[Jacob-list] Feeding Sheep

[JACI SIEHL]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts.  I guess I forgot to mention that I live in a heavily forested area and there is no pasture.  I keep hearing about how toxic oak is to sheep, but evidently the tan and black oak we have are not so bad - and they just eat the leaves and acorns for a snack.
   
  I thought I'd share my "corn scare" to save anyone else from this experience.
   
  Calamity Jane (very appropriately named) learned how to open the latch on one of our gates.  She then opened the door to the room we kept the chicken scratch in (same kind of latch).  All 4 lambs we had at the time got acidosis and were severely bloated.  1 died within a couple hours, 2 within 24 hours and (of course) Calamity just got sick and wouldn't give up.  We danced with her every couple hours trying to get her to belch, then she was given some vitamin B and something else from the vet.  I force fed her for over a month by grinding up her favorite weeds and flowers and making alfalfa tea.  We kept her in our laundry room and kept her covered with damp towels and a fan blowing while it was over 105 each day for two weeks.  She was not doing well, but not getting worse.  We could not hear any noise in her rumen.  We ended up getting a 2 quart rumanl fluid transfer from a cow.  Within a few hours her rumen started functioning.  But she still was not interested in
 eating and I was still force feeding her.  Then someone mentioned that she was missing her flock-mates.  I picked up a very docile ewe and as soon as they got nose to nose, Calamity perked up.  Calamity actually stood between Joy and the feeder and wouldn't let Joy eat.  The next morning, they were standing side by side eating away.
   
  The only problem we have with Calamity now is that she insists on watching TV.  Green Acres is her favorite show!
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