- Thread starter
- #71
big brown horse
Hoof In Mouth
'cud thief' 
That is what I want on my SS t-shirt! 
That is what I want on my SS t-shirt! 
Sheep not well, sad news and some helpful info pg 9-10
- Thread starter big brown horse
- Start date
freemotion
Food Guru
Maybe you should get a clipboard and look official and do an employee performance review.....seems to work for OFG's goats, anyways! 
- Thread starter
- #73
big brown horse
Hoof In Mouth
LOL! Yes! That's what I'll do. 
(Boy, I needed that.)
(Boy, I needed that.)
freemotion
Food Guru
FarmerDenise
Out to pasture
Oh my, BBH, you sure have been through the wringer.
And I have got to tell SO about the cud stealing.
We have been dealing with our own ordeals with our goats
And I have got to tell SO about the cud stealing.
We have been dealing with our own ordeals with our goats
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
I had heard the same thing to try getting a calf's rumen going was to bolus a portion of mama's cud down it's throat. Worth a shot, don't you think?
You could also try some really stemmy, low nutrition hay....my sheep always seem to need that to balance out the rich feed of early spring and the feed you are giving is very rich. Try offering some less yummy hay....my sheep will eat it over the good stuff in the spring time~ every time~ without fail.
Salatin states the ruminants need that balance or they cannot utilize the high sugar levels in the new grass~or corn/molasses, etc. in Dolly's case~ and can get scours.
I had intentionally bought some first cut, pale golden colored hay this year for my feeding right about now....if I still had my sheeples they would be filling up on it at this moment.
You could also try some really stemmy, low nutrition hay....my sheep always seem to need that to balance out the rich feed of early spring and the feed you are giving is very rich. Try offering some less yummy hay....my sheep will eat it over the good stuff in the spring time~ every time~ without fail.
Salatin states the ruminants need that balance or they cannot utilize the high sugar levels in the new grass~or corn/molasses, etc. in Dolly's case~ and can get scours.
I had intentionally bought some first cut, pale golden colored hay this year for my feeding right about now....if I still had my sheeples they would be filling up on it at this moment.
aggieterpkatie
Swiss Army Wife
Many large dairies keep a fistulated cow around in case they need rumen contents. Then they can just open up the hole and grab what they need! We had a couple of them on a couple of farms where I worked. THey're nice to have!
If you can't steal a cud from another sheep, you can try B vitamins (can't OD on them, they're water soluble so they get peed out). Or, something we've done is take warm water and mix in some fine alfalfa leaves (try to break them into teeny particles). Maybe you could soak a few alfalfa cubes or some pellets and then blend it to chop them up. We used to tube the cows that needed it, but you could try drenching too if you dont' have a tube. That's enough to at least get/keep her rumen going.
Does she have a fever? Has she been on antibiotics at all?
If you can't steal a cud from another sheep, you can try B vitamins (can't OD on them, they're water soluble so they get peed out). Or, something we've done is take warm water and mix in some fine alfalfa leaves (try to break them into teeny particles). Maybe you could soak a few alfalfa cubes or some pellets and then blend it to chop them up. We used to tube the cows that needed it, but you could try drenching too if you dont' have a tube. That's enough to at least get/keep her rumen going.
Does she have a fever? Has she been on antibiotics at all?
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Sally, how is Dolly today? 
- Thread starter
- #79
big brown horse
Hoof In Mouth
Hi Bee!
I spoke to a vet today who wasn't afraid to tell me what to do over the phone. He gave me hope and urged me to bring her in, 2 hours away...I was ready to put her down. He said I was doing a great job, but he thinks she has retained the placenta and possibly some other things are going on as well.
One thing he did say was that stealing cud was a fantastic idea and he even told me how to do it. You pry their mouths open with a stick and hold it open with the stick. Then you take a soup spoon (NOT FINGERS!) and scoop it out of their cheeks.
He said it must stay at sheep's body temp or the good stuff dies off quick. His hint was to have a double boiler with a lid on hand with warm water 103-104 degrees. Put the cud into it asap. Then add the warm water to it and stir it up and drench her with it...the juice/water that is.
He even said to call local butcher/slaughter places. Apparently they are used to people looking for cuds. Any runimant's cud will work. Cow was best b/c you can get a lot. If you are lucky enough to get cow cud, this is what he said: "grab big handfuls of it and squeeze the juice into a warmed double boiler, the juice is more important than the fiber".
I'll give you a Dolly update tomorrow. Honestly I dont think things are good right now and I've come to terms with it.
I spoke to a vet today who wasn't afraid to tell me what to do over the phone. He gave me hope and urged me to bring her in, 2 hours away...I was ready to put her down. He said I was doing a great job, but he thinks she has retained the placenta and possibly some other things are going on as well.
One thing he did say was that stealing cud was a fantastic idea and he even told me how to do it. You pry their mouths open with a stick and hold it open with the stick. Then you take a soup spoon (NOT FINGERS!) and scoop it out of their cheeks.
He said it must stay at sheep's body temp or the good stuff dies off quick. His hint was to have a double boiler with a lid on hand with warm water 103-104 degrees. Put the cud into it asap. Then add the warm water to it and stir it up and drench her with it...the juice/water that is.
He even said to call local butcher/slaughter places. Apparently they are used to people looking for cuds. Any runimant's cud will work. Cow was best b/c you can get a lot. If you are lucky enough to get cow cud, this is what he said: "grab big handfuls of it and squeeze the juice into a warmed double boiler, the juice is more important than the fiber".
I'll give you a Dolly update tomorrow. Honestly I dont think things are good right now and I've come to terms with it.
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
Well....she is pretty old in sheep's years. I'm sorry you had to go through all this but in every experience, good or bad, there is something to be learned, isn't there?
I'm sorry you had to go through all this but in every experience, good or bad, there is something to be learned, isn't there? 
