Sunday Reading - Lost a Ewe

Got back to the Small-Hold last night after running some errands and noticed the electric fence was down to the unless old nag pasture. The useless old nags were way down in the back and hadn't figured out they could make a break for freedom yet so I hurried on out to get the fence repaired before they figured it out.

I never seem to have very good luck with electric fencing in any important position anyway and this stretch has been up far longer than I planned.

So after running a new top line I was heading back up passed the barn and noticed one of our ewes was down and having death convulsions.

I had noticed she looked like she was forming a bit of a bottle neck and had even planned on giving her a dose of worm medicine at feeding time. She had been acting a bit droopy that morning but nothing I thought was an immediate problem. I have absolutely no clue what did her in at this point. She wasn't bloated, if she was showing the first sign of worms it shouldn't have effected her that fast and she did eat yesterday morning although not with her usual gusto.

Usually I make it a point to spend several minutes or more with the flock each day as they browse around in whatever area I have them in. However for the last month or so I haven't been doing that due to Mrs. PP's  illness and the extra duties I been handed. I guess I missed something important.

No body else seems to be having problems in the flock. I did turn them out into the hayfield and they seem to be mostly going after the Red Clover which shouldn't hurt them as long as we give them a bit of grain each morning. Besides the ewe, Molly, didn't show any signs of bloat just a very slight swelling under the jaw on her neck which is usually an indication of a type of worm they sometimes get but has never been something I couldn't wait until feeding time to treat. I have treated a couple of the lambs for this already this year.

So the son and I loaded the carcass up on the tractor carryall (I never planned on using it for this but it worked) and put her in the truck and took her to the University vet center for an necropsy. I seriously need to know what killed her to protect the rest of the flock.

Always something.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!