The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: crobertson on April 26, 2018, 03:23:00 pm
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At 4am this morning I noticed our last ewe due had passed her water bag but showed no other signs of lambing - she acted completely normal. We checked her every 15/20 minutes, again absolutely nothing just wondering around eating hay with the others and no dilation. By 7.30am I thought this wasn't right and rang our on call vet who agreed and said if shes clearly not in any distress he'll make his way over for 8.30 to check her over. Over he came (he was fab), he was slightly puzzled himself, she had clearly done stage 1 of labour but that was it, she had completely stopped, not dilating, never had any contractions and was now starting to pass slightly darker fluid so he thought she was aborting her lamb and really a c-section was the only option to reduce the risk to her if we left her longer as it had been at least 5 hours since her waterbag appeared. He tried to manually feel due as she hadn't dilated it was quite difficult and didn't hope much for the lamb.
Anyway, after the c-section were are relieved to have 2 live lambs but the mother completely ignored them (understandably). On the vets advice we left her for half an hour on her own to see if she would come round (we could see from a spot she didn't know where we were) but she never once tried to clean them up. The tup lamb was quite active and tried to suckle but kept getting knocked away by the ewe, which then she did try to butt it quite hard so we removed the lambs and penned them next to her. Every 30 minutes we are getting in and trying to get the lambs to suckle, which they are one at a time, the ewe really doesn't like it and flees to the corner of her pen turning away but if we make her she does let them suckle. However, if left with her she is quite hostile with them.
We will persist with getting the lambs to suckle for now so they get plenty of colostrum but need to make a decision as to whether they are now orphaned and need bottle rearing (I wouldn't trust the ewe with them overnight at all). We can milk her to get enough colostrum for overnight or continue with persistent feeding if required. We are amazed to have 2 live lambs and obviously don't want to risk any injury (or worse) to them but when do you call it a day with knowing the ewe has definitely rejected them ?? Its our first c-section and first rejected lambs. I can completely understand shes been through quite a trauma, shes had everything she needs from the vets but gather by not going through labour she doesn't even know the lambs are hers.
Could really do with some advise !! :( :( :( and the vet has no idea why things just stopping or what could of caused it either
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What a lot of bad luck - for you, the ewe and the lambs too.
I’d be inclined to persist for several days, even a week if you can, keeping the lambs next to her - but safe - and going in every three to four hours to hold her while they suckle. I’ve had quite a few ewes over the years have taken a long time to take to their lambs after difficult birthings, but they nearly all come around if you can be patient.
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I would absolutely support Sally's advice. It's good for the ewe to be suckled - helps shrink everything back down. It can take a few days, but don't give up. Tell her it's for her own good :thumbsup:
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As above- keep persevering. I had a similar situation this year where a ewe needed vet help, she had been lambing for quite some time before the vet managed to get to me in the snow. Got a live lamb but she never licked the lamb once and interestingly didn’t pass the afterbirth naturally herself. She was scanned for twins and whilst the vet was searching for the second twin the afterbirth came away. In fact she only had 1 lamb and must have absorbed the other. I don’t think she ever realised she had lambed. Persevered for 2 weeks but gave up in the end and she became a friend for my other pet triplet lamb. I’ll try her again next year. I would keep your lambs under a lamp and persevere with them although if no progress after the weekend she’s very unlikely to take them. Probably worth topping them up with colostrum either milked from the ewe or powdered if they have had some natural colostrum already.
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Thank you we will carry on trying to get the lambs on her, if I hold a cup of pellets in front of her she will let them suckle very briefly until shes finished but straight away nudges them off and then goes to try and head butt them away. She is absolutely fine with me sitting in and milking her, don't need to tempt her she just nibbles hay so shes clearly not in pain but as soon as the lambs are in the pen, it is them she doesn't like / doesn't recognise as hers.
We will continue to persist but I really don't hold out much hope, she shows absolutely no interest in them, never licked them, not bleated to them, not responded to their bleats, doesn't even look at them .... poor things !!
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Tie her up with either a small halter ( you can make your own out of bale twine ) or a dog collar on the end of baler twine , so she can't kill the lambs and keep the lambs with her . May need oxytocin to make her let milk down ? For me she would either take the lambs inside a week or go as a cull , ewes after a difficult lambing often have no interest in their lambs they just need time
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Can you knock up some type of lamb adopter, (see on ebay for ideas) or even see if a neighbour has one you could borrow , keeps the lambs safe from the mother while allowing them to feed. As others have said it takes time and a lot of patience. Is this the first time for her to lamb??
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Thank you for your advice and RCTman yes, she is a first timer, usually very friendly with me. I have been continuing to ensure the lambs get plenty of drinks as she is most relaxed with me but she is getting increasingly worse with the lambs and really bashed one of the lambs into the hurdle and I really did think she'd hurt it but luckily it just seemed a bit stunned. Will continue overnight but I do genuinely feel there is nothing there to work on but time will tell.
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It is really up to you and how much time you have got.... I have had success with one of mine after a few days, but she did do the same thing again he year after. She was brilliant by year 3...
If you decide to bottle feed the earlier you switch to the bottle the easier/quicker for the lambs to get used to that, in my experience.
I have one this year that was rejected by his dam but she loves the twin...