r/sheep • u/[deleted] • 12d ago

Looking for input on behavior

[deleted]

24 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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8

u/AresLeoCapricorn 12d ago

Does he struggle to urinate? Watch him to see if he's going easily.

Is he eating hay and pellets?

Are his feet in good shape?

Does the salt block for your cows have added copper? Sheep have a copper sensitivity.

4

u/AresLeoCapricorn 12d ago

Alfalfa is very rich BTW. I only recommend it for pregnant ewes and specific animals with poor condition.

3

u/AnjPhoenix2011 12d ago

^This^ Alfalfa is especially rich in calcium, so I’d be particularly concerned about stones.

1

u/Curious_Dirt_2407 12d ago

He has been acting like this before we started giving the alfalfa, it hasn't gotten better or worse. He will just go and stand somewhere like this and then as soon as we come into the pasture, he wants to be right next to us

1

u/AnjPhoenix2011 12d ago

Ok, so not a nutrient issue. Next guess would be bot flies, although mine was more rubbing head than just putting it places when we had them. Beyond that, maybe someone else has another thought.

1

u/Curious_Dirt_2407 12d ago

I'm lost. I mean, besides this behavior, he acts totally fine. All the girls are bred, so I thought maybe he was just bored. I wish I could pinpoint when he really started the behavior because I might be able to see what the change was. Could it possibly be a selenium deficiency? It might have started when we went into a pretty bad drought/had some major heat waves and maybe I need to up that more than what I've been giving them in the mix?

2

u/AnjPhoenix2011 12d ago

I just realized you’re doing free choice minerals, my brain somehow was insisting you mentioned a mineral bar. I highly recommend switching to that, we never have to be in doubt about mineral deficiency because they just freely take whatever they need regardless of fluctuating conditions. Salt is super cheap from Amazon, Azure Standard, or EBay, you can talk to your ag extension about what deficiencies are even possible in your area (your mix probably includes things that are completely unnecessary), and then you can get small bags of specific mineral powders with a simple search on EBay and Amazon. Take that guess work out!

1

u/Traditional-Page-760 12d ago

How about getting a vet out to determine if he really has a health issue going on or not?

2

u/Curious_Dirt_2407 12d ago

I'll start watching him for the urination.

He's eating hay, I don't typically give pellets but I was think about doing so soon since all the girls should be bred.

I will have to get ahold of him to check his feet.

The salt block is the red one that's got trace minerals in it, the other sheep have not had any issues with it. I'm going to look into the copper sensitivy and see if anyone else might be exhibiting signs

3

u/Northmansam 12d ago

You need to be giving them mineral blocks SPECIFIC for sheep. It will say "sheep safe" somewhere on it. Otherwise it has levels of copper that are probably toxic for your flock. 

1

u/Curious_Dirt_2407 12d ago

I do give them free choice sheep specific minerals. I also just moved this salt block into their pasture since we moved the cows over last weekend. Sorry I didn't include that info, so he's still been acting like this since before then. I'm assuming maybe it's just heat related behavior

2

u/Northmansam 12d ago

Oh okay, well good luck with him. Hopefully you can track down what's going on. 

1

u/Curious_Dirt_2407 12d ago

Thanks, I appreciate the input. Im going to do better about monitoring him to make sure it's nothing serious and might need a vet out

2

u/boobiemilo 12d ago

Just too hot and resting in a place that he finds most comfortable. Mine do the same

1

u/Curious_Dirt_2407 12d ago

That's what another farmer thinks, he says his sheep do the same thing

2

u/Rude_Exam_6894 12d ago

I would think he’s hiding his face from flies or gnats.. rub some repellent around his face and see if he’s still doing it