Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
but especially to pregnant ewes. If necessary, force exercise by spreading hay
for them in various places on clean parts of pasture, once a day, to get them
out and walking around.
The Ketone Test
One way to be sure that your prolifi c ewes — those carrying twins or trip-
lets — are getting enough nutrition (energy) is to check for ketones in the
urine — better to avoid pregnancy toxemia (ketosis) than to be forced to treat
it later as an emergency.
Ewes that are not getting enough feed to meet their energy (caloric)
requirements will use reserve body fat. When fat cells are converted into
energy, waste products called ketones are created. Pregnancy disease results
when the ketones are produced faster than they can be excreted. They rise
to toxic levels in the bloodstream, which can be easily detected in the urine.
A simple test kit for ketones, available at a pharmacy, can be used to identify
ewes with caloric defi ciencies. Use the ketone test results to separate the ewes
that need extra feed, thus avoiding underweight or dead lambs and pregnancy
toxemia problems.
