The Ambivalent Shepherd

[Blue Sky]

Not the best day. Expected rain didn’t. Fruit crop a nope due to heat then late hard freeze. Even blackberries. Ewe died. She was Fine. Then standing in the barn ( no symptoms just in instead of out), out watching me clean water and food bunks, no issues. I went in house to check the weather, hydrate and sit down. About 46 minutes later I look out side and she’s on her side dead. WTH? What happened to ewe waiting for feed? Gotta move her. Walk up to grab a fore leg and hear gurgles and pops from ballooning gut ( not rumen) region. And I’m having trouble moving her away from where she doesn’t need to be. Damn. I’m hating my weakness but age knocks on every door. So I get her someplace else til morning but other ewes don’t want to come in. Got em in, thanks Leo. Still have issues tomorrow. Drank an IPA and sang Leo’s praises. Other dogs were not impressed. My singing might replace waterboarding. Dead ewe- rapid onset of death. Lots of bloating, entire gut not much rumen. Toxic plants? In pasture? In hay? Hemlock??? Larkspur? Detective work ahead.

 

[Blue Sky]

Leo’s response to my belting out the chorus of Battle of Evermore (Led Zeppelin).

 

[Blue Sky]

She’s doing it Again. How much battery does her phone have?

 

[drstratton]

Not the best day. Expected rain didn’t. Fruit crop a nope due to heat then late hard freeze. Even blackberries. Ewe died. She was Fine. Then standing in the barn ( no symptoms just in instead of out), out watching me clean water and food bunks, no issues. I went in house to check the weather, hydrate and sit down. About 46 minutes later I look out side and she’s on her side dead. WTH? What happened to ewe waiting for feed? Gotta move her. Walk up to grab a fore leg and hear gurgles and pops from ballooning gut ( not rumen) region. And I’m having trouble moving her away from where she doesn’t need to be. Damn. I’m hating my weakness but age knocks on every door. So I get her someplace else til morning but other ewes don’t want to come in. Got em in, thanks Leo. Still have issues tomorrow. Drank an IPA and sang Leo’s praises. Other dogs were not impressed. My singing might replace waterboarding. Dead ewe- rapid onset of death. Lots of bloating, entire gut not much rumen. Toxic plants? In pasture? In hay? Hemlock??? Larkspur? Detective work ahead.

I'm so sorry about your ewe! Hopefully there are no toxins for your other sheep to get into!

 

[Blue Sky]

I'm so sorry about your ewe! Hopefully there are no toxins for your other sheep to get into!

Something is out there. The early heat may have pushed the hemlock. Usually they leave it alone but all the graze was short due to the drought. All flesh is grass.

 

[Baymule]

Grass is the single most important plant in the world.
I am sorry about your ewe, sometimes we don't have the "why" or "what happened". It just is. It sucks.
Have you ever told someone that you have sheep and gotten this response?
All I know about sheep is that they are white things that die.
I hear it a lot. I'm in cattle country. Cattle good, sheep and goats bad.
I don't care, I'm going to do what I do because I like it. You keep being you, do the things you like and to heck with everyone else.

 

[Blue Sky]

Grass is the single most important plant in the world.
I am sorry about your ewe, sometimes we don't have the "why" or "what happened". It just is. It sucks.
Have you ever told someone that you have sheep and gotten this response?
All I know about sheep is that they are white things that die.
I hear it a lot. I'm in cattle country. Cattle good, sheep and goats bad.
I don't care, I'm going to do what I do because I like it. You keep being you, do the things you like and to heck with everyone else.

Sometimes I tell cattlemen I’ve got the fewest dead sheep of anyone I know

 

[SageHill]

Ah geeze - what day. Then trying to move the dead ewe - guess that's why they call it dead weight.
So sorry you lost her. Hoping today is way way better.

 

[Baymule]

Sometimes I tell cattlemen I’ve got the fewest dead sheep of anyone I know

I like that answer!

 

[SteepedInSheep]

Have you ever told someone that you have sheep and gotten this response?
All I know about sheep is that they are white things that die.
I hear it a lot. I'm in cattle country. Cattle good, sheep and goats bad.

We're friends with a cattle farmer. the last few years of knowing him, he has told us several stories of how his cattle die in the oddest ways. His couple most recent were was a yearling steer kept laying down so that his feet were pointing up a hill and then he couldn't get up and kept getting bloat. They found him the first couple times and were able to save him but the last time they didn't get to him before he was too far gone.
Then they lost several because he opened one of his barns to let them get in out of the bad weather and there were big round bales in there. 3 of the cattle managed to get themselves stuck and wedged either behind or on top of/behind the bales and died.
Maybe sheep are worse than cattle overall but seems to me like a any animal can find creative ways to die.