[Jacob-list] Lost Ewes

Mon Mar 20 13:47:01 EST 2006

I am not sure what levels of copper are safe. I have heard it said that silver Lincolns will DIE at dietary levels that can produce deficiency symptoms in some breeds. The best bet to diagnose this is unfortunately a necropsy. Sheep that die of copper toxicity deteriorate so quickly that I once loaded a live ewe up that died on the way to the lab so that they could have a usable corpse. On necropsy, the liver has a characteristic copper color. Blood levels should give you a pretty good idea of what is going on. When stressed, the liver releases toxic levels of copper into the bloodstream leading to widespread organ failure.

Neal
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Purrfleece Farms 
  To: jacob-list 
  Sent: Monday, March 20, 2006 7:55 AM
  Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Lost Ewes

  What a morning!  We had straight line winds this morning about 6:00 am in excess of 80 mph and the SE corner of the animal barn is now straight up in the air. At least 5 of the 24 foot strips of gavalon are bent vertically.  2.5 inches of rain overnight after 1 inch yesterday. Haven't seen the road yet but there is probably water over the bridge and I find that out when I leave to help at Extension.  Amazing that the electricity is still on but after 5 years of storms and power losses, maybe all the tall trees are down or have been trimmed.

  The label on the sheep/goal developer reads that Cu is between 15-20 ppm and selenium is not less than 0.25 pm.  I have some of the 77S sheep mineral mix that I gave with cracked corn and the sheep jump on it but that may be the salty taste. Hay has been scarce this year and I am down to my last 10 square bales but our grass is greening.  All the lambs appear to be healthy and are getting through the 4 x 4 fencing and grazing in the horse pasture and in my garden and my lawn.

  Rich

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: neeets at netscape.net 
    To: pfarms at alltel.net 
    Sent: Monday, March 20, 2006 2:49 AM
    Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Lost Ewes

    you keep writing sheep/goat pellets... is there copper in the feed?  I own both and have to give seperate food since goat feed is higher oin copper....??? just a thought also not sure about sheep but where are you silenium????  I feed mine a higher alfalfa pellet and goat pettets when pregnant (my goats)

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Purrfleece Farms <pfarms at alltel.net>
    To: jacob-list <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
    Sent: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 18:24:41 -0600
    Subject: [Jacob-list] Lost Ewes

    A few months ago I lots my oldest ewe (one of the original 5) that probably was 13+ years old.  Lillibell was a lilac and consistently had twins.  She was also a leader of the fencer crashers who had the ability to lift welded fencing by popping off the clips and then going under it with her fleece rolling up the fence into a ever enlarging "tunnel" that others followed.  When I had found her down in the field I got her over the ice at the time up into the barn into the center corridor and she responded to hi-energy  and PEG for a short term.  The vet, an LSU graduate, came out and gave her Banamine and others and checked to see if there was delivery problem but dilation was minimal.  The next morning she had moved around and had her nose in a corner.  My other vet  (spouse and also LSU grad) asked if she looked ":starry eyed" as well as being noise into a corner and I couldn't confirm the eye issue but the vets thought pregnancy toxemia.  There was another vet visit, no more dilation and a lot of blood work that showed nothing.  I lost her and got about $400 in vet bills.

    Since then I have lost two additional ewes, both newly delivered of twins.  The second was found when I got home this afternoon although she was okay this morning at 6:15 when I went and fed everyone. They and their lambs got a sheep/goat pellet plus chopped corn plus hay.  That had been the morning and evening ration although the rest of the flock in the larger pasture are getting sheep/goat pellets in the morning and chops at night as well as hay. When I found her this afternoon she was nose into an opening they had butted into the gavalon wall.

    Before I get another vet farm call tomorrow, does anyone have any ideas.  This is three since the start of the year and all ewes, two of which had delivered.  the babies appear to be fine except that they get out through the holes in the fencing and are running around the horses.  we have not done any inoculations on a routine basis.

    I had talked about reducing the herd but this wasn't the planned way to go.

    Rich.
    Richard Boosey
    Purrfleece Farms
    Jacob and Shetland Sheep and Crosses
    Brown Eggs and Fresh Vegetables

    pfarms at alltel.net

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