The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: onnyview on February 28, 2012, 09:24:41 pm
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So, last year red stripe, one of our Hill radnor ewes lambed, but the lamb died after a few days (took advise about leaving her to it and not to tube feed the lamb ???) red strip got mastitis, which was treated with antibiotics.
She is a lovely ewe and I wanted to give her another go this year and so put her in with the earlies to lamb, hoping to foster her lambs on if worst came to worst and the mastitis had caused permanent damage.
2 days ago she lambed two beautiful twin ewes. No milk let down at birth :(. All ewes lambing after her produced twins. ::)
Tube fed both lambs 75--100 mls of colostrum straight away. Checked half an hour later, lambs cleaned and dried by mom and heads up on both lambs. Still no milk from mother, teats look like barrage balloons now but STILL no milk coming from the ends. Bottle fed lambs again (100mls of colostrum) and I am now thinking the worst for the ewe. Five hours later and her teats are full of milk- but the efforts of me and hubby have failed to get anything from her teats. Lambs have by now had about 400mls of colostrum and are looking well.
As a last resort we take ewe to the vet - expect a poor prognosis--- but who finally managed to unblock her teats!
Took Rec Stripe home, turned her over and got largest lamb to suck straight away, but smallest reluctant so topped up with milk and left them all to it. Topped up both lambs at 1.30am and left them both until 6.00am this morning. One teat looked normal size and largest lamb suckling well, smaller lamb not so keen, offered bottle and she took a bit.
This afternoon, both teats back to normal size and smallest lamb turned her nose up at the bottle and went to feed from mum.
I am sooo happy that I stepped in straight away and fed them colostrum as I am sure neither one would have survived. I am also very happy I listened to hubby who thought she was worth taking to the vet and not giving up on her just yet! :thumbsup:
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Well done and good for you :bouquet: just goes to show patience reaps rewards, give yourselves a very large pat on the back.
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Gosh that must be such a satisfying feeling. Bet you will be caught creeping out in the wee hours just to watch them drinking and sleeping!! :thumbsup:
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:love:aahh lovely photos pleeease :sheep:
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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That is great news :thumbsup:. The moral of the tale is to deal with the problem, whatever it is, quickly and decisively for positive results. Dithering around wondering 'should I, shouldn't I' seems to end in failure.
Yes, piccies please :sheep: :sheep: :sheep:
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Great story, great result. :thumbsup: :)
Well done for going with your gut instinct - and for giving her a chance with the vet, too.
The only reasons I wouldn't tube colostrum into a lamb I was worried about would be :
- if I thought it already had a full stomach and I'd bloat it
- if I thought it had scours or watery mouth and the colostrum would make it worse (in which case I'd use Rehydion in water, or PSF)
- if it was so cold it was past coping with food in its stomach, in which case I'd get it warm and then get some food into it
Dot's Thermovite paste sounds like something you could use in all the above circs except being too cold. Dot, you will have to work on those folks to produce it in smaller quantities so we can all buy some!
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Congratulations - well done you. And Red Stripe and OH too :thumbsup:
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How rewarding for you, well done for persevering! :thumbsup:
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Excellent result :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Good news :thumbsup:. Hill Radnor lambs are so special as well. Just been watching twins jumping around in a field of Shropshire ewes and lambs. Little thugs among the sedentary Shropshires and so worth watching.
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That is really great news :)
Do you happen to know what the vet did to unblock the teats?
By the way, I can't see any reason why anyone would advise you would not give a new born lamb colostum if in doubt. Good job you ignored them this year. :)
If it's not had any it will die anyway if it doesn't get any.
If it's had a feed, then a bit more won't do any harm. You wouldn't mistake a lamb that's full to bursting with one that's had nothing.
If it's got scours or watery mouth then you are too late, it's not new born, as these conditions take at least 2 days to develop. Colostrum should be given within the first 12 hours after birth.
If it is new born, cold and floppy then colostrum is essential. The act of giving warm colostrum by stomach tube has an instant effect of warming and reviving and bringing it back to life.
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If it is new born, cold and floppy then colostrum is essential. The act of giving warm colostrum by stomach tube has an instant effect of warming and reviving and bringing it back to life.
Not wanting to cause a fuss, but now I am confused as I have always been taught that if a lamb is hypothermic, then you must warm it first then feed it or give intraperioneal (sp?) glucose?
