# Ewes breathing rate approx. 100?!?!



## NachoFarm (Nov 12, 2012)

Since our ram died of pneumonia on Friday we had the vet come out today to give our girls the once over, which she did and their temps were slightly elevated.  So we treated with antibiotics.  I just went out to check on them because they seemed to be breathing quickly when I'd been out there before with the vet and my best counting with my iPhone timer in the dark, squatting in the barn with a flashlight holding my hand near their nostrils, the breathing rate seems to be in the 80-100 range per minute.  They are eating fine but now I'm really worried because isn't their normal respiration supposed to be like 40 per minute?


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## SheepGirl (Nov 12, 2012)

Did you have to catch them before you took their respiration rate? Is their breathing raspy or gurgly?


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## NachoFarm (Nov 12, 2012)

Didn't have to catch, they did startle a little when I came in with my flashlight and I had to kick man goat out of the way so he might have been harassing them before I came in.  Not raspy, not gurgly, although I think one of them was gagging up some cud when I was in there.  They seem to be breathing like that all the time but if it's twice what normal is then that must be as a result of something?  Right?  Ugh.


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## RemudaOne (Nov 12, 2012)

What are the temperatures where you live right now?


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## NachoFarm (Nov 12, 2012)

Currently -3 but earlier today it was 14/15 but very rainy and VERY windy most of the day.  It's not normally that warm during the day this time of year, it's only supposed to be 2 tomorrow with the chance of snow overnight.


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## RemudaOne (Nov 12, 2012)

Is that Celsius? If so, can you convert to farhenheit?


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## NachoFarm (Nov 12, 2012)

Ok so, currently 26, during the day was 59 with wind and rain, overnight will be 19 with snow flurries, and tomorrow will be 35.  Phew.  Thank you Google calculators.


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## marlowmanor (Nov 12, 2012)

RemudaOne said:
			
		

> Is that Celsius? If so, can you convert to farhenheit?


-3C would be 26.6F
14/15C would be 57.2F/59F
2C would be 35.6F

Hope that helps.

ETA: NachoFarm you beat me to it! I googled it too!


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## NachoFarm (Nov 12, 2012)

marlowmanor said:
			
		

> RemudaOne said:
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I think I gave away the fact that I'm Canadian eh?


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## RemudaOne (Nov 12, 2012)

Well, at those temps I wouldn't think they'd be hot but my hair sheep breath really fast when it's warm. Do yours have heavy fleece? Has it been colder lately and today it was warmer? 

For me..... If thier temps were 103.6 or 103.9 (I can't remember) I probably wouldn't have put them on antibiotics. They may have been slightly elevated from catching/handling them. It wont hurt them, but might Not have been necessary.  Don't freak yourself out. If they are eating and drinking and acting normally, chances are they are okay. You could continue to check thier temps if you are concerned. 

Keep an eye in them but sometimes when we are looking for something, we find it whether its there or not, ya know what I mean?


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## NachoFarm (Nov 12, 2012)

I think the vet said that the ewe lambs temp was 103.8 which I quote, "was definitely feverish"...but you're definitely right that I might be seeing things that aren't there.  I'm new at this and the ram dying has us all shook up.  I guess being off feed would be the biggest indicator?  And they are all in full fleece and you're right about the weather, it's not usually 59 degrees out in Southern Ontario in November! Thanks so much guys.


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## RemudaOne (Nov 12, 2012)

Nacho, you're being a great shepherd . Lack of appetite, lethargy, just generally not acting like the rest of the flock, breathlessness and breathing heavily after slight exertion (again, especially if the rest of the flock is NOT breathing heavily after the same exertion), grinding teeth and elevated temp are all signs of problems. 

Chewing a cud, eating well, drinking, urinating and defecating normally are always good things . I'm pretty new to this as well but have a lot of experience with horses. It's on the job training for sure and we all kick ourselves when something goes wrong. That's why it's so great to have BYH as a resource for information and sometimes just as a sounding board and support. All any of us can do is the best we can do .


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## bonbean01 (Nov 12, 2012)

X 2!!!!  For us this is learning on the job for sure...BYH helps so much with that!!!!  

And yup Nacho...you are Canadian, eh?  Me too...but a permanent US resident living in Mississippi...I still have not lost the "eh?" And apparently I am still an "alien"...a "legal alien"...says so on my card :/


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