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Author Topic: Worried about weak twin  (Read 3055 times)

lesbri

  • Joined Apr 2013
Worried about weak twin
« on: May 13, 2015, 10:31:31 am »
The last of my suffolk shearlings lambed sunday night, a boy and a girl. She is being a very good mum, she lambed by herself and got straight on with the cleaning up and chatting to them but the girl who is the smaller and weaker of the two seems very thin. The ewe seems to have milk and she is standing for them to feed which they both seem to be able to. Both lambs seem a little dehydrated in that their skin doesnt spring straight back when you pinch a fold but they are both very bright, seem to have milk in their tummies when you hold them up and are running after their mum and she is very attentive.

I suppose my question is, should I be topping them up or at least the little girl, with a bottle or is it best to leave them hungry and trying to feed themselves. I have just turned them out this morning in the hope that the spring grass and sunshine will encourage milk production if this is the problem.  Id be very grateful for your opinions  :wave:

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Worried about weak twin
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2015, 12:19:51 pm »
From the information you've given sounds like topping up 1or both a good idea certainly can't hurt , you really need to start now while they are young so they adapt quickly

Old Shep

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Worried about weak twin
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2015, 12:24:03 pm »
If you haven't fed them, the ewe must have some milk (otherwise they wouldn't be alive).  Can you check she has both sides working by expressing some out of each side (just a squirt.)  Or while you have her you could express quite a bit and bottle them with it if you are really worried.
Helen - (used to be just Shep).  Gordon Setters, Border Collies and chief lambing assistant to BigBennyShep.

devonlad

  • Joined Nov 2012
  • Nr Crediton in Devon
Re: Worried about weak twin
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2015, 01:52:31 pm »
Sounds fairly familiar. We would tend to top up just to get them going. We have one ewe in particular who always has twins and always seems a bit lowvin milk. Every year we top up for a month or so and then they seem to be fine with just her. I'm sure if we were harder ( or more sensible) we'd have cull Ed her already. Were fairly sure she's only got one bag that works properly

lesbri

  • Joined Apr 2013
Re: Worried about weak twin
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2015, 02:35:29 pm »
Thanks for the replies. Ive managed to get hold of the ewe and although her udder is full and hard (not overhard and hot though so I dont think mastitis) it is nigh impossible to get any milk out of her teats. I managed to get about a drop from one side and the other side was quite sore as though the lambs had been chewing on it.

Is there anything I can do to encourage the milk down? In the meantime Ive started topping up both lambs - how often should I be doing this?

Thanks again, this forum is brilliant  :wave:

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Worried about weak twin
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2015, 03:02:41 pm »
As often as you can - small, frequent amounts mimic the way they suckle naturally and will stop them having rugby ball shapes due to large infrequent feeds.  I would continue to try and strip out the ewe - her udder must be very uncomfortable and I'd suspect the early stage of mastitis.

lesbri

  • Joined Apr 2013
Re: Worried about weak twin
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2015, 06:53:20 pm »
Thanks for the help guys. Phone call to vet who has given me some oxytocin to help bring her milk down over the next 4 days with careful watching of udder for mastitis. Topping up lambies in the meantime and the girl is loving her bottle already, she must have been starving, poor thing. Hope this does the trick  :fc:

Old Shep

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • North Yorkshire
Re: Worried about weak twin
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2015, 09:12:45 pm »
So you were right to worry.  We had a suffolk X on her second lambing that although obviously had milk in her udder, nothing would come out at all, the lambs were raised as pets and she went on her "holidays". We have another that only works on one side although there is milk on both sides.  We are coming away from that line because of udder problems. 
Helen - (used to be just Shep).  Gordon Setters, Border Collies and chief lambing assistant to BigBennyShep.

lesbri

  • Joined Apr 2013
Re: Worried about weak twin
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2015, 09:46:58 am »
We will wait to see what happens after the oxytocin to decide what to do with this ewe. Such a shame, she was the first lamb I bred myself and a lovely looking girl and such a good mum (apart from no milk!!). Overnight, the boy is looking much better and I can't catch him to top him up so Im thinking he is getting enough from mum. The girl is still much weaker and enjoying her bottles so we shall see.

Great help from this forum. Although its my third year lambing Ive not had this problem before and always find the line between not jumping in too quickly and leaving it too late to help hard to find. Thanks again.

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Worried about weak twin
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2015, 10:37:18 am »
I always opt for "jumping in too quickly".  Much better a vet's bill than being stuck with an "if only" and crossed  fingers!

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Worried about weak twin
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2015, 12:30:41 pm »
sounds like she was maybe engorged and then too full to let them suckle right . stripping out is the best way in imo. remember to imitate the lamb when milking by nudging the udder, it helps the let down reflex.

 

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