Post by mazurzoo on Aug 5, 2008 6:14:09 GMT -5
It seems discouragement on the farm is around every corner! I figure I would post this to see if anyone can diagnose what happened?
Yesterday we had a lamb die. I searched google trying to pinpoint why, but had no luck. This lamb was born early april, it was our largest and healthiest lamb, 4 mo old and 100lbs, ready for market....so strange. He has always been fine, until yesterday I noticed that all the other sheep were up and trying to escape out the gate when I came in and he was off under a tree resting. I didnt take note of it right away, but a little later I noticed he was still there. So we checked him out. He looked dopey, droopy. He would not stand...until we picked him up and he stood on his own in a very wobbly fashion. He would not eat, we gave him hay, he would not eat that. He did try some salt. We were out of minerals for 2-3 days, so when we offered him salt he did lick a little. Also when we stood him up we noticed diarea on his rear. One more odd symptom...he was gritting his teeth.
So I called my husband asking him to pick up minerals and sheep nutridrench on his way home from work. I was thinking he just had a belly ache. We checked the lamb at 4-5pm, he wasnt looking good but we were hoping the nutridrench would help. Joe pulled in the driveway at 6pm, came in the house and said the lamb is dead in the pasture! I totally didnt expect that.
My only guesses are he might have eaten a poisonous weed or nitrate poisoning. I just read in Acres USA that nitrate poisoning happens after the first rain after a drought. That would fit. But I would think the rest of my sheep would be affected as well if it were that.
Well I hope you have some idea of what this is, so we can prevent it in the others. I am really disappointed for my daughters sake because she only had 2 whethers that she was going to sell for meat, to make herself a little cash, and that guy was one of them. Oh well.
We did do a very freakish "Adams family" thing. We skinned him, so that we can send his hide to a place that will make it into a rug. Believe it or not this was my daughters idea! After skinning we were going to bury the rest, but our girls ( 10 and 11) enjoyed the science of what was under so much, they wanted to learn to gut it and see what was inside! Weird kids, huh? So today they are going to harvest the meat for the pigs and chickens. At least it won't go to total waste.
These kids really amaze me. They are so kind to the animals, you would just think that this whole thing would break their hearts. But they are very matter of fact about animal death and practical in what to do beyond. My husband was really worried about my daughter, and he just wanted to give the lamb a proper burial, but my daughter said "we might as well not be wasteful!" Out of the mouth of babes!
Yesterday we had a lamb die. I searched google trying to pinpoint why, but had no luck. This lamb was born early april, it was our largest and healthiest lamb, 4 mo old and 100lbs, ready for market....so strange. He has always been fine, until yesterday I noticed that all the other sheep were up and trying to escape out the gate when I came in and he was off under a tree resting. I didnt take note of it right away, but a little later I noticed he was still there. So we checked him out. He looked dopey, droopy. He would not stand...until we picked him up and he stood on his own in a very wobbly fashion. He would not eat, we gave him hay, he would not eat that. He did try some salt. We were out of minerals for 2-3 days, so when we offered him salt he did lick a little. Also when we stood him up we noticed diarea on his rear. One more odd symptom...he was gritting his teeth.
So I called my husband asking him to pick up minerals and sheep nutridrench on his way home from work. I was thinking he just had a belly ache. We checked the lamb at 4-5pm, he wasnt looking good but we were hoping the nutridrench would help. Joe pulled in the driveway at 6pm, came in the house and said the lamb is dead in the pasture! I totally didnt expect that.
My only guesses are he might have eaten a poisonous weed or nitrate poisoning. I just read in Acres USA that nitrate poisoning happens after the first rain after a drought. That would fit. But I would think the rest of my sheep would be affected as well if it were that.
Well I hope you have some idea of what this is, so we can prevent it in the others. I am really disappointed for my daughters sake because she only had 2 whethers that she was going to sell for meat, to make herself a little cash, and that guy was one of them. Oh well.
We did do a very freakish "Adams family" thing. We skinned him, so that we can send his hide to a place that will make it into a rug. Believe it or not this was my daughters idea! After skinning we were going to bury the rest, but our girls ( 10 and 11) enjoyed the science of what was under so much, they wanted to learn to gut it and see what was inside! Weird kids, huh? So today they are going to harvest the meat for the pigs and chickens. At least it won't go to total waste.
These kids really amaze me. They are so kind to the animals, you would just think that this whole thing would break their hearts. But they are very matter of fact about animal death and practical in what to do beyond. My husband was really worried about my daughter, and he just wanted to give the lamb a proper burial, but my daughter said "we might as well not be wasteful!" Out of the mouth of babes!