[juliem]

checked out the website for Mapperton House...looks idyllic....will definitely visit if I am in the area.

[Emmatread]

Does anyone know whether a sheep/older lamb with bloat will still urinate or pass faeces?
Thanks x

[Daisys Mum]

it looked very like one of my ewes had bloat last night , she lambed 5 weeks ago. She seemed happy enough, still nobbling grass but she was enormous, she was still passing urine and faeces so decided to leave her until this morning with my son doing regular checks on her during the night. This morning she is completely back to normal, I do have a lot of grass and my ewes are all very fat.

[SallyintNorth]

I think it will depend on the severity of the bloat.  If the rumen has stopped completely, then the rest of the digestion will stop also, and pooing will stop.  But they could still be pooing as bloat gets started, so I don't think you would use seeing it poo as a diagnostic to say it's not bloat.

If it has stopped pooing, and you treat the bloat, and it starts pooing again, then that's a very good sign, of course.

Not urinating would be very serious; that would indicate that the kidneys have packed up.

[fsmnutter]

Not urinating would be very serious; that would indicate that the kidneys have packed up.

Or it has bladder stones and a blockage.
Absolutely essential that a sheep/goat/cat/dog that is not urinating see a vet asap, as a blocked urethra can rupture or a blocked bladder can cause raised potassium in the blood and heart to slow/stop. Very rapidly fatal in either of these instances.

[wildorchardfarm]

Hi there. I am new to keeping sheep but my main concern in starting is worry about bloat. I have the option of purchasing some shetland sheep.I planted a new pasture this year and it is very clover rich. It has 11 different grasses and other herbs in too but its the clover and weeds that have taken over. Please see picture attached.
Its taken me a while to get an electric fence set up, i would like to be rotationally grazinv sheep and goats around the 10 acre field outdoors all year. But! A local farmer has scared me saying he wouldnt put sheep on it as its too rich for them. I have read that you can inyroduce them to a different diet gradually putting them on pasture for a limited time, bring them out, watch for bloat and have remedies at the ready. This thread is giving me hope...thanks for all the information. Im just asking now for encouragement to start doing this or if you think im aski g for trouble. I do have another field with v short yorkshire fog as a back up but its the new pasture i really want eaten.
Thanks rosie

[greggy]

Dont take what I say as gospel, but I would put *mine* in there, first for half hr or so, then back out to other feed paddock with what they are used too, same again next day, then an hr, then 2 etc etc...after 7/10 days or so, they should be used too it.

We are in drought, so I am basically moving them like this from hand feed paddock, to pasture, smash it down in a small area, then move on. It is very hands on though.