Yesterday I went out to top up the water tank, and found our ram lamb lying dead by one of our big cottonwood trees. He was only 3.5 months old. Not a great thing to have happen when you've only been shepherds for a total of about 10 days. He had been wormed several times by the breeder; the last time was two days before we picked up the sheep and brought them home. He was coughing when we got him home, and the next day, so we were advised to give him a shot of antibiotic. We did so, and also gave him a vitamin/energy solution called Nutri-Drench. For the next week he seemed to be doing better as far as the cough. Everyone got a dose of Selenium/Vitamin E gel on Friday to give them a boost (sheep need more of these nutrients).

Then we got a pretty bad heat wave. That day the heat index had gone as high as 105. When we got home all the sheep came to greet us except for Indico, who came only so far and then stopped and just stood still. I realize now he was probably very weak and was only trying to keep up with the rest of the flock, but couldn't quite do it. Sometime that night he died.

So we buried him in the pasture, and let the breeders know. They had also lost a ram lamb a few days after we had picked up our sheep. It seems perhaps the worms had become resistant to the standard wormer, and so they dosed anyone who seemed to need it with a different and stronger wormer. We may end up doing the same. The breeders are going to replace him for us, when it gets cooler, since breeding season doesn't come until the fall anyway. We really appreciate all their help and their willingness to replace Indico for us.

HeartsEase Farm