The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: suziequeue on April 17, 2015, 09:56:36 pm

Title: Lamb a strange shape!! - now with pix
Post by: suziequeue on April 17, 2015, 09:56:36 pm: OH reported that a lamb born this week seems "twisted". I thought it might just be the way he was lying in utero and would straighten out now he is out of the womb but when I got home this afternoon he definitely has some sort of fixed skeletal abnormality - almost like a scoliosis in his thoracic spine.

He's walking about - albeit slightly crab-wise (I couldn't catch him this evening) - but on the whole he isn't very active and it looks like his resting respiratory rate is high because I don't think his ribcage is working at a very good mechanical advantage to help him breath fully.

We haven't had anything like this before. We have always got rams in from outside so I don't think there is any cross breeding that might give rise to a recessive trait being expressed. All the other 14 lambs born so far this year are fine but we do have one ewe who hasn't lambed yet (but the tup was in for six weeks so maybe she was just slow to take) so she may have aborted after scanning - which makes me think ? exposure to something. We had another lamb die of asphyxiation (membrane over nose)…… so all in all not a good year so far…… and now this!!

Anybody have any ideas?

I have tried searching on the internet and only found Spider Lamb Syndrome. It certainly doesn't look like that.

I am concerned that if it is genetic or exposure…...… then I need to act on that. If the lamb dies I will definitely be getting PM and genetic testing.

I will hopefully get some good pix tomorrow.
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!!
Post by: kanisha on April 17, 2015, 10:17:35 pm: schmallenberg....
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!!
Post by: Me on April 17, 2015, 10:30:49 pm: You are right to seek advice two heads are always better than one
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!!
Post by: Fleecewife on April 18, 2015, 12:35:43 am: Did the ewe give birth to that naturally, Me, or did she need a caesarean? There were apparently a lot of calves born with similar deformities years ago in fields around a factory chimney in Central Scotland. I can't remember what the factory was spewing out.

I'll wait for pics Suziequeue, as these things are always so difficult to pinpoint without.
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!!
Post by: Me on April 18, 2015, 09:53:21 am: Pulled out with difficulty (ewe ok)
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!!
Post by: Marches Farmer on April 18, 2015, 10:01:58 am: There have been reports of cases of Schmallenberg this year, still awaiting confirmation from the AHVLA, I believe. It sounds like one we had when Schmallenberg was going the rounds the first time around. Vet was there as the ewe had to have a Caesarean and the lamb was both twisted and its' rib cage deformed. He euthanased and performed a PM on the spot. That said, there will always be a small number of deformed lambs born every year. If you think it's struggling......
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!!
Post by: Rosemary on April 18, 2015, 02:03:04 pm: Quote from: Me on April 17, 2015, 10:30:49 pm
Two heads are always better than one

On a thread about lambs being a strange shape? I think not ;D
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!!
Post by: shygirl on April 18, 2015, 02:05:10 pm: Quote from: Rosemary on April 18, 2015, 02:03:04 pm
Quote from: Me on April 17, 2015, 10:30:49 pm
Two heads are always better than one

On a thread about lambs being a strange shape? I think not ;D

my thoughts too, ha ha
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!!
Post by: Me on April 18, 2015, 02:06:57 pm: :innocent:
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!!
Post by: Hellybee on April 18, 2015, 02:19:33 pm: From what I've read it seems that the earlier thyre tuppedthe more likely to contract it.
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!!
Post by: suziequeue on April 19, 2015, 08:07:40 am: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2s9aehopegimd00/AACtc3wszAU3_U_Y4--GfNcja?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9u1s4r8ysovilww/AABHpTa3lNtmG-QCXa-h_mqXa?dl=0)

Link to photos of lamb are here. Please let me know if the link doesn't work…..

I really don't think it is Schmallenberg. The tup went in in November, all the other lambs are fine and this lamb's legs and jaw are normal.

I am increasingly beginning to think it's just one of those things - just like in humans…. but any expertise on here would be great
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!!
Post by: Louise Gaunt on April 19, 2015, 08:12:23 am: Humans can have spinal deformity due to abnormalities in vertebral segmentation, with extra half vertebrae on one side, butterfly shaped vertebrae and fused vertebrae. Looking at your lamb that may be the problem . Only an x-Ray would confirm this - as a radiologist in my previous life I would say that!
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!! - now with pix
Post by: suziequeue on April 19, 2015, 08:21:00 am: Thanks Louise

Yes - that is a good idea. I am very interested to know what's going on.

The vet didn't seem too hot on my idea of a PM and DNA analysis and I appreciate that in the big scheme of things it's not worth it ………..but I am very interested to know what's going on there for my own education - so an XRay might be a good compromise.

The plan is to just let him be for now. He's pottering about and Mum loves him. If he's still alive when it comes to weaning then we will wean him with the others and then dispatch.
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!! - now with pix
Post by: Herdygirl on April 19, 2015, 08:21:05 pm: Poor little thing :'(
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!! - now with pix
Post by: Gremlin on March 18, 2018, 09:00:25 pm: Did you ever find the cause of your lamb's deformity? Just interested.
Title: Re: Lamb a strange shape!! - now with pix
Post by: suziequeue on April 05, 2018, 01:20:03 pm: No we didn’t gremlin. After a while we forgot all about it. He carried on fine until he ended up in the freezer with th rest of them -)