catchall for birthing issues
During an otherwise calm start to lambing, we were hit with a stark reminder that no matter how self-reliant our Soay sheep may be, we still must be prepared to intervene when, rarely, the need arises. This story takes a while to relate. Please bear with me. Setting the stage: virtually every description of Soay […]
With lambing fast upon us, we are reminded of a lively conversation on one of the Soay “chatlists” some time ago about what kind of bedding to put in the jugs, the lambing stalls, or whatever enclosed shelter areas are designated for lambing. Here’s one topic that is really easy to deal with, but worth […]
Several readers have commented on the notion of “normal” Soay sheep temperature mentioned in the recent post about using temperature to diagnose problems in Soay sheep, specifically, whether there is any difference for Soay sheep because of their small size. As all Soay breeders know, a lot of lore about the bigger varieties of sheep […]
There is no more reliable way to start diagnosing a failing lamb, a sick Soay of any age, or shock from injury, than to take the animal’s temperature. Almost without fail, if the temperature is normal, any listlessness, limping or other indication of a problem will be structural (e.g., rock in foot, temporary diarrhea caused […]
No, I am not referring to your trusty Kohler or Toto. Flushing is shepherd lingo for increasing a ewe’s nutrition in the weeks leading up to breeding in order to trick the ewe into releasing a larger number of eggs. Most of the sheep literature we have read, and a number of Soay breeders we know, […]
One of the most enjoyable, ordinarily light-hearted rituals on our farm is the annual selection and implementation of lamb naming themes. This year, picking the right theme took on a certain solemnity as we welcomed lambs with the first-ever new genetics in the British Soay flock here in the U.S., thanks to the wonders of AI, […]