Billy having a 'bad hair day'
Bad day all round. Tried to treat a lame ewe. Unfortunately shes not one thats been handled so wild as wild can be. Tied her to the gate in the field. She throws herself up in the air, at the gate multiple times trying to break her legs. Because she threw herself around the halter unbeknown to me got tighter and tighter under her chin. She stood so i proceeded to foot dip her back leg. Next thing shes collapsing her back end onto the floor. I look at her front end and realised she was now hanging. I quickly untied the lead, released the tension under the throat. She literally drops her head down into my lap. I really thought she was dead. Im massaging her throat, neck and chest, she throws her head up in the air, gasping. Her tongue was blue as blue. In all my years ive never had one that close to death. Its why i hate trying to do anything with unhandled sheep on my own. Eventually she recovered enough. Suddenly jumped up, and bolted across the field. Her lameness can wait till i can enlist some more help. Im not attempting to treat that nut job again on my own.
In trying to deal with her i somehow also winded myself. I ended up lying in the field till the pain in my side subsided.
Then to top my day off, Roger the ram has fly strike. I had to call a friend to come and help me. We had fun trying to catch him. No chance. In the end we walked them right up to the top of the field. Pinned all the boys in the corner between the fence and hayrack. As soon as i got close and got hold of Rogers horn and he was very docile. Looked at his head and apart from wet and some scaring round the base of the ear couldnt see a single thing. But i knew something was seriously wrong as he'd been laying away from the other boys. I applied some fly treatment on his head and suddenly it came alive. Hundreds of maggots started crawling out the hair on the top of his head. They had clearly burrowed into the skin. We were literally scraping them off.
The fly treatment should kill all the maggots but i supect his hair is going to fall out. They were all treated with fly prevention 6 weeks ago but its on its limits for lasting effectiveness. It just shows what mild weather we are having. Wouldnt normally need to retreat at this time of year.
Bad day all round. Tried to treat a lame ewe. Unfortunately shes not one thats been handled so wild as wild can be. Tied her to the gate in the field. She throws herself up in the air, at the gate multiple times trying to break her legs. Because she threw herself around the halter unbeknown to me got tighter and tighter under her chin. She stood so i proceeded to foot dip her back leg. Next thing shes collapsing her back end onto the floor. I look at her front end and realised she was now hanging. I quickly untied the lead, released the tension under the throat. She literally drops her head down into my lap. I really thought she was dead. Im massaging her throat, neck and chest, she throws her head up in the air, gasping. Her tongue was blue as blue. In all my years ive never had one that close to death. Its why i hate trying to do anything with unhandled sheep on my own. Eventually she recovered enough. Suddenly jumped up, and bolted across the field. Her lameness can wait till i can enlist some more help. Im not attempting to treat that nut job again on my own.
In trying to deal with her i somehow also winded myself. I ended up lying in the field till the pain in my side subsided.
Then to top my day off, Roger the ram has fly strike. I had to call a friend to come and help me. We had fun trying to catch him. No chance. In the end we walked them right up to the top of the field. Pinned all the boys in the corner between the fence and hayrack. As soon as i got close and got hold of Rogers horn and he was very docile. Looked at his head and apart from wet and some scaring round the base of the ear couldnt see a single thing. But i knew something was seriously wrong as he'd been laying away from the other boys. I applied some fly treatment on his head and suddenly it came alive. Hundreds of maggots started crawling out the hair on the top of his head. They had clearly burrowed into the skin. We were literally scraping them off.
The fly treatment should kill all the maggots but i supect his hair is going to fall out. They were all treated with fly prevention 6 weeks ago but its on its limits for lasting effectiveness. It just shows what mild weather we are having. Wouldnt normally need to retreat at this time of year.
