[Jacob-list] pregnancy toxemia

[iseespots]

Hi all,

Katrina---your stories are great!  These sheep are smart and willing to
remind us of that fact routinely.

I saw something yesterday morning that really surprised me---first time in
the 6 years I have seen "guard sheep".

I had a ewe head into pregnancy toxemia symptoms yesterday morning.    She
is the undisputed queen.  The two other leaders of the group worked together
and  surrounded her.  They basically dared me or anybody else to bother her.
She was in no real mood to get up and run from me, although she did move
about 30-40 feet toward the fence where I needed to get her out to run to
the vet.  The two girls worked together, one on each side of her body and
were backing off both the LGDs and me to the best of their abilities.  Of
course, I wasn't backing up, which wasn't going over very well in their
book.

The flock stayed in very tight flock formation all day, and when I brought
Bliss back home, they all gathered around in welcome.  For once, there was
no fighting at the feedpans!  Everybody is in a small area now.

Had she not been the matriarch of many of my sheep and the sheep with
"personality", I would have probably worked to figure out what was wrong
(and would have done the basic right set of procedures for this anyway) and
treated until seeing either improvement or decline..  This is just one where
the heart speaks louder than the head.  Even my husband didn't flinch much
as I told him to get the van in position and we were NOT putting her in the
large dog crate.  He may truly be getting numb---either that or he has
formed an affection for the girls.  We cleaned the towels and quilts last
night.

Mary Ellen
ISeeSpots Farm www.iseespots.com
Home of Jacob Sheep, and German Angora Rabbits,
colored German Angora crosses and a few French.
Renewable fleeces, loving personalities, friends.