[Stanlamb]

Hi

Sick ewe, now recovering  but eating absolutely nothing.  We're springing molasses into her on the Vet's advice.  She won't eat hay, silage, meal etc.  Any idea what else I can try please.  She's probably 2 weeks or so off lambing. 

Thanks

[Azzdodd]

Willow or ivy?

[Stanlamb]

Sorry, should have said that we have tried ivy and beet pulp but, again, she has no interest in either.  She is penned off on her own but only a gate separates her and the rest of the flock.  Today is the first day she has been bleating and looking like she wants back to them but I don't want to put her upon until she starts eating.  Thanks for the suggestions anyway.

[MarvinH]

But are your other ewes just the other side of the gate?
Try digestives

[Stanlamb]

Yep!  They can sniff one another, within touching distance.  Shall definitely try a digestive in the morning - thank you.

[farmvet]

I f she's been off her feed for more than 24hours and is only 2 weeks from lambing she is likely to have low blood glucose, increased fat in the blood from mobilising body reserves plus electrolyte abnormalities especially low potassium.  1/2 a can of redbull plus a sachet of dried yeast will probably help tonight, but I would pick up a sachet of restore from your vet tomorrow and tube her with 1/4 sachet (made into 5litres).  This should correct the electrolytes.  Add some extra yeast in.  If you've never tubed a sheep before ask your vet to show you how, a calf feeder bag is usually ideal for most breeds.  An injection of multivitamin and a half dose of flunixin also helps combat the toxins. Then tasty grass!
Failing that ask your vet for something to bring her on to lamb.  This usually means she'll lamb in 36-72hours, if shes over 140days at lambing the lambs usually survive.

[Stanlamb]

Thanks for such detailed advice - all makes perfect sense.  She got ill last Thursday so is now on day 6 of no food.  Is drinking though.  I think I'll talk to the Vet tomorrow and will get hold of a sachet of Restore too.  At this stage I'm pretty convinced her lambs simply cannot still be alive.  Thank you. 

[Marches Farmer]

Lambs can put up with quite a lot - it'll be her reserves they've been drawing on to survive so far.  If they are born early they'll need lots of TLC and may have little wool on them.  Have you tried her with coarse mix?  Most sheep find something to nibble in it.  How about long grass cut from a verge, especially if it has some wild bits and pieces in it?  Plantain (ribwort), sheep's sorrel and dandelion leaves often go down too.

[JulieWall]

I once kept a non-eater going by drenching her with loose oatmeal porridge laced with molasses, I used one of those massive syringes with a long tapered nozzle on the end. Tip her head back and poke it into the back corner of her mouth behind her molars and depress the syringe slowly giving her time to swallow small amounts at a time. You'll get a bit messy but it works. She was always a wild mistrustful ewe but after 2 weeks of tlc our relationship changed for the better.

[Hillview Farm]

I had this a few weeks back, I mixed sugar beet with molasses, syringed flat lucozade and the biggest thing that got them eating.... Ginger nut biscuits!!!!

[shygirl]

what breed is she? some of mine wouldn't eat when kept inside.

[Stanlamb]

Thanks all.

She had the Restore but still isn't showing any interest in food.  I gave her half a digestive dipped in treacle earlier - she didn't look impressed but didn't spit it out.  Have just been back with her and she nibbled a teeny piece of digestive without the treacle.  I pulled some grass and left it with her but she hasn't touched it either.  Grrr.

Julie, how did you mix the porridge - just oatmeal and water to a really loose consistency?  That sounds worth a shot - something different for tomorrow!

Reassured to read that the lamb(s) might survive this - if only she would eat. 

She's a very stroppy mule but has been like an old dog this last week.  Was a bit more lively tonight although I was still able to corner her and push the biscuit in her mouth with no fight.

[Stanlamb]

Just a quick update.  Ewe delivered triplets last night!  Tubed all three but the weakest had died when I went back to see her at 6.30am.  I didn't think he would make it and she was lying on him.  Anyway, she wasn't up and no milk.  Oxytocin and molasses for her.  She now has lovely thick colostrum but is still down.  She did get up briefly but was very weak.  Best news is she ate a mouthful of me also hopefully she's on the mend.  I just need her up and then some time to work at getting the lambs on her.

Thanks for all the advice.  Am hoping the three hourly feeds won't go on for more than a few days!

[kanisha]

Great news! 

[JulieWall]

I seem to think I warmed the oats just enough to make them gloopy, it was quite thin as it had to go through the nozzle. See if she will eat some kale or other fresh greens, I got the ewe I drenched onto those after a day or so and she decided they were just too good to refuse. Kale is a bit of a superfood anyway so if you have some feed her it.
That ewe had just had triplets too. Oh, another thing I gave her was calcium injections (subcutaceous) just in case it was hypocalcaemia from the triplets, it did her no harm but I've no idea if she actually needed it, it was a belt and braces thing.
Another trick is to add molasses to her drinking water, I give this slightly warm to a newly lambed ewe in the cold weather, they love it. It might encourage her to drink more too.