Author Topic: Blind or partially-sighted lamb (Read 2524 times)

Blackbird · « **on:** April 08, 2019, 11:00:50 am »

Hello everyone, I wondered if anyone had any experience of looking after a blind or partially sighted sheep please? I've been asked if I would take on 2 orphan lambs, one of which is blind or partially-sighted. She apparently manages quite well - has been bottle-fed and is close to her fellow orphan lamb buddy. I guess I'm most worried about her being bullied by my existing 6 sheep, the smallest of which (a little Shetland) has quite an attitude on her! My sheep are effectively, pets, kept for my own enjoyment, their wool and as lawnmowers, so I wouldn't be breeding from her. Any thoughts gratefully received, thank you.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #1 on:** April 08, 2019, 12:19:49 pm »

We had a blind Shetland ewe lamb a few years ago. Her mum was brilliant with her, and as yours has a pal it should work OK. Alice always loved running with the other lambs at mad time - she would put herself in the middle of the group so she would avoid running into anything, then charge around at top speed with them all. She did that with the following year's lambs too. After 3 years her dam suddenly died and she was alone, so we let her lamb, to a Soay tup. In spite of my fears, she lambed without a problem and her lamb Dove soon learned she had to bump her mum on the chest before going round to feed, so Alice would know it was her. Alice died the following year. We didn't breed her pure, nor did we breed from her dam again, in case the blindness was hereditary. Alice herself got around by listening and smelling and only occasionally bumped into a fence or similar. If Alice is anything to go by, yours will soon learn to stand up for herself. I would suggest though that when she first arrives you keep her in one small paddock with her pal for a while, before she has to face the flock and learn her new surroundings.

shep53 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 08, 2019, 12:25:25 pm »

Over the years I have had a few blind sheep , at the moment a pregnant ewe was ill in January and then went blind , she lambed last week and all is fine . She responds to the quad bike for eating nuts and is in with 30 other ewes , no drama's , there are 2 problems for her , Water , I have to move her to the water by feeding next to it . Moving , some times if she is in with the others I can move as one but mostly I have to catch her and move her on the quad . For me she will be culled after weaning as she takes up a lot of time

Blackbird · « **Reply #3 on:** April 08, 2019, 02:15:40 pm »

Thanks for your thoughts both. I've thought about it some more and as I have to contain my sheep with electric netting, I don't think it would be sensible, safe or kind to take her on because of the risk of her cannoning into it.