Very sad day on the farm

[Fluffy_Flock]

Guys today has been a super rough day. Daisy had a sore on her back that wasn't getting better but she wouldn't let me near to treat it. We have been trying to round everyone up to vaccinate and worm but dreadlocks has been getting everyone in a tizzy making getting them in the catch pen a nightmare. My neighbors who have been working with animals their whole life offered to help get Daisy for me so I could treat her. They caught her and we got her in the catch pen and she seemed fine. Next thing we knew she was dead. Tried CPR and nothing. Now her 2.5 week old lamb is off with the herd, too fast for me to run down and I have to figure out what to do with Daisy.

We figured out the people who sold her to me lied through their teeth about these sheep. Daisy was supposed to be 1.5-3 years old like all the rest of my sheep but by the looks of her teeth (or the lack there of.) She was much much older.

::sigh::

Any advice how I might catch her lamb so I can start bottle feeding him? I just can't stand the idea he might starve now that she is gone.

 

[Baymule]

Oh I am sorry about Daisy! That’s really hard, I’m sorry she died.

If you don’t know about the magic of cow panels and hog panels, let me give you a crash course. For catching sheep, put them in the lot, set up cow panels with T-posts like a narrow chute. You may have to widen one end so you can run them in the chute. Put a pallet across the end for a stop or just clip the ends together with carabiners. That’s how I worked my sheep before I got working equipment. My run and chute is made of 2 cow panels and 1 hog panel, cut in half, to make 2 sides.

For the lamb, use hog panels, the holes are smaller.

Now is that clear as mud? I’m on my phone, I’ll get on my laptop and find you some pictures.

 

[Baymule]

Ok, here is a link to us building our loading chute. It is made from a scrap length of wire and a cow panel.

Taking Lambs To Slaughter

Our lamb loading has a lot to be desired. We have invited our friend over to help us catch and carry lambs to the trailer, it took 2 or 3 of us, that worked, not great, but it worked. I have tackled them in the lot, slipped a halter on them and led/dragged them to the trailer with me pulling and...

www.backyardherds.com

Here is a link to my sheep working equipment. You won't have the fancy gates, I have used pallets and 2x4's stuck through the holes in cow panels behind the sheep to keep them from backing out. It's not great, but will work. This will give you an idea of what it is supposed to look like. How can you build a makeshift working chute if you don't know what one looks like? Several other members posted pictures of their set ups too. I have a large lot that is their night pen, so I built a small pen in front of the chute. I lure them into the small pen with feed, shut that cow panel gate, then walk them through the chute.

SCORE! Sheep Handling Equipment

WHOO-HOO!!!! :weee:weee:weee:weee I'm just a little excited. I found a Craigs List ad for sheep handling equipment. Two guillotine gates, a stop gate and a 2-way sorting gate for $650 from Premier1. I immediately looked up the pieces, new they totaled $955. This couple had used hog panels to...

www.backyardherds.com

Now don't be discouraged, you just need maybe some lengths of wire, hog panels, cow panels, maybe even plywood-whatever you have. Piles of pallets?

I hope this helps and maybe you can get some ideas from it. You should be able to run the sheep up in your makeshift chute and pluck the little fellow out, pen him up and bottle feed him. He may be stealing milk from other ewes if you have any with lambs.

 

[Fluffy_Flock]

We bought 4 cattle panels and just made a square with them. We stupidly thought zip ties would be enough to hold them... twice we made that mistake. We have them tied together with rope now but there is no more tricking them inside now. A shoot would have been much smarter. We also found out today that our fence is still not strong enough for my PITA sheep dreadlocks. She found a wire that is wide enough to get through and just laughs at us now. She jumped through both ways while we were catching daisy. We are fixing that tomorrow morning when my husband is home.

 

[Baymule]

Feed them in the pen. Did you T-post the cow panels to make the pen more sturdy? I use zip ties for stuff too, also hay twine, carabiners, clips and whatever. Professional! LOL

 

[Fluffy_Flock]

Feed them in the pen. Did you T-post the cow panels to make the pen more sturdy? I use zip ties for stuff too, also hay twine, carabiners, clips and whatever. Professional! LOL

Yeah tpost corners and one in the middle of each panel. They didn't hold even when we had 10 zip ties on each corner. We almost had them the other day when they suddenly flipped out and it finally busted. It was awful.

How long can the baby last out there with no milk? I'm seriously stressing out.

 

[Baymule]

He won't last very long. Unless as I said, he is stealing milk from another ewe. Watch them, you might see him nursing on a ewe. I sure hope so for his sake. What kind of sheep do you have?

 

[Fluffy_Flock]

Dorpers

 

[Fluffy_Flock]

I just went out to feed them to see if I could get baby but they wont come for food.

 

[Baymule]

Dorpers

Duh. They are on your avatar. (smacks forehead)

I just went out to feed them to see if I could get baby but they wont come for food.

They must have plenty of grass-they don't need you! Leave feed out for them and back off far enough that they will go in and eat. these girls are wild and need calming down. Feeding them each day and standing closer to the pen might do it. I wouldn't rush to close it, that will scare them more. This will take time. Since your lamb is 2 1/2 weeks old, he knows where milk is and I'm going to hope that he is smart and sneaky enough to be slipping up on an udder. LOL I have seen my lambs sneak a drink from other ewes and they had moms!