[Small Farmer]

I think this is a well balanced thread containing some very good advice - from the start.   That sheep was in trouble.


We have developed a good relationship with our vet by not calling her out but by phoning her and asking advice, and on occasions taking the afflicted animal over to her surgery.  It's important that she works in a large animal practice so completely gets the money problem.  But it's equally important that we use her time wisely.   


Son's GF worked at an open farm where during a closed period an animal got sick was just allowed to die over three days as "not worth getting in the vet".  One way or the other we have to intervene when animals get sick.

[Sylvia]

I'm loathe to say anything upsetting but I have to agree that if you have an obviously suffering animal the vet. is the best option, Mostly they will let you pay a bit each week/month if you are in hardship but tell them this before any treatment.
I can't afford to have my animals insured individually but I put away a bit every month into the "vet's holiday fund" and if I need him the money, or most of it, is there.
Also, ask your vet if he will have a scheme whereby you can pay a little each month/week whatever as a sort of insurance.
Also, the only time a sheep of mine has taken itself off from the others, strike comes first to mind, clip out all the wool and have ready a maggot preparation. Lambing, though rare at this time of year is another possibility, other problems have been discussed.
But, for pity's sake don't put off getting help for your lamb or at least take him to the knackers. they won't charge much, a fiver or so.
I'm sorry for your troubles, but you must take these things into account.

[SteveHants]

I know all about not having any money, like.


Like I said, it wouldn't matter to me if you put it out of its misery yourself, if it was suffering that much (and I have to be careful, I haven't actually seen the animal). I think a shotgun cartridge is 40p.

[Fleecewife]

Ladygrey - how is your lamb? 

[omnipeasant]

I am worried about the lamb too ladygrey. While I agree that vets are expensive ours will also give advice on the phone and sometimes leave medication for us to self administer. But it seems that you need someone to actually look at this lamb. it needn't be the vet, is there a knowledgeable neighbour who might take a look. the problem might be very obvious to an experienced sheep keeper.

My usual advice is as follows. (some of it repeatred by other posters, sorry) Make sure the lamb is not dehydrated, cold or breathing heavily. Take it's temperature, that will give you a clue if there is some infection and needing anti biotics. Check for fly strike everywhere. Tell this information to the vet on the phone and you might avoid a visit or at least take it to the vet as others have said.

[jaykay]

How's the lamb - and how are you?

[Ladygrey]

Hi there everyone, Thankyou for all your replies, both long and short, the reason why I posted on here in the first place was because I wanted to ask people for opinions due to me not being able to call a vet at the time or spend too much time with the lamb, so yes I knew that he needed help, hence my post

Im going to find it impossible to reply to all of them individually for reasons you probly understand

I will list everything below to try and reply to as much as possible

-The lamb has always been different from all the other sheep, much more aloof and has never eaten with any of the other sheep from birth, he was a "star-gazer" lamb, so if this was any of the other sheep I would have been far more worried much much sooner
-I did check his feet and as I said he has a bad foot but It was dry and no maggots
-My vet used to be a farm animal and pet vet, but recently they changed to just pets and moved the farm surgery to a further away location, which means much higher call out chargers etc
-My vets do not allow you to bring animals to them
-It wasnt that I do not have any money, I am just un willing (apart from pet animals) to spend more than the animal is worth (if you see what I mean) so if I am going to get £100 of meat from the lamb and he has cost me £30 to rear, I do not want to spend more than £70 on the lamb, I do not see this as being cruel so I am sorry if I offended anyone by saying this  I dearly love all of my animals and they are tame and they love me back, I put them before me and they mean everything to me, however some lambs are not pets and are there to rear up and sell for meat.
-I work 16 hour days, I milk cows from morning till lunch time, drive tractors and rear youngstock all afternoon, and at the moment all of the money I earn goes onto my animals and not me or my car, If I finish work after the light starts to fade I cannot get home due to my car not having any front lights, so I have to call home and ask my young sister to feed pigs/sheep/chickens so unfortunately I cannot see my animals every single day at the moment (I hope you can understand this)
-These last few months have been a bit stressfull and busy, I have been in the process of applying for a tenant farm for the past few months (hence some of my questions on the forum)  doing this in all of my spare time when I should be sleeping lol, I handed in the final business plan this evening  and me and my boyfriend have the interview on wednesday, we will know if we get the farm wednesday or thursday, if we get it then we expand and I leave where I work now and I work our farm full time and I can dedicate every waking hour to my sheep and I will be there all of the time for them, so this is just a temporary system that I cannot be there every day.

Right so onto the sheep

I checked him the same day I posted this and found a spot (that I had missed  ) of flystrike on his rib cage, I have sheared him (he had really thick wool) and cleaned it all up, got rid of all maggots and flys and treated him and all of the other sheep with Crovect. I have rubbed wound cream into his sore and he is already looking better and going slighly closer to the other sheep    None of the other sheep have any flies and I have sheared some of the long wooled lambs (they are looking much happier for it )

Thankyou for all your replies and ideas and thoughts on the situation

Jess

[Sbom]

Glad he's all sorted  good luck with the farm  you sound just like me before I had the kids, I mainly do milking now and we are luckily to have our own smallholding aswell, keeps me sane.

[Small Farmer]

Very rational.  That makes a lot of sense as a strategy - but find another vet.  Pet vets x-ray your purse on the way into the surgery and remove the contents on the way out.

[Fleecewife]

Very rational.  That makes a lot of sense as a strategy - but find another vet.  Pet vets x-ray your purse on the way into the surgery and remove the contents on the way out.

   Too true 
 
I'm glad you got him sorted, and for minimal cost 

[Fronhaul]

I have to say I am horrified by a vet that won't permit people to bring animals to the surgery.  Ours positively encourage it to the extent that when I had a problem at a show I turned up with a full trailer on the way back for them to sort a damaged ear (tag had got caught up somehow) on the way back.  I would talk to some of the local farmers if you can and see where they go because that kind of restriction really is not acceptable.

Good luck with your lamb and your tenancy.

[jaykay]

Well done on finding and dealing with the flystrike  Sounds like he should be fine now.

I understand the thinking about spending money on the sheep - I sort of try to even it out over the whole flock, but the fewer you've got the less possible that is.

Your nearest vet sounds like a real money-grabbing pain  Will you have a different one if you move (to the tenant farm?)

Keeping everything crossed for you for the farm interview tomorrow     

[Bionic]

It sounds as if you are having a tough time of it at the moment Jess. I hope your business plan works and that you get the place that you are after.
Its good to hear that the lamb seems to be on the road to recovery.
Sally

[omnipeasant]

Pet vets x-ray your purse on the way into the surgery and remove the contents on the way out.  funny smallfarmer but so true.

This is good news about the lamb, but worrying news about your situation. Good luck with the tenancy application.

[Rosemary]

Well done with the lamb Bad luck with your vet

Good luck with the interview on Wednesday Do let us know how you get on.