Bruce
Herd Master
There is always an "up side" right?The only upside is keeping up my arm strength through winter
mysunwolf - four acres and some sheep
Sorry you have to deal with the neighbor's dead animals and problems. It's generally enough just dealing with one's own problems. Start out by stating I am just curious and know nothing... Have you considered that the replacer may be causing the scours? Is it soy based? I ask because a lot of folks with goats have commented that it's better to just use store bought whole cow's milk over replacer. Hope the lambs both get "right" and thrive.
Congrats on the clean test results and the pregnancy verification. Gotta be a huge relief for you. Get yourself ready for a busy spring!
Congrats on the clean test results and the pregnancy verification. Gotta be a huge relief for you. Get yourself ready for a busy spring!
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- #253
mysunwolf
Herd Master
Oh yeah! Last year I advertised free gym memberships on Facebook, but no one came
I've definitely thought about blaming the replacer, but it's all milk based, no soy, so I'm not sure. It's the Dumor (TSC brand) Lamb Replacer. I have raised two batches of bummers on this stuff in the past and can't say I haven't had any problems, but all the lambs grew and were generally okay on it before. I think this little lamb may not have gotten colostrum--neighbors farm was trying to be hands off and I was trying to work with them on this, while trying to explain that sheep are not exactly hands off. Hence why I'm so worried about bacterial issues. The male is still mostly solid.
I'm thrilled for our personal lambing to happen. We only have 9 ewes this year, but we're anticipating 13 lambs hitting the ground over the next 2 months (5 first timers and 4 experienced ewes). Can't wait for milk in March too!
Bruce
Herd Master
Oh yeah! Last year I advertised free gym memberships on Facebook, but no one came
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- #255
mysunwolf
Herd Master
Fecal from the bottle baby FINALLY came back today as positive for E coli but negative for everything else. Since she has it, I'm guessing her brother who sleeps in the same crate has it as well--his poop is mostly solid but becomes runnier every day. We have been doing probios and electrolytes for over a week and the poop hasn't improved, so I'll pick up a better antibiotic (not penicillin) tomorrow at the vet. I'm a little ticked that I submitted the fecal to the vet last Thursday morning and it just came back this afternoon... because meanwhile my little bottle lamb was and is scouring like crazy. But they did have to send it away to a lab for culturing. Grateful that I'm not footing the bill.
Luckily the lambs are still full of energy. Finally got the male banded so he is eating a little less from the pain, poor guy. The female has started headbutting and mounting him just to prove how impressive she is. We can't seem to get them down to 3x a day feedings even though they are 2 weeks old, so they are still being fed 4x a day. They are also chewing on everything, mostly power cords(!) and junk mail, and me. We are not very baby-proofed here, but we are trying.
My neighbor is done lambing the Hog Islands as of this morning! The last ewe had twin boys, one that was 6-8lbs and one that was 3-4lbs, the tiniest lamb I've ever seen. I almost pulled him today because the temps are below 20 with bad wind chills. But he was nursing and active and behaving just like his bigger brother, so he gets to stay but in the jug with mom and with active monitoring around the clock. I think he is the result of a pinched cord, so just plain bad luck.
I think we'll wait a week and then put the sheep into the far field. Just hoping the coyotes don't eat all of our hard work
but negative for everything else. Since she has it, I'm guessing her brother who sleeps in the same crate has it as well--his poop is mostly solid but becomes runnier every day. We have been doing probios and electrolytes for over a week and the poop hasn't improved, so I'll pick up a better antibiotic (not penicillin) tomorrow at the vet. I'm a little ticked that I submitted the fecal to the vet last Thursday morning and it just came back this afternoon... because meanwhile my little bottle lamb was and is scouring like crazy. But they did have to send it away to a lab for culturing. Grateful that I'm not footing the bill.Luckily the lambs are still full of energy. Finally got the male banded so he is eating a little less from the pain, poor guy. The female has started headbutting and mounting him just to prove how impressive she is. We can't seem to get them down to 3x a day feedings even though they are 2 weeks old, so they are still being fed 4x a day. They are also chewing on everything, mostly power cords(!) and junk mail, and me. We are not very baby-proofed here, but we are trying.
My neighbor is done lambing the Hog Islands as of this morning! The last ewe had twin boys, one that was 6-8lbs and one that was 3-4lbs, the tiniest lamb I've ever seen. I almost pulled him today because the temps are below 20 with bad wind chills. But he was nursing and active and behaving just like his bigger brother, so he gets to stay but in the jug with mom and with active monitoring around the clock. I think he is the result of a pinched cord, so just plain bad luck.
I think we'll wait a week and then put the sheep into the far field. Just hoping the coyotes don't eat all of our hard work
CntryBoy777
Herd Master
....oh the joys of animal ownership....and a big welcomed Thanks the neighbor should have for your willingness to help....I'd take ya to a steak dinner....or whatever ya had a hankering for.....
Baymule
Herd Master
I think we'll wait a week and then put the sheep into the far field. Just hoping the coyotes don't eat all of our hard work
You need LGD's
For the e coli, what about a mix of apple cider vinegar and honey, diluted with water? It's my go-to for intestinal upsets and even food poisoning.
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- #258
mysunwolf
Herd Master
Ha, I agree! Steak dinner!
He has been paying me in hay, even though I tried to refuse, so I'll take that.
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- #259
mysunwolf
Herd Master
You need LGD's
For the e coli, what about a mix of apple cider vinegar and honey, diluted with water? It's my go-to for intestinal upsets and even food poisoning.
I know, I have been trying to persuade them. They (he and his wife) adopted two anatolian mixes from a rescue a few years ago when they were first getting back into cattle and into sheep. Mostly those dogs were hiking buddies and protection for the farm and property from bears and coyotes. But one day as they were walking the dogs near the sheep field, the dogs took off after the ewes and began slaughtering them. They only lost a few, but I think they were pretty scarred having watched their own dogs do that to the stock. I have talked to them multiple times about adopting puppies from good stock and training (and volunteered to do it), or about paying a little more and bringing in a proven adult guardian--not just some mixes from the shelter who have probably never even seen a sheep. But so far I can't get them to come around.
Very interesting about ACV/honey! I've been scared to do anything other than yogurt for fear of making it worse, but I don't see how that could hurt. I'll try it some today.
Baymule
Herd Master
I mix half ACV and half honey, then dilute with water. It works for me!
Too bad about their dogs. A couple of good dogs would make all the difference in the world to them.
Too bad about their dogs. A couple of good dogs would make all the difference in the world to them.
