Farm Fresh Blog

As many of you may well remember, last winter New Police Dog got into a isolation pen with three new sheep. 

  "I was never convicted of that!"

 They were already wormy and skinny.  After the dog got in there, two of them had bigger problems.

 Roanie's leg the next day.  Hamburger

We stitched them both up and treated them with daily shots of antibiotics for weeks. Roanie's injuries were actually greater than Jamaica's. Unfortunately despite the fact that she'd been innoculated, Jamaica contracted tetanus and had to be euthanized.  The vet recommended that we toss Roanie out with the rest of the flock where she would have to travel and compete for food, but would have sunshine and company.  I had my doubts, but without Jamaica, Roanie was alone. So we put her in with the rest of the flock. Alone, her chances didn't look good anyway.  We were ready to try anything.

  By then, the flesh was falling off her leg and you could actually see daylight through it. We discussed euthanizing her, but held off because she had fought so hard to live.  The first day we put her out with the flock, she met the Livestock Guardian Puppy, Briar.  After Roanie's recent experience with dogs, I was concerned.

 I shouldn't have been.  Briar proved to be a canine Florence Nightingale. The ewe gravitated to the dog.  She was safe with the dog. The dog had a patient to fuss over and protect.

 Roanie thrived with the flock. Over time, new pink flesh filled in the empty spaces.

 Today the flesh is back, the hide is back, and she is using the leg again.  The leg is about an inch shorter than the others, but she is easily able to keep up with the flock.  With her winter wool shedding, it is easy to see how skinny she still is, but she is happy and will be able to survive as a normal sheep.

Not all dogs are bad.  Some dogs can even turn out to be a sheep's best friend.