Stress-related Deaths in sheep

 Common Situations Causing Stress in Sheep

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Cause	Description	High-Risk Periods
🚛 Transport stress	Long travel without rest, water, or shade	Before/after animal market
🔥 Heat stress	High temperatures, no shade, poor ventilation	Summer (March–June)
❄️ Cold stress	Chilling wind, wet bedding, poor insulation	Winter (Nov–Jan), newborn lambs
😰 Feed stress	Sudden change in diet, underfeeding, low energy in late pregnancy	Lambing season, TMR changes
💉 Vaccination or handling stress	Rough handling, overcrowding, use of untrained staff	Mass treatment days
🐏 Social stress	Fighting among rams, introduction of new animals	Breeding season or flock mixing
🐛 Parasite burden	Heavy worm load, ticks, mange	Monsoon and post-monsoon
🧬 Disease-related stress	Fever, diarrhea, infections with no early treatment	Anytime during outbreak

⚠️ Signs of Stress in Sheep

Behavioral:

• Panting, open-mouth breathing

• Head down, drooping ears, dullness

• Isolating from group

• Grinding teeth, stamping legs

Physical:

• Sudden collapse or weakness

• Shivering (cold stress)

• Diarrhea or scours

• Sudden death without obvious disease

In lambs:

• Not suckling, hypothermia

• Rapid weight loss, curled ears

• High mortality within 1–3 days

🩺 Stress-Related Conditions That Can Kill

Condition	Triggered by	Death Pattern
Enterotoxaemia	Sudden diet change, high-energy grain	Sudden death in lambs
Pregnancy Toxaemia	Low energy before lambing	Ewe goes down, dies
Pneumonia (Pasteurella)	Cold weather + weak immunity	High lamb mortality
Heat Stroke	Overcrowding + direct sun	Collapse & fast death
Shock after treatment	Overdose, allergic reaction to drug	Death within 15–30 mins

🛡️ How to Prevent Stress-Related Deaths

General Management
✅ Provide clean water always (cool in summer, lukewarm in winter)
✅ Avoid overcrowding in sheds and pens
✅ Keep bedding dry and soft — especially in winter
✅ Provide shade + cross ventilation during hot months
✅ Introduce new feed gradually over 7 days
✅ Keep transport under 6 hours, offer water every 3 hrs

Feeding and Energy
✅ Give high-energy feed in late pregnancy (molasses, TMR, maize)
✅ Add electrolytes and glucose during stress periods
✅ Use mineral mix to prevent pregnancy-related metabolic disorders

During Transport or Heat
✅ Travel only early morning or late evening
✅ Do not load sick, pregnant, or newborn sheep
✅ Spray water on walls/floor to reduce heat buildup
✅ Use oral electrolytes + stress booster (vitamin B complex)

During Cold or Disease
✅ Provide warm dry lambing area
✅ Avoid washing sheep in cold weather
✅ Keep lambs with mothers under heat lamp or bulb
✅ Isolate sick sheep early to prevent outbreak spread

🧰 Emergency Medicine Kit (for Stress & Shock)

• Oral Electrolyte powder

• B-Complex Injection

• Dexamethasone (for shock, allergic reactions)

• Thermometer

• Glucose drip (Vet grade)

• Vitamin E + Selenium

• Calcium & Energy Boosters

✅ Bonus Tip: Always write down when stress signs appear and how you handled them. This helps in repeating successful actions and preventing losses next time.