Went to the vet today

And learned a lot. I brought Adalaide with me. She has had a hard time the last month or so. As soon as she walked through the door she pooped, so Dr. Miller told his assistant to hurry up and get some to do a fecal test. Then they drew blood. It took about 15-20 minutes for them to see what was wrong.

First, they only found 2 worm larvae. That was great news. I had wormed her again last night with Ivomec because her whole head was huge and I was afraid she would not be alive this morning. I had also taken a syringe of B complex to give her but didn't. She looked a little better this morning.

So he said her red blood count was 9. The scale goes to 35 I think he said. They did it twice just to make sure. He said she should have a blood transfusion. But he didn't know what blood or how. He has done horses but never sheep. But that's how low her red blood cells are. That's bad. He said all the others are more than likely that low as well.

He told me I need ed to get some Red Cell and give them all 1 oz. every day for 2 weeks plus a shot of B Complex. We need to get their blood levels built back up. I can also give them kale and other greens too. He said the goats would probably need this treatment too. I know Adabelle does for sure.

I found a gallon at the co op in town. He gave me a huge drench syringe. I have 11 sheep and 9 goats. That's 20 oz. a day for 2 weeks. I am going to need another gallon I think. It's cherry flavored too! Yum.

So gave Adalaide her Red Cell before I let her out. I forgot the B complex. I gave the rams all theirs this afternoon and Darla too. She's a pig ewe.

Also gave all the does theirs tonight. I am wearing a lot of theirs. They apparently don't care for cherry flavored anything.

I will start all the others in the morning. My daughter Heather is here for awhile so she will be helping check off their names in a book to keep track of who had what. I hope all this will get them healthy again. He also said that rotating pastures is the best thing to do. He did say that since I had the pasture mowed Sat. that the worms should be dead. But I have to keep them in the smaller pen with a stall that has a door to give them all this stuff.

I have to take Adalaide back in 2 weeks to do another blood test to see how they are by then. They sure could use some good prayers for this to work. I sure wish I had gone to the vet sooner. Lucinda would still be here with us. I miss her already.

Sad news this morning.

I was hoping to wake up this morning to a healthy ewe, all better and up and eating with the rest of the flock. But when I went out to feed and do chores, I saw all the other sheep but not her. I went on in and saw her laying flat on the ground. I knew right away she was dead.

I feel bad because this could have been prevented if I had just gotten the vet to come out last week. She might be alive now. And her daughter Anabelle and the other ewe lamb Adalaide would be ok too. But those 2 have very swollen jaws even this afternoon, even after 2 rounds of Ivomec, Cydectin and Valbazen. Plus antibiotic and Thiamine shots. I might lose them too.

I am calling the vet first thing in the morning. And I will keep calling if I don't hear from him. I need him to come out here as soon as possible to check on them. And the others too. Then I am calling the guy who runs the agriculture department in town and get him to come out and evaluate my pastures to see if there is a problem with them. I need to know what is going on here and why I just lost one of my favorite ewes. What am I doing wrong?

I rotate. I keep the grass and pastures mowed. I give them organic minerals. And apple cider vinegar in their water. They get good grains and hay. I just don't know. And I only had 9 ewes. And the 3 ram lambs are in another pasture across the yard. It's not like I had a thousand sheep.

So I called a friend up the road with a backhoe. He's coming in the morning to bury her as deep as he can. I wanted to take her to the dump, as far away as possible because of the worms. Or take her way out back for the coyotes to at least have a good meal. But I don't want them to get sick. I think getting her buried at least 5 feet deep will be ok.

Right after I found Lucinda, and after milking the goats, I looked over at one of my does, Sandy, and she is in standing heat. I saw Lil Red trying as hard as he could to mount her. I hope he did. And I thought how one life just ended and one more has just been conceived. So life goes on. And I just witnessed that. I am ok with death. Just right now, knowing I could have done more, I am a little sad. I will miss Lucinda. She was one of my favorite sheep. It took her a long time to let me get close enough. But after that, I could pet her and give her kisses. She was a good ewe.

New farmer's market

Today was my first time at a new market. I was nervous and excited. This one starts at 10 and goes til 12. So I have a lot more time to get ready and do chores and milk goats (in daylight, not darkness with animals still sleeping) and have plenty of time to get there. It's only about 35 miles away. We left this morning at 8 and stopped to get some breakfast up the road and stopped at the store for produce baggies. And still got there at 9. There were a few others earlier than us.

So I brought kale, turnip greens, 4 kinds of radishes, bell peppers and banana peppers. Also brought kombucha scobys. Sold all but 2 bags each of the greens. I couldn't sell my soap because there were 2 others that sell soap and have been coming a few years now. But we'll see about that.

This market is so different from the other market I have been going to this summer. The people are totally different. Very friendly. I felt like I belonged there right away. There was only one nice little older lady who said my greens were too much for her. So I let her have them cheaper. And  I swapped turnip greens and radishes for pumpkin bread and fresh picked bay leaves.

I really like this market. It's the Brainerd market in Chattanooga, Tn. In the parking lot of a beautiful Episcopal church.  Lots of exposure to traffic with a big sign by the road. I will be going every Saturday from now on.

Sometimes we need to change things up a bit. This was my time.