Author Topic: Milk Goitre in hair sheep ??? (Read 3942 times)

devonlad · « **on:** May 26, 2016, 06:55:29 pm »

Evening all
Below are a couple of pictures of "April" ( born April 1st ha ha ), who is a single ewe lamb (her mum is "Shaun The Sheep", hence the S).
She is a strapping healthy beast and we have already decided we will keep her. Although she wasn't born with it, she has developed this noticeable swelling under her chin, which at first we dismissed as just a "bit jowelly". however, both her and a further ram lamb are now both sporting noticeable swellings. My good friend Mr Google suggests that milk goitres,, often associated with goats, are not unheard of in hair sheep, like our Wilts Horns. Would be grateful as always for any further wisdom and thoughts about how this might pan out longer term

Anke · « **Reply #1 on:** May 26, 2016, 07:57:14 pm »

I have had them in goat kids and unless you are in an iodine deficient area are not anything to worry about.They should disappear by the time the Kids/lambs are about 6 months old.

Sbom · « **Reply #2 on:** May 26, 2016, 08:10:39 pm »

Fluke can make them jowly ??

devonlad · « **Reply #3 on:** May 26, 2016, 08:31:24 pm »

I would never rule out anything.
Iodine ? I know we are in an iodine deficient area. I work as a crop nutritionist and spend much of my time testing soils all over Devon. I rarely test a field that isn't deficient. we always provide iodine rich salt licks as well as buckets. we have never gone to the extent of bolussing though but as we're quite low in stocking rate id be surprised if it was that. also I understand that iodine deficiency tends to be apparent at birth.
we live in an area that is flagged as being a high fluke risk so we are pretty on the ball with it, mums are drenched ( wormer and separate flukicide) just after lambing and this started appearing at about 10 days old. from what ive read it sounds like milk goitre, but I guess time will tell

Tim W · « **Reply #4 on:** May 26, 2016, 09:47:53 pm »

Don't worry ---I have this in most of my hair sheep every year. It is just a sign of a good healthy and fast growing sheep
Usually occurs when they are on good grass/clover & will disappear with time

Ignore the doom merchants

If it's parasites the bulge is further up the jaw (bottle jaw)

Helen Wiltshire Horn · « **Reply #5 on:** May 27, 2016, 12:49:51 pm »

Yes I had the same with my WH lambs last year. To be honest none of them were very good looking! I have just sent last years lambs for meat and kept 3 and they have grown into handsome animals with not a sign of any jowlyness.
Helen