# Pregnant ewe pulling wool



## RockyTopFarm (Feb 7, 2018)

Due soon! Pulling wool out of her side. Is this normal or a sign of something?


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## Baymule (Feb 8, 2018)

It must be a sign of something. I don't have wool sheep, I have hair sheep, but have never witnessed this behavior.

@Sheepshape @misfitmorgan


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## misfitmorgan (Feb 8, 2018)

Is she pulling it out or rubbing it off?

If she is pulling it out see if you can easily pull out a handful of wool....dont rip it out just kind of gently tug and see what happens.


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## RockyTopFarm (Feb 8, 2018)

She’s pulling it and eats it - I have watched her do it. She turns her head and hits her side then rips it out. She’s khatadin.


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## Latestarter (Feb 8, 2018)

Hmmm maybe a "cone of shame" like they put on dogs who are "eating" themselves? Have you checked to see if she has some parasitic issue there like lice?


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## misfitmorgan (Feb 8, 2018)

Ok several options.

Has there been any stress to her in the past few weeks? Pregnancy Toxemia, food change, habit change, to much handling, etc?

What are you feeding her? Does she have access to loose minerals?

Is she confined in a small space, have diarrhea?


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## misfitmorgan (Feb 8, 2018)

It is most likely she is lacking something, the what is why i asked what i asked. If left untreated she could go down or die.


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## Mike CHS (Feb 8, 2018)

The OP said they have Katahdin sheep so I'm wondering if what they are calling "wool" is a bad shedding season.  Not that it matters but I have never seen a hair sheep do that.


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## RockyTopFarm (Feb 8, 2018)

No stress 
Grain hay and plenty of water 
She’s eating good and acting normal - just end of pregnancy kinda cranky. She lost mucus plug Sunday. 
It’s been cold (-45* wind chills) here but they have a barn with stall mats and bedding and heated water bucket.  
She was cranky and pulling wool from other sheep so Sunday I put her in the stall next to everyone else alone - but again she’s content. The pulling seems to happen w discomfort from babies. I just didn’t know if it was typical of late pregnancy. She is not showing any signs at all of being sick.


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## Sheepshape (Feb 9, 2018)

I'm assuming that she doesn't have ectoparasitic.

Could be that it is her 'stress ball' or that she is mineral deficient. Make sure she has a mineral lick available.

Good Luck.


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## misfitmorgan (Feb 9, 2018)

That's what i was leaning towards @Sheepshape lacking a mineral.

Also low on calcium aka milk fever or sleepy sickness can cause wool pulling. Powdered feed and limited hay access can cause wool pulling as it stresses them because they are often hungry as the ruminant isnt on 24/7 because of restricted hay and quickly digested powder feed. The least likely i think is pregnancy toxemia.

You definitely want to provide her with loose minerals, loose minerals contain calcium which is good for breeding ewes. Calcium is the 2nd largest ingredients in loose minerals, coming in right after salt in most loose minerals.

Salt Min 16% Max 19%
Calcium Min 10% Max 12%
That's from my loose minerals.

I've not seen or heard of wool pulling as being typical in late pregnancy. Typically there is a cause even if it is simply stress. If a pregnant sheep does get stressed they can show wool pulling a few weeks after the stress, however eating the wool usually means lacking something.


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## misfitmorgan (Feb 9, 2018)

Baymule said:


> It must be a sign of something. I don't have wool sheep, I have hair sheep, but have never witnessed this behavior.
> 
> @Sheepshape @misfitmorgan



This can happen in hair sheep as well, they will pull the hair or pull their "winter" wool coat.


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## Baymule (Feb 9, 2018)

I observed my lambs eating fresh dirt kicked up by gophers. I keep mineral in out at all times. So I also offered Azomite rock dust and Dolomite lime. They stopped eating the dirt.


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## misfitmorgan (Feb 12, 2018)

Good thinking @Baymule


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