The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: abc123 on March 31, 2019, 05:07:55 pm
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Hello, :wave:
I have 4 bottle lambs. 2 texels and 2 suffolk crosses. The texels are a week older than the suffolks, and one of the suffolks wont get up. Every time I feed them, it thrashes around lying on its side scraping the straw out from underneath it so its exposed to the concrete underneath, and only feeds when its lying down. Every few minutes it does a deep belching bleat as though its in pain. It can walk but only for a few seconds at a time, then its legs just give way. Im worried it will hurt itself one day. It does feed, just milk, it doesnt get up to eat anything else, or even water. All its feed is milk 3 times a day.
My only consolation is I had to tube feed it before and now its feeding from a bottle?
Any ideas what could be wrong? Also the other suffolk has scours which I am treating with Molecare Scour Formula Plus from mole valley farmers, but doesnt seem to be all that keen on it it only about 150ml this morning and was very stubborn >:(
The vet has been twice but has given me some vaccines to give it but they dont seem to have done anything.I guess my main question is is it worth the time and money or do I just knock it on the head?
TIA :)
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You need to hold it in the correct position as you feed it or the milk won’t get into the correct stomach - and yes, it will be in pain if the milk is going into the rumen.
How old is it? We had a floppy lamb once, didn’t manage to stand for the first ten days but it came right. If it’s been longer than that, I’d think the portents are not good.
What does the vet think it is? Did they mention swayback at all? Swayback is caused by copper deficiency in utero, and leaves skeletal weaknesses. If it’s swayback and it can’t stand now, it’s unlikely to.
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You say it sounds in pain , so I think you know the answer :bouquet: . You don't say if it did this from birth ? if yes could be oxygen starvation ??
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Sorry for the slow reply. Thanks sally and shep53 i think i do kniw the answer now yes. I brought them at a week old so I dont know about oxygen starvation. I did wonder though. No sally the vet didnt mention swayback. She thoyght it might be a navel infection from dirty lambing conditions or some other birth issue like that. But nothing has worked.
I think its curtains for it now. :-\
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Fyi, the vet came yesterday and said theres no point carrying on with it. So he put it to sleep. Thank you all for your advice.
It is now well buried to stop anything finding it. Especially the buzzards that have been looking suspiscious for a few other things recently. ::)
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]It is now well buried to stop anything finding it
Opps
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Probably best not to broadcast that you buried it ! Ought to have been collected by the knackerman or local hunt.
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oh....oops :eyelashes:
thanks
well they are pets so i guess that makes it exempt. ;)
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The comtaminated water courses dont know it is a pet.
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https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fallen-stock#ban-on-burying-or-burning-fallen-stock (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fallen-stock#ban-on-burying-or-burning-fallen-stock)
Note the pet section- whilst you can bury pets it doesn’t apply to farmed animal species so no you cannot bury your pet sheep or lamb.
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You are going to need a ticket from the fall stock chap for your movement book as you have movement
on to your holding and not off
I think you will have to dig it up and call fallen stock
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True. I hadnt thought of that.
Ill dig it up if its a problem. I just didnt want to attract any predators that might find the rest of them.
Thanks