Feeding routine

[Mike CHS]

I know what you mean. Have you tried to trim it down to where most of the bad material is gone. You need to open it up so you can scrape out most of the bad stuff then spray it with diluted bleach. It is painful but it gets it done. I don't know if you have a handling area to be able to get it done. I haven't read enough of your posts to know what your situation is to be able to work your sheep.

 

[farmerjan]

For hoof rot, you need to get it trimmed back, and cleaned out... then you can take and put some LA 200 or any brand oxytet, in a syringe and just squirt it on the cleaned out foot. It will burn, about like a bleach solution.. but the antibiotic will also kill off the bacteria causing the foot rot. You might have to do it a second time.
You can also use Hydrogen peroxide to spray on it... bacteria and germs cannot live in a super O2 solution... it is used for cleansing/antibacterial.... a couple of dairies I milk test use it for predip to kill bacterial on their cows teats. Dentist sometimes prescribe it for washing out a mouth to kill bacteria... I think the dairies use it at 10%... so 1 oz for every 10 oz of water...

If this ewe is this hard to handle then maybe she is not one that you want to keep around anyway. Seriously, the real flighty ones will cause some of the rest to get more skittish....and her lambs will be looney toons along with her....

 

[Ridgetop]

Definitely with the stink it sounds like hoof rot. After catching her and trimming the hooves you need to disinfect. When I trim hooves I angle the shears to take more hoof off the outside at an angle. This exposes more of the hoof pad and the hooves don't grow back to cover up the hoof as quickly. If you can make a narrow chute to run her through, use rubber pans with a solution of bleach water (cheapest) or other foot rot solution and run her through the chute several times a day. Keep her in a small pen while you are treating her and give her antibiotic. Nuflor is definitely on the prescription list now. I tried to get some in Tennessee and Texas, but none was available due to prescription only.

Like @Famerjan says, you should probably sell this ewe. She sounds like she has bad feet and needs constant trimming. If her hooves naturally curl under as they grow this is a foot problem which will keep coming back. We had a couple dairy goats with this type of hoof, but because they were milked daily and were bottle raised, they were easy to trim in the stanchion. I just had to trim more often. With my sheep I hate this type of hoof because my sheep are not tame, don't like the squeeze, and kick like hellions.

Toughening up with livestock doesn't mean you are heartless or mean. It just means that you can recognize the problem animals, and don't want to deal with them. Animals with continual health problems means time and $$ spent dealing with those problems BUT animals with attitude problems means you will get hurt sooner or later. The auction is the place for those animals. No regrets, just gratitude for the check and not having to deal with them anymore.

After 30 years, lots of time and $$, and LOTS OF INJURIES I can recognize them faster than I used to.

 

[jambi1214]

Great info. Thank you. I will definitely try and help her to start. She is definitely not as flighty and will let me get her but is easily spooked. The ewe is she with is worse and I'm considering selling her but she is close to lambing and I honestly don't want to stress her too much but I guess my thought on her future is who will want her? And take care of her? My husband suggested I consider euthanasia.

 

[SageHill]

Animals with continual health problems means time and $$ spent dealing with those problems BUT animals with attitude problems means you will get hurt sooner or later.

So so true. I will add in that the time and $$ spent on such animals is time and $$ that could be better spent on other animals that are healthy and not looking to take you out.

 

[SageHill]

I guess my thought on her future is who will want her? And take care of her? My husband suggested I consider euthanasia.

Something else to remember - livestock are not pets. Auction will bring some $. Euthanasia will cost along with burial/disposal/whatever. Just being practical.

 

[Baymule]

If you don’t have a small pen to confine her in, you can build a quick one with cow panels, cut in half, (I use bolt cutters) to make a small square. Or pallets with T-posts driven in them will also make a good pen.

Please don’t euthanize the ewe. As @SageHill pointed out, that will cost you money and also have to dispose of the body. If you decide to get rid of her, take her to auction.

 

[farmerjan]

