Don't Give Up the Sheep

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A sheepdog should be used frequently to keep it in good habits, but otherwise it is almost no trouble and is a pleasant companion as well. When left alone, a sheepdog should be confined because some of them will herd the sheep on their own and can cause problems by pushing them into a fence corner or over a cliff, as described in Hardy's Far From The Madding Crowd.

Predatory dogs, whether wild or domestic, mean trouble for a shepherd .... Our place is in a pretty much strictly farming area, but there are a few nonfarmers and others who let dogs roam. A phone call has been sufficient to take care of dogs with known owners, although a load of number-six shot from a distance has a very salutary effect too. For dogs in packs, a loaded rifle is the only reasonable solution.

Check on local laws, and if they are not strong enough, work to get them changed. Dog owners must be made to understand that they are responsible for their dog's actions. Proof is often difficult to establish unless the dog is observed chasing the sheep and then confined until the local law officials and the owner can be called. In our state, according to the laws, a dog in pursuit of farm animals can be shot. Owners almost never believe that their dog would harm anything, and a quick, accurate shot followed by a quiet burial is often the pragmatic solution.

BLOAT

Bloat may occur when sheep are turned into a new pasture, especially alfalfa. Bloat can also be brought on by stressful incidents such as being chased by a dog. I have even seen it happen when a helper unfamiliar to the flock was catching some sheep for me to shear. Most ly, though, it is caused by overeating on fresh, green iced, especially or clover. Gases become trapped in the rumen, usually to a foamy mass; the rumen swells, compressing the lungs; and the sheep may die from suffocation. Prevention is the key in this situation. Sheep turned into a new pasture that contains a lot of alfalfa should first be fed their fill of dry hay to limit their intake and then be allowed only a short time in the new pasture. As little as 15 minutes the first day, 30 the next, and so forth might be appropriate.

Treatment of bloat is difficult, especially if a lot of sheep bloat about the same time, because many will die while you are still treating the first ones. The traditional treatment is to cut a hole in the rumen to let the gases escape; this is called sticking the sheep, and there is a dramatic description of it in Hardy's Far From The Madding Crowd. There is a special tool made for this purpose that puncture, the rumen and then maintains the opening so the gases can get out Cutting a hole with a pocketknife is seldom effective, because the hole doesn't stay open.

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