Not a sheep rescue mission, but...

Plowpoint · #1 05/07/12, 07:29 PM

Got an interesting call from our Youth Pastor at church. It seems he came home to find a sheep outside his driveway wondering on the road with a nursing 3 month old lamb. He called everyone he knows, including the animal control officers in multiple towns and no one seems to be missing their ewe-lamb pair! Out of desperation he called me.

I am NOT a rescue sheep farm by any means, but I have been given some help by the USDA and feel it is only appropriate to give back when I can. It is a tough thing because I am a Scrapie Farm with a closed flock so I have to be careful to isolate these sheep from my other flock. Anyway I went and grabbed this ewe-lamb pair and what a sad state they are in...

VERY thin. The ewe did not care what was put before her, she just ate away. I gave her some Timothy-Only hay and she scoffed that down along with plenty of grain. Of course she got fresh water and in the morning I got some hard decision making to do...

This is where my questions come into play...

The ewe and lamb has not had their tails docked, and the ram-lamb has not been castrated either. Obviously considering the sad state these sheep are in, they need to be docked and castrated. As thin as they are, they need to be dewormed as well, and more then likely given CDT and antibiotics. This is what I would do if they were mine, but they aren't. Part of me says these sheep have not been given proper care and so I should just do what is right so that they can get better, but what if they came from an organic farm or something? Should I do what is best for the sheep, or should I respect someone's right to raise their livestock as they see fit, even if its not conducive to sheep best management practices?

Ross · #2 05/07/12, 08:02 PM

Know any vet friends who could help with a quick exam and consultation? Even the SPCA? Just nice to have some back up legally. No one has the right to neglect animals, but not docking or castration is not neglect. Even an organic farm is supposed to intervene when a sheep is sick, perhaps with organic remedies but ultimately with whats best for the animal. IMO you don't get a lot of second chances with seriously thin sheep. I would worm them with safeguard. If you vacinate your animals you should have the right to protect your farm, not sure it violates an organic status anyhow. But since they need worming ASAP (?) their status is toast anyhow. (except under some standards!) It would be nice if you had someone to consult as I started out saying, (a web site isn't really enough) but since they are in your care and seem to need attention I beleive you're obliged to do your best for them too. Maybe take some photos and stool samples?

Ross · #3 05/07/12, 08:05 PM

Actually since they are gazing non-organic grasses and eating non-organic hay that staus is questionable before you got them.

LibertyWool · #4 05/07/12, 09:10 PM

Plowpoint, what breed type are they (hair or wool)? If they are hair or shetlands, then I would not expect them to be docked. Also, you said they are thin, how would you score them? It is not un-common for a ewe to be thin coming out of winter if she is a heavy milker, but since you have no info on the pair, it is really hard to say. Also, be careful with the grain, you don't want to give her acidosis. I would ramp up her grain slowly, don't want to turn a bad situation into a worse situation.

Plowpoint · #5 05/09/12, 06:47 AM

All great information guys/gals...

I never thought about hair sheep having tails that were not docked as I have only had wool sheep. That is a good point, but I think I will dock them if they end up being mine after a bit. It just seems strange to have tails on sheep, but then again it is strange to not have wool on sheep either.

At this point we are thinking the sheep was a drop-off. The ewe seems very well adjusted to human interaction, and the lamb is used to human touch as well. I can't imagine a ewe and her lamb survived very long in coyote-riddled Maine very long, so the low weight (#2 score) might indicate hard fiscal times by the owner and an inability to properly pay for her care. Either way, without even an ear tag in its ear, it seems like it came from a very small flock at the very least or a homestead. Most sheep farms of any size around here are part of the Scrapie Program.

You were indeed right too about the organic aspect of the pair now compromised. Considering that I gave the ewe a shot of Vitamin B complex, a shot of CDT and some antibiotic. I also gave the lamb a shot of CDT and antibiotic, as well as some Vitamin B Complex just to increase their immune system. They are currently in confinement, getting more Timothy-Only Hay then they probably have ever had before, and grain. I'll also deworm her with Ivermectin in a few days and get her on some fresh pasture.

My wife asked if I wanted to keep Katadins and of course I said no. (There carcass size is too small for a commercial sheep farm). I will wait a bit for a potential owner, then I will probably sell the ewe for breeding stock, and then raise the ram-lamb to slaughter size and sell him.

