update

he spends alot of time standing like this .
Head down, not moving , unsteady on  legs

And is still falling over

We still tihnk its Seleneium deficiency. He has had the treatment. So we have to wait it out and see if he improves .

its not jointill

We did have a lamb with a limp . And it got a course of antibiotics and got a bit better.  But then it got worse.
And its not limping - its  tripping over its front legs as they give way . The lamb  hasnt got a temperature  and the joints arent swollen so we dont think its anopther episode of infection.
 It could be White muscle disease Due to selenium deficiency . 

this lamb ticks many of the boxes for Selenium deficiency

• average annaul  precipitation is 948mm /yr
• weve certainly got lush pasture at the moment 
• the lamb is growing rapidly 

So its had an injection of Selenium an Vitamin E . It may improve, or it may not . We shall see 

hiding

Whilst out cutting the grass  ( you do a lot of that at this time of the year) , I spotted a hen, sitting suspiciously. And on closer insepction there was an egg.

And when i turfed her off the eggs , there were a load  of eggs. 15 in this batch , and another 3 a short distance away   

So she has been laying egges here for 3 weeks , and then started to sit on them. 

As we arent so far  planning to hatch any chicks of our own, we put her back in with the others. 

But this is 3 boxes of eggs we could have sold !

Off with their.................

In the 10 so far weve got 4 male lambs. We dont want any more rams and unfettered testosterone  isnt good for anyone (!)
So its time they were castrated . We've got  castration rings .

So we need to do the deed.





Round up your ewes and lambs

Get yourself a (male) lamb and put on the castration  ring . Lamb testes are surprisinglyl high and surprisingly mobile!  I cen see how its easy to miss . 

and then when all are done, put ewes and lambs back together again 

its a bit noisy whilst the ewes and lambs find each other, but they all go off  with the correct lambs(s) in the end

Another limper

The previous limping lamb has got better - but we've got another one 

And catching it the 'ankle' joint ( left rear leg)  is perhaps a  little swollen. 

And it has a high temperature high 40.7 degrees .  The normal temperature of a lamb is 38.3-39.9 C (100.9 -103.8 F). But it didnt stop her  running around . !

We've had jointill before. She is a bit old ( 3 weeks)  for it , but nevertheless its a course of antibiotics for the 7kg lamb  

In sheep its called  Norocav. Given to people its call Augmentin.

So daily inections for the next 5 days 

Welcome Back

A few days ago we took 3 of the sheep for slaughter 

Anyway today one of them has been returned

This one was a Boreray cross. the meat look a bit fatty. Probably a lazy sheep !
Anyway , we will see what it tastes like  in due course

For the Boreray mutton you ned to contact The Dounby Butcher 

limping update

 The original is here

Things improving - masterly inactivity on our part has made him better