The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: mab on April 05, 2014, 08:42:07 pm
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well I've had my first ewe deliver today - out in the big field on the wettest day for over a month - and of course I had to rush out to work this am and only gave them a cursory look through the falling drizzle before setting off - didn't see the lambs & only discovered around lunchtime when I got back.
lambs looking OKish I think (though neighbour thinksthey both look a little underfed, but one lamb was away from mum looking unfed so got her into a pen in the shed (eventually) and put the lamb on the teat (the 2nd one as the 1st one was putting out pink stuff). Squeezed out the pink stuff whilst I was there and can feel a lump inside - for some reason I thought mastitis only happened later (i.e. not on day of birth).
called SOS to the neighbour and borrowed some A/B,s and some milk powder (thinking mum might not have enough on one side)and a tube of stuff to squirt into the teat (it's what he does with his sheep).
tried to give 'em both a bit of bottle but neither wanted much then one (that didn't look so unfed went onto mum).
Feeling rather guilty now for not checking properly this am , but :fc: they'll survive my mistake.
given them a small heat lamp as they looked a little shivery and the winds picking up (and it's still misty-drizzling).
so it begins...
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Hopefully mum and lambs will be ok mab
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thanks
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Hope you've caught it all early and they're all fine.
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Sounds like both lambs could do with some 'quick start' ... watch out for lambs getting hypothermic ..check temperatures are over 39 (voice of experience!) . Lack of food soon leads to hypothermia...... heat lamp only keeps warm it doesn't warm up. Stomach tube is better than bottle for lambs who are not feeding much... ensures they get enough.
They need feeding little and often.
:fc: they are all Ok.
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well they have taken some more milk (though I felt a bit bad about disturbing them when they're snuggled up to mum). then they went to mum for more even though they had walked away from the bottle (I guess they prefer mums.
I'm just wondering how often I should give them milk.
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If they are suckling from mum and do a good stretch when you disturb them, they should be fine. But the udder needs watching for a while - are the lambs taking any milk from the bad side? If not (as in the side feels full and tight) you will have to try and milk some out.
Also lambs would be better tube-fed, so they don't get confused between bottle and teats.
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Sometimes colostrum can appear quite thick and pink, so may not even be mastitis?
Sounds like she's well covered by the antibiotics if it is, if hard, hot udder, some anti-inflammatory painkillers may be of use, but if not, and the lambs are keen to suckle from her, i would leave them to it and keep an eye on them, like mentioned, making sure they stretch when you get them up, and don't look hunched up or hollow in the belly
best of luck with them
Suzanne
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thanks folks
they're still alive this am - and they don't look hunched - but am worried about the lamb that did look underfed yesterday - she's taking the bottle well enough (the other lamb doesn't seem keen), but she's struggling with the mum's teat, and when I do get her on mum she doesn't suck for long (though maybe other lamb's taking most of the milk?). She's also started sneezing in the last couple of hours and was looking a bit shivery again - am worried she may have missed out on mums colostrum - I've wrapped her in a wool jumper but wonder if I should take her indoors? - just to make things more difficult for her the rain is still dense, misty and horizontal & driving in everywhere.
the other lamb is looking perky and comforable and inquisitive by contrast, though am not certain she's getting enough milk from mum - which is why I keep trying her on the bottle.
did try squeezing out mums mastitis side 'cos it was looking full again but couldn't seem to get a lot out - may try again later (neighbour agrees with diagnosis and it's quite a red pink - and there's a hard lump in there).
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Would suspect poorly lamb has pneumonia - a/bs quick.
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that was my worry too - but she's stopped sneezing :fc: - at the mo' and my neighbour thinks it was probably just a bit of bottle milk up the nose - the teat has a larger hole than optimal and I may have tipped too much into her mouth.
squeezed out red ewe juice again and given her a bit of green Ivy - which she seems to pick odd leaves off.
still can't get this lamb to take more than a couple of sucks off mum though - farmer neighbour suggests letting her get properly hungry first (did try her before giving her the bottle) but I am worried about letting her go hungry and cold for long so soon.
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Marcus, have you got a heat lamp? I put a cardboard box without a lid or front on it under the lamp and then put the lamb in the box. Mum then sat by the side of the box.
I'm not sure the heat lamp was strictly necessary as it isn't that cold at the moment but it made me feel better anyway and the lamb looked nice and cosy.
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I do have a small one - trouble is the lambs have a habit of moving around and they don't seem to go back to where it's warming - they do seem to have taken to the old wooly jumper though - think I'll move the lamp (again) to where the jumper is.
will try the cardboard box too - it should keep the drafts off. :thumbsup:
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I still think a stomach tube is the way to feed the reluctant one (farmers can afford to lose the odd one!) ... starving it this young especially if it has not had a lot of colostrum wont help ... 50ml 4 x a day my vet recommended until it starts to suckle properly on mum .......... worked for two of mine. ... if you were closer I'd show you the technique ... but it not that difficult...
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well I may have overstated my concern for the one that won't take the bottle (or my concern has diminished) - she is suckling from mum (it's the one I'm bottle feeding that I worry didn't get enough colostrum);- they both looked very thin and hunched when I got them in yesterday but they both look better today I think - and the one that's on the bottle is certainly taking a lot more than 50ml*4 a day (more like 200ml*5) - so the other's presumably getting similar amounts from mum.
[size=78%] [/size]
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That sounds like rather a lot to me ... be careful of scours. The 50ml was to keep it going whilst keeping it a bit hungry to encourage suckling.....
Very pleased that both seem to be doing well. .. this weather is the pits for lambs.
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well she took a full 250ml on the 1st bottle yesterday - I guess she really was hungry - but it has tapered off a bit since.
it has actually stopped raining for the evening :excited: but there's another bout due overnight into the morning then a couple of days of colder dry - which should be a bit better.
much to my surprise I got bottle lamb to suckle mum this eve for a couple of mins :excited: though I'm going to assume mum won't have enough milk 'til I'm sure otherwise.
Oh and Butch, the huge ewe, might be birthing soon I'm thinking... maybe...
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Sure enough - Butch had triplets this am (torrential rain); all looking OKish but sodden - shooed them into the garage - Have been trying to get one or another to take the bottle (without any success as yet) as I don't know if she'll have enough.
mastitis ewe seems to have more solid lump and less milk to express today (though the milk is a paler pink than yesterday); Bottle lamb looking well - seems to have started suckling mum by herself ( :) ) but the[size=78%] other lamb seems thinner b comparison, and can't seem to get anyone to take the bottle now [/size] :( .
It's hard work this lambing business!
Understand Stanlamb's problem better now - the mastitis ewe's bottle lamb latched straight on on Saturday - must've been really hungry then.
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wow triplets ... what breed are they? Depending on breed (and individual) whether able to rear triplets...
You certainly didn't go for easy options for a first lambing!
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Easycare! :roflanim:
strictly speaking this isn't my 1st lambing - a few years ago my old shetlands had a go - but I seem to have forgotten everything since then - and one lamb / ewe is simpler.
Butch may be able to cope - I was hoping to get one to consider the bottle in case she didn't. Can't make up my mind whether to let her out onto grass now the rain's stopped, or keep them under cover for a night (I'm told grass will help best with milk production?).
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I've just put my last born out to grass as the sun came out fleetingly. The lamb was born on Saturday though.
So I now have 4 lambs out there. Despite the really heavy rain for a couple for nights the other 3 look fine.
I am sure you will make the right decision.
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Thanks Bionic,
Still worried about mastitis ewe - her milk looks normal today, but the lump is getting bigger rather than smaller - shouldn't it be going down? It's quite difficult to get much milk out now, though I have seen the lambs trying. Otherwise she's quite perky, eating well and I'm guessing very keen to get out onto grass.
I've been giving strep & pen every day and trying inexpertly to squeeze her out (and she had a long lasting one and the tube) and I'm due to give her another jab tomorrow; [size=78%]not sure what else to do, though I think I'll give the vet a bell tomorrow.[/size]