Any thought's most welcome ;D
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Our vets gave us the following info:
Check for abnormalities and towel dry (if wet)
Take temperature (Normal temp: 39-40C)
Temp: 37-39C Any age Looks like it can swallow -stomach tube colostrum
Below 37C less than 6 hours old warm once temp is 37-stomach tube colostrum warm to 39C and return to ewe
Below 37C more than 6 hours old Head up able to swallow - stomach tube with colostrum, then warm, at 39C return to ewe
Below 37C more than 6 hours old Head down unable to swallow - intrapertitoneal glucose then warm, once 37C stomach tube colostrum at 39C return to ewe
Colostrum: 200ml/kg body weight in first 18 hours of life over several feeds.
Stomach tubing: 50ml colostrum / kg body weight 3/day
Intraperitoneal glucose: 10ml of 20% glucose/kg body weight (use 2.5cm 19 gauge needle on 50ml syringe)
Inject 1cm to side and 2.5cm below navel at 45degree angle to the skin (towards tail)
Hope that is useful!
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Well done. :)
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squeasy, thank your vet from me - I've bookmarked that post!
Mind, I haven't ever done or seen done the intraperitoneal, so I think I'd better get a demo from my vet...
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I've done it on 4 lambs in total in a period of 3 years but only 1 of them survived. I think there's a fine line between recovery and total flatliner when they are in this state. The lamb that survived was sat on by his mum and very cold. the injection isn't difficult and you've got nothing to loose you can't really do any more harm because they are so near death anyway!
One of the others recovered for a while to the point of lifting it's head but died later we think from a pinched heart, or lack of oxygen where it took mum a long time to lamb him.
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Thanks for that!
Every day a school day eh? :thumbsup:
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Yes - thanks for the more detailed info, Squeasy, that's really good.
I was in fact just giving an easy rule of thumb for those that probably haven't got a thermometer and wouldn't feel happy about giving an intraperitoneal injection.
Also, I did stress "new born" lamb as once it's past @6 hours old it's chances of survival are not good, as Feldar says.
As for warming - yes that's important but I warm the lamb while I'm preparing the colostum and however cold it is, so long as it has some movement and isn't completely moribund, then stomach tubing will work.
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Yes - thanks for the more detailed info, Squeasy, that's really good.
I was in fact just giving an easy rule of thumb for those that probably haven't got a thermometer and wouldn't feel happy about giving an intraperitoneal injection.
Also, I did stress "new born" lamb as once it's past @6 hours old it's chances of survival are not good, as Feldar says.
As for warming - yes that's important but I warm the lamb while I'm preparing the colostum and however cold it is, so long as it has some movement and isn't completely moribund, then stomach tubing will work.
Its all well and good me having it on a piece of paper - but for you and feldar who have done it your experience is where we gain our real information!! (thank you) - Do you take the lamb inside with you as you make up the colostrum? and where do you get your syringes and needles from? - just in case I need to use my bit of paper :)
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Yes, I bring them inside and put them near a radiator or hot water bottle while I make up the colostrum.
Usually I get needles and syringes from the vet. They are not expensive. Our feed store also sells them, but not a very good range of sizes - I really hate having to use a 6inch knitting needle on a little lamb. :sheep:
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Thanks for this story. I'm going to bookmark this thread for next year!
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Stick em in front of the aga while i make up the stuff i need,colostrum is from Osmands and needles etc can be bought from agri store, i tube lamb with it between my knees on the floor getting head well back so tube goes down the right pipe. if i have to inject they say tip lamb downwards but the hamps are so big and usually still slimey, so i just lay over on back and don't push the needle in too far, you want to just push through the skin wall into the peritoneal cavity.
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Yes, I bring them inside and put them near a radiator or hot water bottle while I make up the colostrum.
Usually I get needles and syringes from the vet. They are not expensive. Our feed store also sells them, but not a very good range of sizes - I really hate having to use a 6inch knitting needle on a little lamb. :sheep:
Thank you so much this is really helpful. I will be off to the vets in the morning!
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Stick em in front of the aga while i make up the stuff i need,colostrum is from Osmands and needles etc can be bought from agri store, i tube lamb with it between my knees on the floor getting head well back so tube goes down the right pipe. if i have to inject they say tip lamb downwards but the hamps are so big and usually still slimey, so i just lay over on back and don't push the needle in too far, you want to just push through the skin wall into the peritoneal cavity.
Thank you for your advice. I hope not to need it- but I feel it is so much better to be prepared for everything, and to use all of your real life experience.