The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: plt102 on March 20, 2012, 06:42:57 am

Title: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: plt102 on March 20, 2012, 06:42:57 am
Hi there, another silly question I guess. We have a ewe who is due imminently (not exactly sure of date). She is very very big so worried it might be twins. She started panting a little over the weekend but looked generally fine otherwise. Last night she was lying a bit away from the others panting quite a lot. We bought her in with a friend to the stable last night but still no more signs this morning apart from her panting. How long could she go on like this before I start to interfere. I wouldn't want to harm her. If it is a nice day today, I will probably turn them out again and just bring them in at night for fear of foxes.

Do you ever get panting sheep a long time from their due date?
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: jaykay on March 20, 2012, 06:51:32 am
Mine can do this for days, just to keep me short of sleep.
Until you see the wate bag appear she's just 'preparing'.

Be hopeful for twins, that's what you want as the individual lambs are smaller so are born easily, but are still big enough to thrive and she can obviously feed two.
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: Padge on March 20, 2012, 07:16:02 am
We find that its around 24-36 hours in our experience. As stated she will pass the waterbag and her backend will be quite swollen also she may paw at the ground although not all of ours do this, but most circle and become very restless not knowing what they want !!
Keep your Eye on her and you will get to know her movements this will make life easier for next time :thumbsup:
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: Sylvia on March 20, 2012, 07:49:57 am
And, unless the friend is a wether, take it away!
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: Moleskins on March 20, 2012, 08:20:34 am
And, unless the friend is a wether, take it away!

Interesting, I once made the mistake of penning all mine, thinking it would be easier to check them in the night, when I went up there was a lamb born and trampled to death, wasn't sure if I'd just got too many ewes too close together or what.
Won't be doing it again though.
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: feldar on March 20, 2012, 08:42:34 am
That may happen if they are penned too tight but we always pen our close to producing ewes when we lamb in December and never have a problem, we do check reguarly though but the only problem we get is when two ewes lamb together and pinch each other's lambs.
But if you check reguarly you can split your ewe that's straining away seperately.
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: SallyintNorth on March 20, 2012, 09:04:20 am
What's the weather like with you?  She could be hot!  All that fleece and lambs to carry... If it is warm, then if you do bring her in, make sure there's plenty of ventilation.  Indoors or out, does she have access to plenty of fresh cool water?

Is she fit and active apart from the panting?  If she's unsteady on her feet, reluctant to move, anything like that, I might be suspicious of twin lamb disease and at the very least give her a drench.  (I'm not sure it's wise to inject calcium unless you're sure that's the problem, but you won't do any harm with a twin lamb drench.)

If there's a ketone-y smell about her, then I'd be confident of TLD and give the calcium as well.

I posted my vet's 'Staggers' crib sheet here:
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=12927.msg136877#msg136877 (http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=12927.msg136877#msg136877)

If she doesn't seem to be twin lambish, and it isn't just the heat, and she keeps on panting but otherwise not showing any signs of imminently producing, if you get worried you could have a little feel behind - you don't need to use more than your fingers to see if she's opened up; if she hasn't then you won't get your fingers in and she's not ready to lamb. 

But in all likelihood, she's just pulling your chain as they love to do and will produce on her own good time!   ;D
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: norfolk newbies on March 20, 2012, 09:23:23 am
Hi Sally
The ketone-y smell. Is that the one I remember from A level chemisty that smells like pear drops, or is that something else?

How would you describe smell?
Still go several weeks left yet, but just storing up all the info I can.

thanks
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: Hazelwood Flock on March 20, 2012, 09:35:04 am
If it's a Dartmoor it's highly likely a combination of being hot and very full of lamb(s). Once the lamb(s) are full term-ish, they take up a lot of room. Add to that a great gas chamber of a rumen (stomach), it puts considerable pressure on the diaphragm, making the ewe take more rapid breaths. Add to that mild weather and she will be puffing like a train! I would not be unduly worried unless she goes off her food - this puffing can go on for a couple of weeks or more, my lot are expert at it!
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: Haylo-peapod on March 20, 2012, 10:07:29 am
Hi, I agree with Hazelwood, my Dartmoors aren't due for another week or more and they have been breathing heavily over these past few days. I just put it down to heavy fleeces, heavy lambs and lovely mild weather. If they are close to lambing they will be showing more signs than just panting - for a start they will take themselves away from the rest of the flock to find a suitable place to lamb. 

