Mike CHS
Herd Master
Those things are never easy but you can only do so much. Sorry it didn't work out this time.
Mystang's Homesteading Circus
- Thread starter mystang89
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- #322
mystang89
True BYH Addict
Thanks everyone. I forgot to ask in the other post but for a lamb that is only 5 or 6 days old and does, what do you normally do with the carcas? I'm not a fan of wasting if I have a choice. I know with still born you can make rennet but by this age I'm pretty sure it's too late. Dog food?
B&B Happy goats
Herd Master
I feed raw to my dogs, however you may want to think thru it as you don't know what the problem was with the kid to start with ?..dogs ph is about a 1 and pretty great at killing bacteria.............diseases ????
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- #324
mystang89
True BYH Addict
Yeah, for this particular instance I went ahead and disposed of it but I'm sure I'll have other lambs die either due to the mother not feeding out other reasons.
Baymule
Herd Master
I can't make myself cut up a dead lamb that I've done everything to save. I bury them. Really sorry about the lamb. I WOULD NOT have a problem shooting that witch in the head, stringing her up, skinning, gutting and cutting her up for the freezer. Savor every bite.
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- #326
mystang89
True BYH Addict
She'll definitely end up in the freezer but I'm not upset with her. It's simply the way she was created. Being an animal she didn't do it on purpose with a malicious intent.
She'll probably stick around till I get a couple more sheep, (and it warms up) then I'll dispatch her, presumably in the summer.
Thanks everyone for the kind words. The hardest part was when the children thought I did it on purpose simply to kill it... Cause I do things like that all the time...
. Everything is in now that they've been straightened out and the real reason was explained though. The wife didn't take it to well either. I killed the lamb early morning after she had gone to work but never told her until she came home at night. I didn't want her to be sad all day because she was thinking about it. She told me she'd rather have time to get over it during the day than come home to it..... I'll never understand women lol
. No good deeds go unpunished
Oh well. Everyone has their way of dealing with stress and hers is her own. She's better now, children are better now and we're all getting along on this valenValent day.
Happy St. Valentine's day all!
Baymule
Herd Master
Possibly you could breed her again, take the lamb at birth and milk the ewe for colostrum and bottle feed the lamb. Yours is a rare breed and I understand the reluctance to slaughter the ewe. Do bear in mind that being a poor mother can be hereditary.
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- #328
mystang89
True BYH Addict
Yeah, that's why I don't think I'll breed her again. As much as I'd like to keep my program as close to Awassi as possible I think I might end up getting some Lacaune to breed into my Awassi aiming for milk production first, good mothering second, disease and parasite resistance third, then the nipple size etc last.
I like the fat tail though and I do not believe the Lacaune is a fat tail sheep, so I'm still weighing my options.
Bruce
Herd Master
I haven't raised sheep (or much of anything) but since yours ARE so rare and because being a poor mother CAN be hereditary doesn't mean she WILL pass it on. Seems like it would be worth one shot that she DOESN'T pass it on.
Baymule
Herd Master
It wouldn't hurt to try one more time with her, just understand that you will have to pull the lamb and milk her for the colostrum.
