Farm Entry #2 - Losses are apart of farming

It's funny how when I first started farming, I'd go out to the barn or the chicken coop and be excited to see the animals. Now, I go out tentatively, wondering if anything went wrong overnight and always a little nervous if I'll find someone dead or injured. 

This is not to say that I haven't always done everything in my power to make sure my sheep, chickens and ducks are healthy and safe, but as they say, you don't know what you don't know. 

Well, yesterday, I went out in the morning to feed the sheep to find one of my 5 month old lambs lethargic and looked just a little droopy in general. One of his ears was back (a signal that he was in pain) and he didn't really want to get up to eat. In the past, a situation like that normally would've sent me reeling for the better part of the day, but knowing his slaughter date was eminent (next week), I just wanted to do everything in my power to make sure he was ok till then. 

I just moved him and his friends to a new paddock near the barn on Monday where some other sheep had been residing that were now at the butcher's. 

Well, first thing I do when a sheep isn't feeling well is I take in it's symptoms. droopy ear, lethargic, temperature was 103.5 (right on the verge of a fever). I then call my farm mentor, Azsa and leave a voicemail for my vet's office.  In other words, I start to rally the troops in case I need backup and it also helps to have a couple other minds thinking about the problem. Azsa asked me about his symptoms and we went through the gambit.

• is he coughing? (no)
• any nasal discharge? (no)
• scours? (no)
• how is his FAMACHA? (dark pink-red, which means he's healthy and not anemic from worms)

I had a lamb last year die from Listeria probably from eating moldy hay, so she asked me if I thought it could be that. I didn't, since I've done everything in my power to make sure if it's gonna rain the hay goes under their hut so it stays dry. I also didn't see any symptoms that I thought fit the criteria for Listeria.

But we have gotten a ton of rain the past week and I told her that the paddock and the ground was a little gushy because there are tons of fallen leaves and waste hay.

Azsa asked what kind of trees were nearby because maybe he ate something toxic. Bingo! it clicked! The paddock was FULL of fallen leaves (maple and cherry leaves), most of them dry at this point in time. I knew academically that cherry leaves were toxic to sheep, but for some reason I did not think of it! 

I immediately treated him with b3 complex orally (good for supportive care, it also has thiamine in it which helps with rumen activity), corid (in case of coccidia), and some sodium bicarbonate to help with an upset tummy (I didn't have activated charcoal and my nearest pharmacy also didn't carry it). He did begin to perk up but I could tell he was still uncomfortable.  I put him in the barn to rest and also it's a place where he couldn't eat any more leaves! (While I was on the phone with Azsa I saw him try to eat a cherry leaf.. ugh). Also, I want to note, that while this is what we "thought" was wrong, there was no way to definitively diagnose him. A lot of times, it's just your best guess.

A couple hours later, my vet called me back and confirmed she thought this was probably what was happening as well. We talked about our options knowing he was going to slaughter next week and knowing if maybe it was something else like the start of pneumonia, we didn't want to treat with antibiotics because of the meat withdrawal period.  

Given all my choices, I elected to move up his slaughter date. I was able to get my itinerant slaughter out that afternoon and the lamb's life was ended peacefully without enduring further pain and without any stressful travel off the property.

Although this wasn't my ideal way for things to happen, I'm grateful for the support network I have in place when an animal is sick on my farm. I've worked hard over the years to develop good relationships with my farm mentor, my vet, and my itinerant slaughter and butcher shop. All these things together helped me make a decision to move up his slaughter date and be able to save the meat, while also still doing what was best for the lamb and making sure he didn't suffer.