sheep ate chicken feed!

Double C Acres · #1 08/07/12, 08:31 AM

2 ewes are standing around, not eating this morning, one looks kinda bloated, the other one has diarhea, and I caught on they must have gotten into the chicken feeder. they probably had about 1.25 kg together. I've given them each baking soda and also put baking soda out for them free-choice. anything else I should do?

mariaricarto · #2 08/07/12, 05:59 PM

Call your vet for advice.

Double C Acres · #3 08/13/12, 02:25 PM

So one ewe was back to normal 2 days after eating chicken feed but now a week later the younger ewe (1 yr old) is still off, hardly eating, but drinking a little, standing around with head down & ears droopy. I've been giving her salt and baking soda once or twice a day, also not seeing her chew any cud. Does anyone have any advice other than 'ask the vet'? I don't like to go there unless there's nothing else i can do.

**bergere** · #4 08/13/12, 02:44 PM

It could of had too much copper.
The only thing I can say, is have the Vet out.

seymojo536 · #5 08/13/12, 08:07 PM

I would get some mineral oil into the one that is still showing signs of distress. If this was a case of copper toxicity, she would already have died. Just give her a shot of oil to help her along, she should perk up in a day or two.

Ross · #6 08/13/12, 08:29 PM

Could be totally unrelated. Take her temp and see if its fighting an infection. A B complex injection for a couple of days might help a lot too. A week is a long time to survive any ailment, I'd be awfully tempted to use tetracycline for a few days in case the ewe aspirated some gunk from the feed and has pnuemonia. An expectorant might help too.

kirsten · #7 08/14/12, 02:43 AM

Banamine also helps with gut pain. Do the oil and baking soda mix. pred ef is an appetite stimulant. Ewes that feel crappy usually like to eat the most basic food, sort of like people eating soda crackers: dry plain hay, no alf.

My ewes occasionally eat chicken food and so do the bottle lambs. Don't worry about copper. She just has acidosis and won't touch any chicken food for a very long time!!

Double C Acres · #8 08/14/12, 02:38 PM

The ewe died this afternoon. Yesterday I called the vet and he said probably her stomach is infected or something (he seemed unsure what she's fighting) and said to give penicillan once a day and kaolin pectin twice a day which we did since yesterday, also electrolytes, he said obviously the baking soda isn't doing anything. She was still on her feet and following the herd when I left for a couple hours but was dead now when I came home. 'sigh' this sheep business is getting discouraging after only 1 yr...

kirsten · #9 08/15/12, 12:30 AM

Yeah, it seems Ross was right. Unless the ewe wasn't pooping? Some sort of impaction? I don't suppose you are the type to have a look see in her guts? It sure gets tricky when 2 different things are happening at the same time and you have only one observable cause/good guess for the trouble. That happens to all of us at some point.

My ewes all got acidosis once and they were all down and out, I think for a week, just flatter than pancakes, miserable. They all lived because they were already on corn but they would have died had they not been already eating it. Not sure how quick an acidosis death would be... Be good to know though.

Lots of people have tough first years in sheep, much, much worse than yours. There are lots of reasons for this but they can all be overcome. We all have deaths that we are still kicking ourselves over. It is like any other job, you have to learn it and best way to learn it is to do it and be your vet's best customer.