4:46 PM, Monday, 1 March 2010Temperature: 53 F, overcast
Yesterday was fairly quiet, aside from Wimsey going for a wheelbarrow ride around the house while we fed the animals. He didn't hold still for picture taking, unfortunately, but did companionably sit next to one of us while the other took care of the ducks and geese.
Today we had a veterinarian come to inspect him and the lambs. Wimsey's showing his age; he may have partial renal failure and they've recommended a prescription diet for the kidneys. It could also be either diabetes or his thyroid he wouldn't hold still for a blood sample.
The lambs are very healthy, in the picture of 'rude health' as the saying goes. We had taken the time and trouble to pen the mother and her lambs in a small corral of mesh fencing so that it would be simple to reach in and grab the lambs, which the vet's assistant did with the greatest of ease; pro football players would envy her snatch and grab tactics.
We got some useful advice and praise for making sure the sheep have plenty of sheep mineral, as it turns out that 'white muscle' disease is common in this area due to the lack of certain key trace nutrients in the forage. In lambs it's often known to show up as they suddenly keel over at about eight weeks to three months of age, and autopsy shows white streaking in the heart muscles due to the lack of nutrients creating insufficiencies in the blood, leading to their hearts just stopping.
We tried to have them look at Slightly, but Slightly was not feeling at all cooperative. He escaped and hid under the IBCs under the overhang for quite some time. They left an edible gel for us to try giving him which may help with his sniffles as it shortens the durations of such outbreaks.
Despite it only being the first of March, the apple tree is convinced it is spring, as witnessed by the blossoms all over it. If it should prove to be productive this year, we'll likely give crushing a go and see how it works out. All in all, a useful day.
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