Welcome to the home of Spered Breizh Ouessants. The breed originates from the island of Ouessant, part of a tiny archipelago just off the north coast of Finistere, Brittany. The island of terror as it was known to some, was swept by the full force of the atlantic’s weather, the hardy sheep adapted to survive on poor grazing from salty clifftop meadows. It was the women of the island that raised the sheep, renowned for their black wool to weave into cloth known locally as berlinge and their meat with its sweet and delicate taste.

Bienvenue chez Spered Breizh Ouessants. La race est originaire de l’île d’’Ouessant qui fait parti d’un petit archipel au large du Finistère, Bretagne. L’île de l'épouvante comme c'était connu par certains était balayé par les intempéries de l’atlantique, ces moutons rustiques s'adaptaient à survivre sur les pâturages pauvres des falaises salées. C’était les femmes de l’île qui élevaient les moutons réputés pour leur laine noire à tisser « la berlinge » une étoffe régionale et leur viande avec un goût doux et délicat.

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dimanche 4 décembre 2011

Aine Update

The photo says it all really, no significant change, well unless you count a further week of not being well and eating virtually nothing. It seems the diarrhoea is under control but worryingly Aine has no appetite. Nimue joined her for a few days earlier in the week until I found Nimue ( who was doing a wonderful impression of a very healthy lamb) preventing Aine from getting to the water bowl. For the last few days with the mild weather I have put Aine out with the other lambs for a few hours a day, today, perhaps, there is a slight improvement , she voluntarily nibbled some ivy and after a few hours outside did actually seem to acknowledge the presence of the other lambs.

On the menu is vegetable soup to keep things going on the digestive front and to keep her strength up, how much longer she can continue like this I'm not sure, I will have to reappraise things in a couple of days if there is  no improvement.

UPDATE on the update. Monday the vet exam showed an abdominal mass  The x-rays showed that her bowels were in stasis, Aine was put to sleep. I am none the wiser and a lamb has lost her life. There are no words to describe that feeling.

6 commentaires:

Val Grainger a dit…

Have you dosed her with live natural youhurt? Its very good for getting the gut flora on the move and the rumen going. I assume you have wormed and fluked....?

Kanisha a dit…

Hi Val, wormed and fluked and shes had probiotics designed to do the same thing as yoghurt. She has been ruminating. Today the vet found a large mass in her abdomen and x rays showed that her colon was in stasis. She was put to sleep.

Val Grainger a dit…

Really sorry to hear that Renee, thats a real shame as she was really nice.You did everything you could have done so its just one of those things that happen, I do feel for you though because you really do your sheep well. xx

Kanisha a dit…

thanks I appreciate your comments x

Val Grainger a dit…

Just had a thought.....last year Koudou was ill at the same time of year.....is there anything they are getting access to that you are unaware of?????

Kanisha a dit…

two very different presentations Koudou may well have been mushrooms if you remember there was an unseasonal dump of snow and the sheep were scratching through the snow to get to grass. its quite conceivable that he ate mushrooms some what frozen and thawed without realising what he was eating. Presentation was acute abdominal pain pulmonary oedema and responded quickly to pain relief and support. Aine was in a totally different paddock with access to plenty of grazing. onset was chronic she was subdued but no other signs and none of the other sheep with her were or have been affected. dunno

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