Singing Shepherd
Ridin' The Range
Okay I know it is the middle of the night but I cannot sleep for worrying so I thought I would post my concern and then when people got up in the am, someone might have ideas regarding my mystery. My Jacob ram, six months old, had a strange experience this evening at feeding time. Usually my sheep take about the same amount of time each day to eat their measured individual portions from their bowls. I sort of time them because my method of calling my sheep is singing to them. Then as they eat I sing several songs that I call "the meal songs" to them. I know this sounds weird, but I am a vocalist and singing is like breathing to me...I don't do much in life that doesn't have a song attached! Anyway... I know it takes a certain amount of time usually for them to finish off their bowls. Tonight though Ezekial had trouble eating. Based on song length, it took him three times as long as usual to finish off his food. It seemed like his lips just kept skimming the tops of the pellets and he wasn't taking much into his mouth. But he was the same interested eater, and never stopped trying til it was all gone. He seemed confused poor thing, the feed just wasn't leaving the bowl. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? He is just fine otherwise and has shown no other signs of illness, unlike my Shakespeare who recently had his first parasite diagnosis. I am concerned cause i am afraid this is a sign of something medically bad happening that has until now been unseen. it was so weird to watch him stand there and make the same eating motions but not get hardly anything to move from bowl to mouth.
