The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: charls on April 05, 2014, 10:43:31 am
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Well it's our first ever lambing this year, we've only got 10 sheep and there have been a number of problems along the way... The latest being a ram lamb born yesterday, one of twins. He seems fit and healthy but has a deformed nose. Almost looks like a harelip problem, with the nostrils spread out and pushed to one side (it's hard to describe). I'm new to keeping sheep and wondered if anyone had experienced this before? Is it likely a genetic problem or has the ewe been infected by something? The ram lambs brother looks normal enough. I showed a photo to a (real) farmer who has hundreds of sheep and he'd never seen a case like it. The lamb is sucking OK for now and seems happy enough... but I wondered if I needed to do anything. The vet said as long as he is eating he should be fine and not to worry.
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As long as he seems happy and healthy otherwise, and can eat and drink fine, he should be fine until slaughter. Do his jaws seem OK, do you think he will be able graze/eat pellets and so on?
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As long as he can suck, and you think he'll be able to graze, he should be ok.
I had a lamb one year, who on first sight, had a deformed ear. But when you investigated it, there were little teeth there! It's as though she was supposed to have a twin and this was all that had come of the second one. The ear was somehow fastened to her throat, so that when she drank, some milk came out of her ear.
But for all that, she was a happy little thing, her mother liked her, and she thrived to butcher's weight.
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They all look the same next too roast potato's :)
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Can you get a look at the palate, or at least feel it? You would detect an anomaly if, as you think, it could be some type of hare lip. That might cause a problem with drinking and eating, or even breathing, but if not yes, Sunday dinner :(
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In ponies we d call that wry nose, does sound very much like it x