Sheep Question
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Far from the Madding Crowd
lester-42 — 16 years ago(May 10, 2009 10:05 PM)
I saw this film a long time ago, but I still don't know the answer to this question. When the Alan Bates character is out and about with his sheep, the start dying(I think) and he starts running about stabbing them in the stomach area with what looks like a metal spike. The questions would be: What was wrong with them? and although I probably already know the answer to this, was there no medicine he could give them? The obvious answer would be Not back then there wasn't.
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JayBee-66 — 16 years ago(November 02, 2009 01:36 AM)
Sheep can't eat anything green. Some greens will contain chemicals that give off gasses quicker than the sheep can fart it out thus resulting in bloating and eventual death.
In sheep farming you clear land of such greenery afore you release a flock into it. In Wales, for example, a hill will be cleared of bracken, which shouldn't eat but will if given a chance.
From the scene in question the high grass the sheep was found amongst was probably chosen to represent bracken. However, to protect the sheep, they weren't filmed in real bracken.
The device used by Oak I have seen used in an episode of All Creatures Great and Small too. Gruesome but it did the job. A two-part spike with an outer sheath that stays inside the animal to act as a valve that allows excess gas to leave the stomach. -
Wakanohana — 14 years ago(March 08, 2012 10:21 PM)
It's called a trocar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trocar#Veterinary_use -
rob-949 — 14 years ago(January 27, 2012 12:23 AM)
See here:
http://kinne.net/bloat.htm
"Frothy Bloat
Frothy bloat is usually caused by overeating lush, damp feeds such as clover, alfalfa or legume pastures. Green feed that has grown warm in the stack can also create problems. Foam forms in the rumen with tiny bubbles that are impossible for a goat to belch up. Foam is more dangerous than dry bloat. The rumen expands with foam and the goat can die pretty quickly from respiratory or circulatory failure due to excessive pressure on the diaphragm." -
ms-zanadu — 13 years ago(November 27, 2012 01:06 PM)
I'm watching this movie right now on TCM . Those scenes of the sheep suffering and dying were still very sad to watch of course . I guess if people own sheep they have to be very careful what the sheep eat . I had no idea but very interesting to know just the same . Thanks lester-42 for your subject post .
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HoferPM-1 — 13 years ago(November 27, 2012 01:45 PM)
I turned the movie to a different channel. I can't watch animals dying ! She should have chosen Peter Finch or Alan Bates. Unfortunately she was sexually attracted to Terrence Stamp. Bad choice ! (Even though I like him) !
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vccr — 13 years ago(November 27, 2012 03:13 PM)
Just love this movie even more when it comes on. When I was a kid (pre-internet) I used to wonder about the dog chasing the sheep to their death and why he punctures their stomachs. Now I can just sit back and enjoy this trip back in time.
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myke243 — 10 years ago(March 23, 2016 11:02 AM)
I had another question about the sheep. What was the purpose of bathing the sheep in the pool of water? I have heard of sheep dip which was a chemical that would ward off parasites but also thought they were put into the pool of water to wash the wool before the shearing process.