# Blind Becky......almost lost.



## Sheepshape (Apr 1, 2017)

I'll post pics. when I can.

Becky was born 12 days ago. Her brother thrived, Becky was never able to find momma's teats. She cried incessantly, then became a bottle baby for real....never able to find momma's teats.?Brain damage ?Blind
?Both.

Becky has done well in the orphan bay in the shed. She knows her 'brothers and sisters' by smell, I guess.

Becky feeds well...as long as bottle is offered to her.

Today, Becky and her crew went out into the field as it was a warm and sunny afternoon and they needed to know what a field was.

I discovered another ewe had lost a lamb (never found) and her remaining lamb was ill....so into the shed with them.

Out to see how the orphans are managing......no Becky. The I spotted her......in the water supply....nose only just above the surface....seriously hypothermic.  Into the house, dried, hot water bottles, lamb lamp etc. She was gasping,initially not shivering, probably moments from death, but an hour of  'ICU' and she's back with us.

The future? Oh heck.....she's mine, I'll keep her. She'll have a life.....I hope it's as easy as it can be for her.


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## Latestarter (Apr 1, 2017)

Awwwwwww..... So glad you found her before she drowned. Sounds like she's going to be a constant work for you. Hope the other ill lamb makes it and sorry you lost the one (that you found), so at least now you know what happened to it.


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## norseofcourse (Apr 1, 2017)

I'm glad you got to Becky in time, and hope the other lamb gets well.


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## samssimonsays (Apr 1, 2017)

Awe I'm so glad the outcome was ok!


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## Sheepshape (Apr 2, 2017)

Latestarter, we never did find the missing lamb. I suspect that she died of the same (probably respiratory) infection her brother has and was taken away by foxes, buzzards etc. Thankfully Minnie's ram lamb seems to have responded well to antibiotics and housing with mum in the shed and seems alert and active this morning. Thankfully sheep cannot count, so she is not missing her daughter.

Meanwhile, little Becky seems none the worse for her experience. I gave her a small dose of a tetracycline in case she had inhaled water and returned her to the company of the other orphans. She didn't shiver any more and kept warm from then on, but didn't take a lot of milk last night. This morning she is feeding quite well.

The future with Becky? Well, I'm as sure as I can be now that she is blind and will need special care throughout her life. Another of the orphans, a very tiny ewe lamb called Claire, always sleeps with her. The two can go into a relatively small patch of grass adjacent to my vegetable garden. If Becky is shown where her food and water(in a shallow container!) are, then she will cope. I have kept a blind from birth ram lamb before, and he posed very few issues.


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## Latestarter (Apr 2, 2017)

You are a true shepherdess   Your sheep are lucky to have you.


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## samssimonsays (Apr 2, 2017)

I agree! They are very lucky to have you!


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## Sheepshape (Apr 4, 2017)

I'm now able to upload pics.

this is the little lady in 


 question


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## samssimonsays (Apr 4, 2017)

She is adorable!


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## Sheepshape (Apr 6, 2017)

Becky is now spending her days outside in an area adjacent to my vegetable plot and is coping well.


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## Sheepshape (Apr 16, 2017)

I thought I'd update on this little girl who is truly proving to have a difficult start in life.

So, she seemed to be doing fine...blind, having been up to her nostrils in the water trough and several other incidents. Outside, on a patch of grass next to my vegetable garden, she and her co-bottle lambs spent the day, coming in overnight. Becky tended to sit in a corner by herself. One day I found her limping with a graze on her 'shoulder'....I assumed she had injured herself and sprayed the area and watched her. Unfortunately a few days later she started shivering, not taking her milk, not using her front leg, and limping off a back leg too. She had joint ill.

So....a couple of days with her life hanging in the balance again.....metacam and daily pen/strep. Yesterday her appetite was noticeably better and she ,though limping, is using her legs again. Yesterday she took a run with the others and jumped in the air.

Maybe she is a cat....she's using up her nine lives fast!


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## frustratedearthmother (Apr 16, 2017)

Holy Cow - she really has had a struggle.  Glad to hear she's on the mend!


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