For animals with flighty/wild/nutty behaviour, if you take her to auction, she will most likely go to slaughter.
If she is that close to lambing, I would put her in the smallest lot/field or whatever you have so she can lamb... doesn't matter if it is in with the wethers or even the ram. The smaller the space, the more she will have to tolerate your presence. Once she lambs, let her raise them for 2-3 months until they are eating feed and then ship her. If you raise the lambs up in a more contained environment, they will hopefully get past some of their learned flighty behavior. Sheep learn from the ones they are with. If you have some that are super tame; let the lambs stay with them once weaned.
OR, once she lambs, take the lambs away and bottle feed so they become tame.... and get rid of the ewe....It is not important who wants her or will take care of her... it is important that she is gone out of your flock just like the ram you got rid of... And unless you are independently wealthy, the sheep should be sold to help pay for their upkeep. Not saying you have to make a fortune on them or sell privately and feel like you have to do a full disclosure. Animals that are sold at auction are there for someone to buy and to take their chances with them. If it is a breeding animal sale, or some thing that you are trying to sell to promote your good farm name, then it is to your benefit to sell with guarantees, full health disclosure, etc and so on. If it is just the weekly stockyard auction, then they are sold as is....no guarantees, nothing. You see it, you buy it, your responsibility if it is a good buy. Many of the adult animals that go through will go to slaughter. What difference does that matter if you do not want the attitude in your flock. That is the buyers decision.
As was stated above.... these are NOT PETS.... they are livestock that you have, to better your farmland by grazing, and to supply meat or milk or wool or lambs to sell, or chickens to eat or lay eggs....treat them with care, and respect, and use them for the purpose they were designed.... Real life farms are not Disney's "BAMBI" farms...
A wild, flighty or nutty animal will hurt you. It is different if they are in pain or injured, or a new momma protecting her newborn for a day or so.... BUT.... they need to learn you are not the enemy or a threat.
People are too inclined to make excuses for animal's behaviors.... yes I understand if they have been mistreated they will be less trusting and such... but there is limit, and a line to cross, to where you stop making excuses for the animal.
If they are not working in your set up or on your farm, they need to be gotten rid of. Where they go after that is not your responsibility. But they also should not be costing you money to put down unless it is an injury or health issue. Attitude gets sold and that money put towards a better animal, or better feed for those that do fit into your program.

 

[jambi1214]

For animals with flighty/wild/nutty behaviour, if you take her to auction, she will most likely go to slaughter.
If she is that close to lambing, I would put her in the smallest lot/field or whatever you have so she can lamb... doesn't matter if it is in with the wethers or even the ram. The smaller the space, the more she will have to tolerate your presence. Once she lambs, let her raise them for 2-3 months until they are eating feed and then ship her. If you raise the lambs up in a more contained environment, they will hopefully get past some of their learned flighty behavior. Sheep learn from the ones they are with. If you have some that are super tame; let the lambs stay with them once weaned.
OR, once she lambs, take the lambs away and bottle feed so they become tame.... and get rid of the ewe....It is not important who wants her or will take care of her... it is important that she is gone out of your flock just like the ram you got rid of... And unless you are independently wealthy, the sheep should be sold to help pay for their upkeep. Not saying you have to make a fortune on them or sell privately and feel like you have to do a full disclosure. Animals that are sold at auction are there for someone to buy and to take their chances with them. If it is a breeding animal sale, or some thing that you are trying to sell to promote your good farm name, then it is to your benefit to sell with guarantees, full health disclosure, etc and so on. If it is just the weekly stockyard auction, then they are sold as is....no guarantees, nothing. You see it, you buy it, your responsibility if it is a good buy. Many of the adult animals that go through will go to slaughter. What difference does that matter if you do not want the attitude in your flock. That is the buyers decision.
As was stated above.... these are NOT PETS.... they are livestock that you have, to better your farmland by grazing, and to supply meat or milk or wool or lambs to sell, or chickens to eat or lay eggs....treat them with care, and respect, and use them for the purpose they were designed.... Real life farms are not Disney's "BAMBI" farms...
A wild, flighty or nutty animal will hurt you. It is different if they are in pain or injured, or a new momma protecting her newborn for a day or so.... BUT.... they need to learn you are not the enemy or a threat.
People are too inclined to make excuses for animal's behaviors.... yes I understand if they have been mistreated they will be less trusting and such... but there is limit, and a line to cross, to where you stop making excuses for the animal.
If they are not working in your set up or on your farm, they need to be gotten rid of. Where they go after that is not your responsibility. But they also should not be costing you money to put down unless it is an injury or health issue. Attitude gets sold and that money put towards a better animal, or better feed for those that do fit into your program.

@farmerjan This is very honest and good info. It is starting to be an issue and I have only sold a ram lamb, now I only have 14 sheep this year and having been building my stock the past 2.5 years but it's time that they pay for upkeep. Definitely not rich but it's costing me tremendously. This year after lambing, many lambs will go as I have a good enough stock of ewes. It's hard some have been pets to a degree! But a farm can't function that way. We need to eat or sell!!! After being a vet tech for 20 years I tend to care too much which can bite me in the butt here. But it's a learning opportunity. I'm so glad for all the info given to me from you all. I will try and get her more confined. My hope is once we get lambs from these difficult ones they are gone.

 

[jambi1214]

Starting to think I'm not solid enough for this!!