[Mamohau]

Hello again.

We have primitives and have been slowly building up a first aid box but thank heavens for shepherding friends with bigger flocks and emergency stock like colostrum.  Last year we had a midnight tube feeding emergency, and our nearest shepherdess came and did it for us.  Then one of Soay ripped her tail fleece off and that was a vet job & operation to remove most of tail.

Those are the only real medical emergencies that we've had and so we've been a bit slack on getting together a first aid and basic care kit.  I have feet trimmers, manual shears, wormer and fly strike kit, plus iodine, and human first aid things.

We try natural treatments first (or would if we needed them!), like cornflour on bleeds, and use Rescue Remedy for chickens in shock or unwell.  We have quite a few antiseptics, including iodine but we prefer not to use that because of the mess it makes!  I have a respiratory problem so only use pump sprays.

With lambing coming up I know that there are things to get in just in case!  With this lot they just get on with it and problems like tube feeding are rare anyway I think.

What would you consider that is vital to have to hand, and equipment that novices are safe with!? 

Thank you . 

[Fleecewife]

We got things such as an emergency tube feed kit and lambing ropes when we got our first sheep 26 years ago.  We have never used them 


For first aid and lambing, I have normal stuff like gauze, antiseptic, huggies, old clean towels, latex gloves, Lube ie farmers lubricant for assisting lambing, more huggies, 10% iodine for dipping the umbilicus (ironically in a mint sauce pot as it's just the right size  ), Swiss Army Knife in my pocket, we keep a selection of antibiotics (2), syringes and needles, sharps bin, castration rings, Calciject, glucose, baby eartags (turkey wing tags for temporary marking - we put in the permanent tags at 4 months when the ears are big enough), oh and of course some more huggies.  Really the huggies are probably the most important thing as they let you have relatively clean hands which prevents infection.
If you are lucky enough to have a vet nearby then you don't need much as you can call on them in an emergency, remembering it's always cheaper to take the sheep to the vet than to get a call-out.
I use an empty clean licky bucket to make up a bucket of what I will need for any particular job, so for feet: trimmers, foot spray, huggies; for lambing iodine, gloves, baby eartags, huggies, towels, lube, paper bag for rubbish and so on.  We also always carry a bottle of water for us.  One thing I usually forget is my glasses 


Having said all that, having Primitives we very rarely actually 'lamb' ie pull a lamb.  When we kept Jacobs we were forever rummaging around in them, but Hebs, Shetlands and Soay don't usually need much help.  If they do of course then it often needs to be immediate.
As part of a general sheep kit we have binoculars which let you see the animal without disturbing her, and a large torch or two, always kept charged, plus we use head torches, very useful when you have no hands to spare. We both also always have a note book and pencil in a pocket, plus a phone.


This isn't a list as such.  I have a cupboard which is kept locked which has medicines and all the sprays and stuff we may need for sheep.  I then pick out what I will need for each situation. This works for me, whereas if I had a 'lambing box' in which was everything I possibly might need then I would waste time fossicking in it to find what I need. People who keep sheep far away from their home often have the equivalent of my cupboard in a large box in their pickup so they won't have to go home for what they've forgotten.

[Rosemary]

[member=4333]Fleecewife[/member] whit's wi'the huggies? Nappies?
[member=214585]Mamohau[/member]
Kickstart - squirty stuff for weak lambs. No idea what's in it, but defo some kind of fairy dust. I've often considered having a wee squirt myself, in the wee sma' hours. And chocolate / chocolate biscuits.

[Fleecewife]

[member=4333]Fleecewife[/member] whit's wi'the huggies? Nappies?
[member=214585]Mamohau[/member]
Kickstart - squirty stuff for weak lambs. No idea what's in it, but defo some kind of fairy dust. I've often considered having a wee squirt myself, in the wee sma' hours. And chocolate / chocolate biscuits.

Huggies = baby bum wipes, lamb bum wipes, hand wipes, eye wipes when something horrible has splashed in, wipes for every occasion in fact.  Don't tell me you don't have any 

...and I am one of the few people it seems who don't like chocolate, but yes, emergency rations are good (once you've used a huggie 

[Rosemary]

Huggies = baby bum wipes, lamb bum wipes, hand wipes, eye wipes when something horrible has splashed in, wipes for every occasion in fact.  Don't tell me you don't have any 

...and I am one of the few people it seems who don't like chocolate, but yes, emergency rations are good (once you've used a huggie 

Ah, never called them that. Never buy branded ones 

[Mamohau]

I only knew them as nappies too, but I buy bamboo cloth in a roll and keep some in a pure soap solution. Then it just goes in washing machine.  I haven't used purchased wipes for years, but I'm just exceptionally mean when it comes to throwing things away that are not recyclable!   

[Mamohau]

Such a lot to consider!  We do use the binocs for the Soay as they're very private when they lamb!! One Shetland x will be her first this year so we'll be keeping an eye particularly on her. All the others are experienced.  I'm hoping that it will be straightforward with them. It was a Boreray who wasn't feeding her twins properly last year and the only Soay problem we've had was a rejection, only after we'd dipped the umbilicus! Got it sorted after long phone calls with one of shepherdesses!

I'll make a container in the car, it's full of sheep stuff but under seats, behind dog cage, and requires 10 minutes of rusting around!  The piece of electric fencing tape is essential - it held my exhaust on temporarily when it broke recently! 

Thank you so much for all your advice Fleecewife!