Sheep help needed - Update

[snugglepup]

Hi,

I am new to sheep ownership, and last night/this morning sometime one or several of our sheep broke into the barn, smashed open a rubbermaid tote and ate a bunch of the chicken food in it. So far they seem fine. What to watch for? What to do?

Thanks!

 

[MissPrissy]

My goats have been known to do that. They will be fine.

 

[snugglepup]

Ok, thanks, that makes me feel a little better. I've been freaking out completely. Of course, we are supposed to be at a wedding... like now. *sigh*

 

[Dodgegal79]

yeah just make sure they have lots of dry hay, the roughage will help move it all through.

 

[greyfields]

They will have bloated already if it were going to hurt them. You would look for the rumen on their left side to expand like a giant balloon. They'd lay down and eventually die if you didn't intervene.

 

[snugglepup]

Thanks guys.

It is now 12-24 hrs after the "indiscretion" and everyone is still alive. Three of them have had some diarrhea, but are running around eating, drinking and doing sheep stuff. I locked them in my least grassy pasture, and threw them some hay... but they weren't interested in it. Too much grass around. They all baaaahed and came running up at dinner time, when they usually get a handful of sheep pellets, but were very disappointed to get hay instead.

So hopefully we're out of the woods? I've felt horribly guilty all day, I had no idea they'd smash up a plastic bin like that to get the food or I would never have left them in the barnyard to weedwhack overnight.

 

[snugglepup]

Ok, it is the next morning. All of them seem pretty normal, some soft stools and poopy butts... but eating and doing sheep stuff. BUT one wether is acting depressed and not eating. He is still walking around and interacting, but is not himself... and not interested in food. ACK!

I looked in my sheep book and I am concerned about "acidosis" The recommended treatment is to give sodium bicarb in water and pour it in his mouth? Is this right? Has anyone dealt with this before?

Thanks!

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

Don't worry. One of my sheep ate a whole bucket full of feed that got left out. She acutally acted drunk for a few days but she got up and was fine. Sadly she died of Pneumonia a few years later. While she had two week old lambs.

 

[MissPrissy]

To prevent bloat in my goats because they should be named hogs I sometimes sprinkle a tsp of baking soda over their feed - especially days when I notice they have eaten and eaten and eaten. It makes them burp and releives the gas. I don't do it all the time but occassionally. The vet that checked my goats out when I initially got them said it was a good preventative for occassional use.

 

[snugglepup]

Good news! They are all eating grass now. By the time I got my vet on the phone and she convinced me to stop crying... and went back out to check on him... he was grazing and acting pretty normal. He still has a look on his face like, "Ugh, I can't believe I ate the whole thing..." but the vet believes he probably won't die. So that's good.

I am glad to have a community of people who understand when I become hysterical over my animals.