ALL IS WELL

I am getting a late start blogging. It was't because I was terribly busy. I have been somewhat preoccupied by the health of my sheep. I discovered a ewe sick, on Saturday. She had been laying in the same place all night, as evidenced by the pile of berries at her rear. She may have been laying longer than just one night. She was laying behind a large hay bale where she wasn't visible from the house or yard. I count them every day, but I may have erred. She was already weak when I found her and it didn't look like recovery was likely. She was very pregnant and at first I thought she was having a complicated delivery. However, her udder was not full and there was no evidence of labor. She died Saturday afternoon.

On Saturday evening, when I went to close up the chicken coop, I heard a baaing from the direction of the hay bale. I investigated and found another ewe laying beside her dead friend. She seemed okay and I didn't know what to make of it. The next day she was still there. I moved her dead friend out of the area. I tried to help her to her feet. She seemed to have difficulty standing. I could get her up on her feet but she couldn't stay up. I noted her appetite seemed good. She continued to munch hay from the bale. She didn't seem depressed and her berries looked good. I don't think she was having any digestive problems.

I brought her some water. She drank, I gave her a little corn, She ate it greedily. After a couple hours, I went out again, and got her on her feet. She took a few steps and looked like she might be okay. She was still on her feet about three hours later. I thought, “Ah, she is going to be okay.”

This Morning she was laying down, about fifty yards from where she was last night. I couldn't get her to stay on her feet. This time she didn't seem thirsty, but she did eat some corn. Besides, not being able to get on her feet, or stay on her feet, she seems okay. She reaches as far as she can to munch grass without getting up. I will attempt to get her on her feet again in a little while.

Her eyes are bright. Her digestive systems seems fine. I am at a loss to know what the problem is. We don't have a veterinarian that makes home calls in our area. At least not for sheep or goats. I will keep doing what I can. If there are any sheep people among my readers, I would like your ideas.

When we live close to the land and have animals. We will experience things like this. We learn to deal with it, and it is only a temporary disturber of peace, but we don't get inured to it, either. The ewe does not seem to be in any pain. That is good.

Life comes to us day by day and we have learned to have faith that, all is well. We can keep on loving through all our big and little difficulties. Again, ALL IS WELL.

Love and Peace, Gregg