Author Topic: ewe off legs (Read 3635 times)

DartmoorLiz · « **on:** February 25, 2017, 04:10:36 pm »

We hep'd and wormed yesterday. Lambing due to start on 20 March. Found a ewe lying down in the field. Her legs are under her and her abdomen looks a bit like a pancake around her. eyes bright. Head up but weak. No obvious neurological issues. She's warm and calm.

Gave her 60ml calciject 6 under the skin on her tummy. Anything else I can do?

shep53 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2017, 06:47:19 pm »

Sounds like Hypocalcaemia in which case she should be up and looking ok , if not then TLD ?

Gunnermark · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2017, 09:08:39 pm »

Fair chance of twin lamb. I would give her some Drench.

Anke · « **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2017, 09:19:36 pm »

If they can't get up I would probably have got the vet to give Calciject IV rather than SC. Can be brought on by stress from vaccination etc.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #4 on:** February 26, 2017, 09:29:22 am »

Vet, asap. At this stage of pregnancy I'd always recommend erring on the side of caution or you could lose the ewes and her lambs.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #5 on:** February 26, 2017, 12:16:21 pm »

How is she today, Liz?

Hillview Farm · « **Reply #6 on:** February 27, 2017, 07:27:17 am »

I had a ewe down this year 6 weeks from lambing with TLD. I don't see the need for the vet in my opinion. I gave calcium for two days and drenched with glycol twice a day and she was up two days later.

Two weeks away from lambing she's still pottering around but still on the glycol.

I asked advice and was told to pts as she'll never make it to lambing. Don't panic

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #7 on:** February 27, 2017, 08:57:28 am »

TLD can sometimes occur due to stress. The only case we've had was down to an abscess on her leg due to a blackthorn wound - couldn't see it due to woolly legs on Southdowns. We give the ewes a booster jab 4 weeks before lambing but leave them alone otherwise, unless there's an urgent problem.

DartmoorLiz · « **Reply #8 on:** February 27, 2017, 11:49:01 am »

Sadly she died that night. She did not respond to the calciject so I treated for Twin lamb disease with glucose drench. She perked up a bit that evening, showing signs of feeling thirsty but by the morning she was dead. I just can't face doing a post mortum. Peakes are collecting her today or tomorrow.

Reading around, TLD seems to sometimes be from too much glucose - like diabetes in people and excessive thirst indicates that might have been the problem.

We seem to be between a rock and a hard place because I need to give hep-p and wormer close to lambing but its very likely that the stress of gathering killed her. I feel awful and am wondering if I should not just rent the land out to someone who can do it better.

shotblastuk · « **Reply #9 on:** February 27, 2017, 07:18:26 pm »

Don't give it up, you will be surprised how much knowledge you will have gained in a short space of time. I lost my first ewe in four seasons this year. Gutted.
Sheep and lambing in particular are mentally and physically draining and can create some odd low feelings but this will all subside when the grass is growing, lambs are pinging and the ewes are cudding.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #10 on:** February 28, 2017, 02:35:26 am »

So sorry that you lost her

but don't beat yourself up. In my experience, having had quite a few downers over the years on moorland and upland farms up north, they often make an almost immediate recovery after the first calcium injection, but of those which don't respond to the first jag, more will die than live. Those which recover usually do fine, lamb and rear no bother.

When we first bought the moorland farm, we lost loads of sheep to stress-related problems. The sheep had been cared for the same farmer - and dog - all their lives, and these new people and dogs were very strange. It was daunting; we had the same worries you do, on a larger scale - do we not treat, so not gather and stress them, or what?

After the first year, we lost less, considerably less, each year to stress, as the sheep got used to their new carers and we got better at handling them. We did still have lossss, as you would expect with 500 sheep going the tup on a moorland farm in the far north of England. But the worry that our inexperience or ineptitude was a contributory factor lessened year by year - although never dwindled to zero, one is always learning. :/

Heptavac-p itself is stressful for the ewes, so if there is an underlying weakness in addition to the pregnancy, then gathering and handling plus the vaccine itself can cause a collapse. But if you don't vaccinate and then get losses that could be one of the diseases it covers, you'll feel just as bad, or worse.

It isn't easy, being responsible for livestock.

DartmoorLiz · « **Reply #11 on:** February 28, 2017, 01:33:24 pm »

Thanks guys. The good news is no others have gone down and my 2 skinnies are bouncing about like spring lambs. My neighbour (who might rent the field if offered) is having the same difficulties so it is just that time of year.

harmony · « **Reply #12 on:** February 28, 2017, 01:42:10 pm »

None of us are born knowing everything and part of learning is to experience. Unfortunately with animals the learning curve can be a steep and sometimes cruel one. When you only have a few animals your losses are perhaps greater than when you have many times more. On the other hand when you only have a few stock it easier to spot a problem and you will often spot a problem sooner. With many stock it is impossible to account for every head every day. So, don't beat yourself up. We have all been there.