just too heavy to roll over. I would think it far more likely to have been a heart attack and she was already dead when she hit the ground.
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So sorry to hear about this. As others have said it's something you could not have forseen though. I've got pet sheep so I know how you'll feeling. I'm sure you're a very caring shepherd.
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I would consider it very unusual for a non-pregnant sheep to cast at this time of year. Occasionally it has happened to one of our pregnant ones in the last few weeks of pregnancy when they're just too heavy to roll over. I would think it far more likely to have been a heart attack and she was already dead when she hit the ground.
Agree.
I'm afraid sudden death can happen any time to any of us, and we all always feel gutted and wonder what/if we could have done something to prevent it/react quicker.
The only thing I did wonder, seeing you comment that it was a 'wet nasty day' was that it could have been a metabolic upset caused by the physiological stress. Generally a well-fed and cared for sheep that isn't pregnant should be able to weather (pun intended) such events, but if there was an underlying strain - such as subclinical fluke, or just a sheep in its first winter finding things a bit tough - then it could happen. And they can die very very quickly, with no prior warning.
You can't ever prevent every such death, but ensuring that sheep have enough condition, mineral/salt licks, plenty of hay, good shelter, proactive fluke treatments if indicated in your area (watch the NADIS forecasts, check with your vet - we have had fluke here this year and we're not usually a flukey area), possibly even light hard feeding if the ground is poor and conditions harsh, etc, are the things one can do to put them in the best possible position to withstand such shocks.
It sounds like your sheep have all this in place, and more, so the likelihood is there would have been nothing you could have done to prevent this one. :hug:
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So sorry to hear this, it's horrible ok. Please don't beat yourself up about it, you sound like a very diligent sheep owner and very caring person :) sheep do daft things, can't really stop em, if one is determined to die it will... :hug: :hug:
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Thank you all for your kind words. It has really helped.
We ended up asking the vet to do a basic PM on her, as when my friendly neighbour came over to help me get her in from the field, he agreed with what some of you had said, and that a young, non pregnant sheep shouldn't be getting cast, and that given the weather recently, and that we had had to dose twice for fluke (not a known problem in this area, but neighbour had had some resistance, and I have been doing FEC for the horses anyway, so added the sheep, and found dose 1 hadn't cleared them) that we should check for other causes. Laying as she was, with her head in water and more on her back, than side, had led me to believe she was cast, but the vet said there was nothing in her lungs or airways, but that her heart was enlarged on one side, which he said could have been due to a minor heart defect. We are due to have our 3 pregnant ones ( different field ) scanned in a week, so the vet has agreed to have a look at the lambs twin sister, and their Mum, while he is here, and see if there is anything to see on scan for their hearts. He has said that the scan is only likely to pick up enlargement, or gross issues, rather than subtle changes with valves, which is a far more specialist role than he is up for. We had already decided not to breed the Mum again, but would add the twin to the lawnmower group if there is any suggestion of heart issues with her too.
They have shelter in the field, but are not often in there, although I do put hay in there for them, and they had been in there eating hay the few days before, as we had quite a layer of snow for about 72h. The mineral lick is there, and the vet suggested adding an energy bucket as well, so I have done that now. They do get sheep pellets daily, more as a routine, and to get them into the barn for checking. Nobody seems to have dropped weight ( or got too fat ) but the 4 Mums are 7 years + now, and this is the lambs first winter, so I wanted to make sure I could keep a close eye on body score.
A steep learning curve indeed, even with excellent advice from neighbours, the internet, books and the vet. Thank you all again :)
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Sounds like a very supportive and sensible vet :)
I don’t know how large the field shelter is, nor how many adults and youngsters you have, but one thing I’ve observed watching sheep quietly at different times of day is that any resource, be it feed, forage, bedding, supplement or whatever, needs to be really well spread out to prevent the adults crowding the lambs out. When you put it put everyone can seem to be getting ‘room at the trough’ but very often, a few minutes later the youngsters have wandered off, apparently disinterested / satisfied. Whereas if a second long line is made in addition to, and far away from the usual one, those same sheep may come and feed. :idea: Old timer farmers tell me the weaker sheep will come and take some later, so as long as there’s plenty it’ll all work out, but my observation is that not all the weaker sheep do come back for some later.
I’ve concluded that ‘bullying’ and ‘resource guarding’ can be very subtley done in sheep. (And same in cattle too, actually.)
Just something to think about if everyone is coming in to an enclosed space for their goodies ;).
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The shelter is a barn with 6 horse stalls, 12 x 12, that we took the sides out from. The centre walkway is open and wide, and we have put hay racks on the back walls. The stalls each have concrete feed troughs, that I fill so there are 6 of them, so there doesn't seem to be much competition. The mineral block and boost block are in the first few sections, that are hard standing. The others are straw. There are 3 adult Mums, and now 7 lambs, so they seem quite spread-out over the troughs, but I will check about bullying etc, and make sure each is eating.
I do appreciate your help and advice :)
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Sounds like there should be plenty of space for everyone :thumbsup: