The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: kanisha on December 13, 2010, 07:20:40 am
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I am not used to looking at lambs with vitamin or mineral deficiencies. this lamb belongs to a cyber friend who is in greece she was rescued half dead around four days old from a market and has been hand reared with two orphan goats all three seem to thrive on the goat/ sheep bottle formula and she is despite a rocky start eating hay and grass and still taking 1.5 l of formula a day however the lack of muscle development is worrying then I wondered could this be some defficiency? if so what and bearing in mind they have very little access to health care how can he supplement?
thanks
(http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd278/SperedBreizh/p1010410.jpg)
(http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd278/SperedBreizh/p1010411.jpg)
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Worm infestation perhaps?
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Hi I was thinking the lack of muscle development and poor posture may be more something like sway back apparently the lamb gets about runs and jumps but is definately not right on the rear end.
Would worms cause this type of problem?
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I think.....it may.....be one of 2 things
Could just be that the parents had terrible conformation....
Or I think it could be the result of an acute joint ill....which sometimes affects the back legs rather than the front. I had a lamb like that about 14 years ago and it never actually went off its feet, just walked stiffly and looked a bit wasted behind.....but caught up eventually.
It may not have had the best start not enough or any colostrum and may always be a sickly lamb. But good luck to her for having a go, it looks bright enough!
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thanks as long as I haven't missed something glaringly obvious they are happy with her just trucking around as she is life is good :) :sheep: :sheep: