# Very Underweight Sheep



## Tara (Jul 31, 2007)

I'm hoping someone can help me out here. I've just been 'given' a couple more sheep. One of the sheep, I am very worried about. 
She's full of wool, but underneath that coat she's a bag of bones! And full of ticks  I have to be honest, I am an animal lover and maybe that's why the sheep came to me....I 'rehomed' my last sheep, but this sheep is in serious trouble I think.
So I'm asking the experts....You can feel her backbone under the wool, and her hips at the rear. I have no clue as to how to condition a sheep, I just now she's real underweight/skinny. What do I need to do to help her?
Parasites, Shots, Nutrition. I really can't afford to get a vet in, but equally I can't afford to ignore her problems. I'm really hoping you guys can give her a shot, and tell me what to do here? Please and Thankyou!


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## critterchick (Mar 21, 2008)

Can you check out her gums and see if they're pale or pink? If pale, it's most likely worms. I'd give her a good worming and then put her on some regular good ol' fashion grass hay if possible and add a bit of alfalfa, you can increase the alfalfa over a period of time but if she's been starved or fed really poor feed alfalfa might be too rich for her initially.

Is she an older ewe which has possibly lost teeth? That might make it difficult for her to actually eat enough to keep herself in good condition, as well. Something to consider.

Never had keds, luckily, so I don't have a clue as to what to use but it does have to be special because of the wool & lanolin, I believe. Ross surely would know.


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

I would also stress the tick issue. Those things could wreak havoc on a dog, can't imagine the horror of them in wool. They can and will suck an animal dry eventually.

Add that to common worm issues and you have an animal feeding everyone but themselves. 

Not sure how safe a tick dip is on sheep but you really got to get down deep in that wool.

Some mineral supplements may be in order too. Never know if it had access to an appropriate salt lick or may be defficient in basic vitamins/minerals.

Quality of hay is important, sheep don't process as efficiently as cattle so they can get lean on hay that serves other stock well. A bit of grain never hurts either, just start it slow and easy so as not to get scour like droppings.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Tara, the first thing you have to do is get the wool off. It takes energy to grow wool, it takes more energy to be humping it around. Once that is off it will be easier to deal with the tick problem too. There are several good pour-on remedies on the market that work very quickly so it might pay to talk to your vet or farm supply store. 

Teeth are extremely important. Are you able to age sheep by their teeth and recognise what they should look like? A sheep with worn teeth and gaps between them is getting on in years and while they will survive for a very long time, do need special attention in terms of supplementary feed and longer grass than a sheep would normally be happy eating.

Give her a drench as a matter of course. If she is in that poor a condition worms will be an issue anyway. As has already been mentioned, pale eyes and gums are a sure sign of worm infestation. Again, speak to your vet or farm supply store as to the best drench to use for the area you live in. Repeat the drench in two weeks.

Good luck with her.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Liese (Dec 12, 2005)

Having Laura Lawson's book out anyway, I looked up her advice - good alfalfa hay (or pellets, I'd suppose) and 1/2# corn or corn/soybean to start. She says it'll take 3 weeks to see a change of half a point of body scoring. I have my own skinny out there and we've been coddling her with very little change on condition - it really takes a long time to see improvement from my experience with her. We tried to keep her separate to really bring her feed level up but the stress of being separated wasn't helping - so now we just sneak her food at haying time. I'd still suggest you try that tho since everyone is different and she may appreciate not having to fight for food if the other one is aggressive.


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## Tara (Jul 31, 2007)

Hi, and Thanking you all very much for the replys. O.K. I checked her teeth, and there very brown with spaces in between. Does this indicate she's old? I'll worm her (I've got Panacur), but how do I guess the dosage, 'cos I can't weigh her? How do I shear her without shears? 
I know these are daft questions to most of you, and I really wish there was someone that was able to take care of her with some experience, but there isn't, so I'm just going to try and muddle on through. I'll try and rehome her when and if I can get her sorted. I'm not in a position to keep her. Thanks again, I appreciate the trouble taken to reply. I'll just do what I can with some help...Please :angel:


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

She's old Tara so it's going to take some time to get her into good condition - and you might not ever! I've got to be honest, a sheep of that age and condition here gets knocked off for dog tucker and often I would be doing them no favours by keeping them alive. But that isn't to say you shouldn't try. 

I grass feed my sheep and they won't look at supplementary feeds so know little about them in terms of sheep, but I should say a high protein/energy food plus what others have recommended. 

Shearing - I've shorn a sheep with a pair of scissors It was backbreaking and took me several days of snipping but we got there. She looked like nothing on earth but her condition started to improve almost immediately.

Your going to have to take a guess at the doseage for the drench but it is better to over estimate rather than under. Do you know what breed she is? For a Romney, Perendale, BL I would say around 110-120lbs but you have smaller and larger breeds there that we don't have and I wouldn't have a clue what their weights would be. Anybody else with an idea?

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

Wow Ronney

It amazes me the difference in styles of sheep in NZ and UK from the USA.

Even my smallest ewes are more than 120 lb. My biggest is well over 200 and looks like a pony.


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## Tara (Jul 31, 2007)

Thanks so much for the reply Ronney. I just been to the feed store and brought some alfalfa (timothy) pellets and some cracked corn. Also brought an insecticidal powder that says it kills sheep keds. Well I'll guess I'll have to get cutting with some scissors then.... I'll have to go and buy some sharp ones though . I guess if I get that wool off, I'll be able better able to assess what I'm dealing with. I've googled some images and she's a dead ringer for a Lincoln...all that wool covering her and those awful ticks  I really do appreciate your taking the time to reply. I'll take a guess at the wormer. I know Panacur has a good safety margin ( I use it on my dogs). Figure I can't make it any worse for her. I'll give it a go, and if I can turn her around, I know I can re-home her. I just don't want to end up making matters worse for her. Thanking you again kindly sir


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## beoircaile (May 2, 2006)

Tara- I have a Lincoln ewe who is very difficult to keep weight on. Nothing wrong with her, she just has a metabolism that makes it tough to get her fat. She's like a 1 out of 5 body condition every spring. So- it's possible that this ewe- while she has problems now- may never get as fleshy as you think she should.

Sounds like the right approach though for now. If you know she's not pregnant, then Valbazen is a good dewormer. Or Cydectin (moxidectin) is another good one. If she has haemonchus contortus (barber pole), then I would really go with one of these. Try adding some Kent Sweet feed (all purpose)- the added molasses and pellets might help her gain some weight. Also Nutridrench never hurts.

Good luck!


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## Tara (Jul 31, 2007)

Thanks so much beoircaile.....O.K. Just to thank all you kind folks once again.
So the plan is that I'll worm her, and I'll contact the vets tommorow for some of the wormers beoircaile suggested, and do that as a priority. Sorry I did forget to mention that yes she did have pale gums. I'll also start the 'shearing' process tommorow...( with new scissors  )....I'm scratching already just thinking about it. Oh well, I guess I never considered myself lady like . Once I get the coat 'de-shagged' so to speak, then I'll re-coat her with the insecticidal powder, and hopefully blitz the ugly blood suckers  I'll also get some supplementary feed with molasses as suggested. I've got until the end of Summer to try and turn her around for rehoming. I've already rehomed most of my critters, as hopefully going back home to the U.K. this fall. I've got to learn to start saying No to taking in poorly critters, especially when I'm not qualified. I am soooo grateful to this forum and it's expert contributors. I really appreciate your help, 'cos I can't really help her, other than being instructed as to what to do by folk such as yourselves who raise these and care for these animals. I'll let you know how things go for her
Thank you all so very much.


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## critterchick (Mar 21, 2008)

Tara, I can tell you from experience that shearing with scissors is not going to be easy and will wreak havoc on your hands & will ruin your scissors quick. Yeah, I tried it to clean up ewes after my shear didn't finish the job. Not fun and the blisters weren't pretty, either! 

Where do you live? You might be able to find someone to shear her for you which will be less stress on both you and her. You might contact someone from the county extension office and see if they can direct you to a 4Her that could shear her for you if you can't find an actual shearer. 

Good luck with her.


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## Liese (Dec 12, 2005)

Fiskars work very well and lots of folks with 1-2 sheep use them - have several pairs on hand, just tie her head to a corner post and start - it won't be bad, just think of her as a big dog, you'll do great. We shear standing and just take breaks -this is when you offer corn . And those dewormers Shel suggested will be far more effective for the stomach worm(s) than the panacur - HC has been come resistant to that dewormer- just to give you the reason why he suggested the others.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Scissors are a last resort and are better than nothing - I don't know what Fiskens are (hand shears?) but if these are available, go for it. Scissors are hard on the hands that's for sure.

I haven't used Panacur for years and didn't suggest anything else as I wasn't sure what is available over there and just how much money Tara has to throw around as vets here won't draw off sufficient for one sheep and your looking at buying 2.5 Litres of drench that may never be used. I now use Closal because I live in an area where Barbers Pole is rife and Closal covers it.

Hintonlady, it took me some time to understand why so many of you had trouble handling your sheep then I realised you weren't handling sheep, you were handling Highlands without the horns. 

Here's a couple of photo's of my sheep:

This is a Texal/Finn ram which I have just bought:










And this is some of my ewes and there is a couple of lambs stuck in there as well.









Now let's see if I've got this right! - well, I did eventually! 

As a matter of interest Tara, the second ewe from the left if a fairly old lady. She will be 10 this year which is getting on for any sheep and I have yet to make the decision as to whether I will put her back to the ram - probably not. 



Cheers,
Ronnie


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## beoircaile (May 2, 2006)

Nice looking bunch of ladies Ronnie. Sure do envy all that green right now! We just got rid of 4' of snow and things are just starting to green-up. Sigh- only a few more weeks until it looks much better.

How do you like the Texel/Finn ram? Nice temperament?

Never heard of Closal (closantel) - may not be available in the US.


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## Tara (Jul 31, 2007)

Thankyou so much again for the replys. Actually I'm now even more unsure as to what to do for the best. She's now limping on the front left hoof. This is recent, like today. I've checked her hoof and it seems O.K.... I've given some cracked corn, alfalfa timothy cubes and some (all purpose feed) and a blue salt lick, and the only thing's she's nibbled at is the loose grass hay and she's licked the salt block  She is very quiet. She stays still when you approach her, and darn it she has these big beautiful soulful eyes that pierce my soul :help:
How do I put a piccie of her on here? Ronnie thanks so much for pointing out your old lady, I can see it clearly. 
What lovely healthy critters you have :clap: :clap: Love that green grass, but we're getting there :happy: Any thoughts appreciated. 
Please and Thankyou .


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

I'm not even going to start to try and explain how to post a photo. I had the fun of cork getting mine up the other night but I'm pretty sure that somewhere on the site there are instructions on how to do it or maybe some helpful soul will come along with better explanation skills than me.

I wouldn't worry about her foot at this point if there is nothing obviously wrong with it but are you sure it is the foot and not the leg. If she is very old she could also have a touch of arthritis.

Do you know what her diet was before you got her? If she had been a grass fed sheep the feed your offering her may not be palatable. Over here of course, sheep eat grass and if they stop eating or just nibble a bit here and there, they are sick. Does your lawn need a mow - perhaps put her on grass and see what happens. I'm sorry, but I can't offer any other suggestions.
By all accounts she is an old ewe and you may just have to accept the fact that her time has come. 

On a lighter note, if anybody was wondering what the ewes were looking at so intently, it was my old working dog cooling off in a drain.









Cheers,
Ronnie


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## beoircaile (May 2, 2006)

Tara- email the photo to me and I'll get it posted for you. It's just easier...


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## Tara (Jul 31, 2007)

Thanks beoircaile, I've e-mailed 3 piccies over. I'm unable to use the microsoft word thingy for e-mails. I don't know why but when ever I send them they never arrive, so I just took the e-mail addy from the top of the page. Fingers crossed you receive it. Well, I'm thinking she's finally getting a break. I got a telephone number from the local slaughter house of a person who raises sheep. So OH gave him a call, and he gave him the number of the person who shears his sheep, and worms them as well :happy: Well the chap just phoned and says he will call when he's next in the area, maybe a week, but that he will phone the night before. He says it will only take a few minutes to get her sorted, so that's got to be better than me stressing her out any more than is necessary. So I figure a week isn't too much longer for her to wait to get sheared and wormed properly...yeah :clap: It would still be nice to get some feed back from the piccies..if I sent them correctly 
Ronnie thanks again....grass lol...just got rid of the snow :bouncy: Will surely put her out in the big paddock once the grass is respectable and green, like yours. Your dog looks like fun. Thankyou all again :goodjob:


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## beoircaile (May 2, 2006)

Here she is. I'm thinking Lincoln/Cheviot maybe?

Big pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/asylumfarm/Homesteading


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## Tara (Jul 31, 2007)

Yeah Thanks Shel :clap: Any thoughts on her? Hopefully the ticks et al will be shorn away with that all that coat next week. Fingers crossed. 
I wonder what she'll look like when it's gone?


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Hard to say with all that wool on but I think you'll find there isn't much of her when it comes off. How is she eating now? Any improvement?

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Tara (Jul 31, 2007)

I'm thinking the same there Ronny. On a brighter note, she is starting to eat the cracked corn. I'm not giving her to much although it is difficult to gauge actually how much to let her have. She's eating the hay. I've left a pail of bicarb in with her. She's not limping on her leg anymore.
Beoircaille, can I send you some piccies to post when she's shorn please? I truely appreciate the time you have taken here. I'd definately like to get opinions, when she's de-rugged. I think it's going to be a shocker really 
Thankyou all.


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## glidergurl03 (Feb 28, 2005)

I'd try getting some Nutridrench for her too. She looks to be maybe a Cheviot cross to me, deffinately not purebred though. Can almost see the ticks with the poor wool condition. Sissors is a lot of fun! lol. I used to do that way back in the day when I was a tween(Okay, so not THAT long ago..lol). It does take a while, and your hand will get sore, but just take it nice and slow, and don't worry about getting too close to the skin, you can always recut, just don't cut the ewe because it will add to the trama of being restrained for that long of a time and for hand shearing. You could also buy a hand shear from your local co-op/feedmill, would be a little bit easier on the hands and is only about $10...plus you can resharpen a lot longer than you can a pair of sissors  Good luck on getting weight on her and getting her nice and healthy. 

Ronney, I nearly died laughing when I saw that photo of your pup...So cute!


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