Urea Poisoning in sheep

[Anymulewilldo]

To round of a very mixed week I've just had a big mule ewe lie down, start frothing at the mouth, blow up like a balloon, muscle tremors and loss of coordination. Dose of bicarbonate and the big needle lessened the pressure on her gut but within 2 minutes she was bigger than ever. Dead in 5 mins.
This was 45 minutes after filling the molasses buckets up for the night.
Last year I lost 15 single ewes to a mystery problem with the exact same symptoms and always within an hour of the molasses being filled up. Spent a fortune on bloods, post mortems and testing. Came back no definitive answer.
Yesterday I noticed on the molasses ticket that it said contains 2.8% Urea. Then listed how I should be careful feeding urea to sheep.
After she died I googled urea poisoning in sheep and came up with a timing schedule and symptom list that matched what I've been experiencing exactly. Apparently 0.5l of vinegar down the stomach tube is the answer.
I've taken all molasses out of pens tonight and will be ringing my supplier on Monday to find out if there is a chance my batch got contaminated with extra urea.
I'll be swapping back too pure cane molasses from now on.
I'm curious if anyone else has experienced urea poisoning in sheep and how they dealt with it.

Sorry for the essay folks!!
Cheers

 

[spanner]

Yes used it for years with urea in wheel feeders. Somehow they managed to get the lid of one 5 ewes emptied it. Exactly the same symptoms tried the vinegar. Let the gas out of them with a tube there was no saving them though tried everything. Are you feeding it ad lib?

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Yes, ad lib same as we have done for the last 30 years. Never had any trouble till this last 2 years and I've only just made the connection. I'm glad that I'm following the right lines with it anyway! Thanks

 

[yellowbelly]

Last year I lost 15 single ewes

always within an hour of the molasses being filled up.

Are the feeders empty when you fill them up? It looks like they're gorging on it when freshly filled up, rather getting 'a little and often' in a truly ad lib situation.

. Spent a fortune on bloods, post mortems and testing.

Modern science isn't half as clever as it thinks it is Seems to me petty much all post mortem results come back as 'inconclusive' and with a big bill

 

[Mc115reed]

Are the feeders empty when you fill them up? It looks like they're gorging on it when freshly filled up, rather getting 'a little and often' in a truly ad lib situation.

Modern science isn't half as clever as it thinks it is Seems to me petty much all post mortem results come back as 'inconclusive' and with a big bill

It is lovely how they still give you the big bill even when there’s no results too give isn’t it

 

[Anymulewilldo]

That's the confusing bit, I never let the feeders get empty because if you do they go bloody stupid to get at it. As if you hadn't given them any for months, soon as they get down too the last couple of inches we refill them. I'm not saying my sheep aren't that stupid though that they would still gorge on it even though it's available all the time. ?
Regards the vets bill, it came back just over £1000, add that too the loss of the ewes and the bill from the knacker man I was less than impressed with the "we don't know answer" another reason I'm very reluctant too use them routinely. Beef and sheep just won't stand it!

 

[Mc115reed]

That's the confusing bit, I never let the feeders get empty because if you do they go bloody stupid to get at it. As if you hadn't given them any for months, soon as they get down too the last couple of inches we refill them. I'm not saying my sheep aren't that stupid though that they would still gorge on it even though it's available all the time. [emoji19]
Regards the vets bill, it came back just over £1000, add that too the loss of the ewes and the bill from the knacker man I was less than impressed with the "we don't know answer" another reason I'm very reluctant too use them routinely. Beef and sheep just won't stand it!

Ouch makes me feel better about my £114 post Mortum bill and “we couldn’t find anything we think they’re not getting enough colostrum though” ??‍

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Ouch makes me feel better about my £114 post Mortum bill and “we couldn’t find anything we think they’re not getting enough colostrum though” ??‍

After I had 4 down in the same day I rather saw my arse and had them take all sorts of samples and get them tested. I was rather stressed that whatever it was might be bacterial and could make the leap into the multiples shed next door. Even I wasn't expecting it that big though!!

 

[johnb5555]

I've had 4 this time, one did recove to spit her lambs out and die
From what I've read thought the urea element made it self limiting. Obviously only when they've been introduced gradually

 

[Mc115reed]

After I had 4 down in the same day I rather saw my arse and had them take all sorts of samples and get them tested. I was rather stressed that whatever it was might be bacterial and could make the leap into the multiples shed next door. Even I wasn't expecting it that big though!!

Rather annoying when that happens I had a big lamb dying spree and did the same panicked and made them take a full bag of lambs and test bloods on a few ewes and all kinds then the poor receptionist that rang me with the results got the brunt of it [emoji85]

 

[neilo]

I've had 4 this time, one did recove to spit her lambs out and die
From what I've read thought the urea element made it self limiting. Obviously only when they've been introduced gradually

The urea does make it self limiting, but only once it enters the blood stream. If they are fed it in a way that allows them to guzzle a load at once then they will already have a stomach full before that happens. Hence the use of ball/wheel feeders being sensible.