I really am not upset by the costs of this, I am only at 18% of my USDA permitted stocking level so I got plenty of room for them, but it is going to reset my Scrapie Program back to zero if she comes out of quarantine and stays on pasture for awhile. I guess that is alright, the bible says that good deeds require sacrifice and so it is here, my Scrapie Free Certification will be compromised, but its nice to get a good ewe-lamb pair back to proper health. Taking care of your animals is in the bible as well.

thequeensblessing · #6 05/09/12, 09:25 AM

Around here, Katahdins and Dorpers are highly in demand for the lamb market, especially the ethnic market. We've been getting $3.00 a pound and over for our terminal market lambs. They may dress out smaller than Hamps/suffolks, but their flavor is considered superior, which is why they are known as "the lamb for people who don't like lamb". Are you sure they are Katahdins? Can you post a pic?
Our Kats and dorpers all have their tails too.

Plowpoint · #7 05/09/12, 10:15 AM

Wow, that is not the case here at all. Katadin Lambs are not wanted at all at the New Holland market, and when they are actually sold there (when every other wool lamb is gone), they get about 15% less for an equally sized lamb of wool heritage.

Katadins were bred here in my own home state (hence their name) but here they are not very popular. I think it is because they are not very hardy, tend to throw lots of singles and get 15% less at auction, all of which makes it difficult to make a profit on.

No wonder these sheep were left beside the road! :-)

MDKatie · #8 05/09/12, 10:21 AM

A picture would be great. If you're not planning on keeping them I'm not sure I'd give up your scrapie status just for a ewe and ram lamb. I would think it'd be better to just sell them. And if they are hair sheep, you said you'd dock the ewe anyways? Why would you put her through that stress when it's normal for hair sheep to have tails? Just curious, because it's probably pretty painful for an adult sheep to have her tail banded.

Ross · #9 05/09/12, 11:32 AM

I wouldn't band the adult for sure. My vet worked out a docking method for me using lidocane etc. for adult sheep.

thequeensblessing · #10 05/09/12, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plowpoint

Wow, that is not the case here at all. Katadin Lambs are not wanted at all at the New Holland market, and when they are actually sold there (when every other wool lamb is gone), they get about 15% less for an equally sized lamb of wool heritage.

Katadins were bred here in my own home state (hence their name) but here they are not very popular. I think it is because they are not very hardy, tend to throw lots of singles and get 15% less at auction, all of which makes it difficult to make a profit on.

No wonder these sheep were left beside the road! :-)

I have no idea where you are getting your info. Katahdins aren't very hardy?? Hardiness is one of the hallmarks of the Katahdin breed, as is their adaptability. Katahdins also are heralded for producing 200% lamb crops. Yes, some produce singles, but other produce twins, triplets, or quads. They primarily produce twins and do so fairly reliably.
On the rare occasion that Kats come through our livestock market barn, they sell well. Most people I know who raise them are able to sell everything right off the farm without having to take them to the sale barn though, so you rarely see them there.
Now, personally, I prefer Dorpers, however, I really like the Katahdins and I love the mix of the two breeds probably best of all.

lasergrl · #11 05/09/12, 09:39 PM

Maybe its some kind of corsican sheep, the texas dall variety are white/tan. I see more small, and boney ones of those, then katahdins. Seems odd a ewe running free for very long could be thin unless very very wormy. There's grass everywhere!

LibertyWool · #12 05/10/12, 06:21 AM

Most people don't turn their livestock out to pasture here in Central Maine until May 15th. I have south facing pasture and can normally put them out on May 1st, but this year I had to wait an extra week. So not all parts of country have the same amount of grass....

lilachill · #13 05/10/12, 07:25 AM

We do not dock our Katahdins and I have not seen it locally.

PNP Katahdins · #14 05/10/12, 10:51 AM

We dock our Katahdins, registered and commercial, except for the few ram lambs. Never had a buyer complain or walk away from a sale. Most of the commercial Katahdin breeders that I have run across dock all their lambs. Our excess lambs go to a meat buyer who will take anything but prefers short tails and no testicles and pays accordingly.

The reason Katahdins in New England tend to be poor quality is they come from poor parents, not good stock. It is expensive to buy in good breeding stock so all that's left is generations of scrubs. Herding people like them but won't pay much. There are some good breeders out there with healthy lambs for sale.

Peg

Plowpoint · #15 05/12/12, 06:19 PM

I am pretty sure these sheep were left beside the road and the owner no longer wants them back. Its been a bit an no one has called about missing sheep....so I dewormed them today and docked their tails.

I know its not common practice, and I can see why Katadins do not need tails docked, but it just does not seem right to have undocked sheep! I am a bit of a traditionalist anyway so off they will come!

As for the sheep themselves, they seem to be doing good. They are slowly gaining weight, now are on pasture and enjoying some nice clover, orchard grass and timothy!

Maura · #16 05/20/12, 04:15 PM

I wonder if they were a kid's pet? Dumped off like the family dog.