The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: DartmoorLiz on April 01, 2017, 05:58:53 pm

Title: Lamb with no anus
Post by: DartmoorLiz on April 01, 2017, 05:58:53 pm
Found a somewhat round lamb at 12 hours old, checked him out and there was no poo, there was nowhere for it to get out.  Took him to the vet who surgically made an exit (not too expensive at £53).  He is now a week old and doing well.  :fc:


Has anyone come across this before, is it inherited? Should I not breed from his mum or sister or dad :-\ ?
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: Old Shep on April 01, 2017, 06:11:18 pm
We've seen it once, not sure if its hereditary but I wouldn't the the chance of breeding from that one, but I would breed the mother again.
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: shep53 on April 01, 2017, 08:20:31 pm
Had maybe 6 or so  , couple of ewe lambs  who naturally poo'ed and peed out the same hole   and  a few males  , couple operated on by the vets with mixed results ,  couple put to sleep as the blockage was a long way back .  Told it  is random 
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: farmershort on April 01, 2017, 08:34:52 pm
Yeah we've seen it once. I put the lamb out of it's pain.
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: sheepandponies on April 02, 2017, 07:25:39 am
Yes had one some years ago.  Took it into my vet who performed a procedure.  All went well for quite a few weeks then I realised that the placement of the urethra was also wrong so he was PTS.  Hope you have a better outcome but if it happened to me again I might not have the first procedure performed and just have the lamb PTS.
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: Marches Farmer on April 02, 2017, 09:30:47 am
Never seen this, but wouldn't breed from that ewe again if I did.
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: Tim W on April 02, 2017, 12:31:12 pm
Seen a few, years back --- was just a thin membrane so pierced it ourselves , much cheaper than £53 and took 30 secs.

Sell fat though ---why keep anything that isn't perfect ?
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: DartmoorLiz on April 02, 2017, 03:52:22 pm
Thanks all.  He is still doing well :fc: .
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: SallyintNorth on April 03, 2017, 11:10:21 pm
Yes, saw this several times on the moorland farm in Swales and Mules, and very very rarely on the upland farm with Texel types.

We always had them pts.  I did keep track and we never had any second occurrences from the same mothers, but nonetheless, if the mothers were aged they'd be culled next time, and we didn't keep any of their daughters on for breeding.
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: bj_cardiff on April 04, 2017, 07:00:46 am
I had a lamb that always seemed a bit odd, always a bit thin and was often found away from the others. It often had a dirty backside and when trimming away the dags it started to strain and groan and I noticed it had no anus. Poor thing must of been in agony. I had her PTS straight away
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: Coximus on April 04, 2017, 08:19:08 am
Sell fat - and tbh, sell the mother as a cull - any problem like that is a potential welfare issue if you perpetuate the genetics... cull the family and save a good ewe lamb from your best ewes.
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: DartmoorLiz on April 04, 2017, 09:29:11 am
Thanks guys, mother and sister will go.  He's not doing so well now, seems to have trapped wind.  is drinking about half his usual ration and walking around making the odd groaning sound.  Tried to massage his abdo and got some wind but still uncomfortable.  Will make a final decision at lunch time. :'(
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: Louise Gaunt on April 04, 2017, 11:13:21 am
He may have other gut strictures higher up causing a partial gut blockage.
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: DartmoorLiz on April 04, 2017, 08:27:35 pm
I think you are right.  Either that or he is constipated through dehydration due to being unable to make formed stools.  I've been offering him warm water in a bottle and he has ad lib water which he dips his lips into.  He's still going because he does not look too uncomfortable too much of the time but he has declined all offers of milk or water since lunchtime so the writing's on the wall.  Final final decision just after breakfast :yuck: :tired: :gloomy: :poo:
Title: Re: Lamb with no anus
Post by: mowhaugh on April 06, 2017, 12:00:57 pm
I remember my grandad sorting this on the odd swale lamb with his pocket knife when I was wee. I an NOT recommending this method, but they always seemed to do fine until they went store.