The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Hillview Farm on April 14, 2013, 09:25:24 pm

Title: How to treat scours in lambs?
Post by: Hillview Farm on April 14, 2013, 09:25:24 pm
Got a lamb who is 6 days old now who has started to scour lightly, still the yellow stuff. Acting and feeding fine just loose, his twin is passing normally.

My ewes are very milky and they do seem to feed them a lot so could it just be he's over doing it?

Do I see how it goes or treat him? If so, what treatment?
Title: Re: How to treat scours in lambs?
Post by: FiB on April 14, 2013, 09:30:37 pm
sorry no advice but watching (and real newby question to add - when is it classed as scours?  our first born (2 days now)has a lot of sticky yellow poo around bum, but seems all fine - I just assumed that was the colour first poo was, but no worrying that it isnt 'normal'?).  Good luck
Title: Re: How to treat scours in lambs?
Post by: Hillview Farm on April 14, 2013, 09:33:01 pm
Thats perfectly normal to have yellow sticky poo!
Title: Re: How to treat scours in lambs?
Post by: suziequeue on April 14, 2013, 10:09:36 pm
Yellow sticky poo is good and a sign that milk is making it's way from one end to the other.

I am interested to know "when is a scour not a scour?" Or - on a more classical note:

 "to scour or not to scour - that is the question.
 Whether is it nobler in the bum to suffer
the squirts and farts of milky yellow poo,
or to take up pink medicine against a sea of watery stink,
and by opposing - end it.
Title: Re: How to treat scours in lambs?
Post by: kumquat on April 15, 2013, 07:38:29 am

 "to scour or not to scour - that is the question.
 Whether is it nobler in the bum to suffer
the squirts and farts of milky yellow poo,
or to take up pink medicine against a sea of watery stink,
and by opposing - end it.
fantastic  :roflanim: :roflanim:
Title: Re: How to treat scours in lambs?
Post by: FiB on April 15, 2013, 08:39:35 am
Yellow sticky poo is good and a sign that milk is making it's way from one end to the other.

I am interested to know "when is a scour not a scour?" Or - on a more classical note:

 "to scour or not to scour - that is the question.
 Whether is it nobler in the bum to suffer
the squirts and farts of milky yellow poo,
or to take up pink medicine against a sea of watery stink,
and by opposing - end it.
??
 
 :roflanim:  beautifully put - so milky yellow :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:   , watery stink  :(  ?
 
SO Hillview - what does twin's 'normal' poo look like?  I am interested in the differences and shades of normal....  (very big learning curve ahead of me I know)
Title: Re: How to treat scours in lambs?
Post by: Marches Farmer on April 15, 2013, 11:21:35 am
So, to move on from Shakespeare to a more prosaic note .......   A lamb will pass a long string (like a necklace), of brown poo soon after birth - this is the stuff that's been in its intestines pre-birth and you often won't see it as it'll get trampled into the bedding if lambing inside.  First few days the muck is mustardy yellow and sticky - think of the richness and colour of colostrum and you can see why. You need to check the anus is it can dry quickly and get mixed in with bedding material and form a "bung" which will need removing. Then it becomes darkish brown and more formed but still soft as they're not having fibrous food.  If this changes then alarm bells should ring!  Most common is probably coccidiosis - the dung is watery and a drab, almost greenish brown, around the same tone as khaki. It will spread around a wider area below the tail and the inside of the back legs.  This will quickly kill a lamb - a dose of Vecoxan will stop it fast if caught straight away.
Title: Re: How to treat scours in lambs?
Post by: The Irish Shepherd on April 15, 2013, 10:50:26 pm
HillView,

you have 2 things you can do,

give it a double dose of spectam

or

1cc of pen, or another short acting white antibiotic


 
Title: Re: How to treat scours in lambs?
Post by: Hillview Farm on April 16, 2013, 10:47:52 am
HillView,

you have 2 things you can do,

give it a double dose of spectam

or

1cc of pen, or another short acting white antibiotic

Perfect thank you! Hes fine now but I know for next time!