But as SallyintNorth pointed out do keep an eye out for twin lamb disease 'just in case'. I've only had this once in my flock but if you know your sheep you should be able to tell if they are 'out of sorts' and need intervention.

Good luck and keep us posted on any developments  :sheep:
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: SallyintNorth on March 20, 2012, 10:39:03 am
Hi Sally
The ketone-y smell. Is that the one I remember from A level chemisty that smells like pear drops, or is that something else?

How would you describe smell?

I think it would be the pear drops one, yes.  There's a thread somewhere where everyone discussed what it smelled like to them - and there was quite a variety!   :D  (I had a look but couldn't find the thread, I'm afraid.)

I think, when you smell it, you will know that's it.
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: plt102 on March 20, 2012, 12:22:01 pm
Thanks so much for the advice. We have a stable with a small outside yard which we have filled with straw so plenty of ventilation. I'll bring her and the new mum with lamb in again tonight just in case. New mum and lamb in stable and expectant mum in the yard which has a roof so we can check on her tonight. She is a dartmoor so all your advice sounds right. The shetlands we have are also due but no signs at all yet. Other than panting, she is fine so just keeping a close eye and be patient I guess. The one who has lambed is her daughter and a first timer. She has done so well that I hope mum will be ok too. Fingers crossed!
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: Bramblecot on March 20, 2012, 05:34:17 pm
Good luck.   :thumbsup:  My Dartmoors were all panting a lot in the last few days until they lambed.  They all lambed during the day, 5 outside and 1 took herself into the barn (very private).   They all spend about 24 hours in a mothering pen in the barn, then outside during the day and in at night for up to a week.  Twins stay in a bit longer (foxes).
The Shetlands are very 'cool' by comparison, and prefer to stay outside all the time - they will be lambing in a fortnight.  Blink and you may miss it  ;)
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: plt102 on March 20, 2012, 08:47:56 pm
Cool - fingers crossed our shetlands will be as easy as you say. Their one fault is that they love to escape through every tiny hole they can find and failing that, they jump the fence. Spent all last weekend with a hammer, wood and stock fencing making everything stronger and higher :-) I'll post some piccies at the weekend.
Thanks so much for all the help - love this forum!
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: Bramblecot on March 20, 2012, 09:38:58 pm
 Their one fault is that they love to escape through every tiny hole they can find and failing that, they jump the fence. Spent all last weekend with a hammer, wood and stock fencing making everything stronger and higher :-) I'll post some piccies at the weekend.

Ha!  You should talk to my OH -you have a lot in common!  ;D
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: SteveHants on March 20, 2012, 11:44:16 pm
To be honest, I can't see the need to bring a Shetland indoors at night. Indoor lambing has its own associated problems, Id just let her get on with it.

I don't know anything about GFDs, but I am starting to notice the proliferation of threads on here about how they wont mother or need assistance lambing or.....

This could, of course, be because lots of people have them on here or they are not an easy breed to keep for whatever reason.
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: plt102 on March 21, 2012, 07:51:34 am
I agree. I'm going to let the shetlands get on with it outside. They are easy peezy compared to the gfds. They all have nice short clean fleece so lambs won't get confused with what to suckle on ;-)
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: plt102 on March 21, 2012, 06:58:57 pm
She has had a lamb at lunch time today! I am away on business tonight so haven't seen it but mum and lamb are in capable hands of my oh. She's going to wait and see if there is a twin coming as mummy was so massive. Thanks for all your reassurance and advice!
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: feldar on March 21, 2012, 08:28:40 pm
Well done  :trophy: nature took it's course in the end, good luck with the others
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: VSS on March 21, 2012, 11:10:38 pm
Hi Sally
The ketone-y smell. Is that the one I remember from A level chemisty that smells like pear drops, or is that something else?

How would you describe smell?

I think it would be the pear drops one, yes.  There's a thread somewhere where everyone discussed what it smelled like to them - and there was quite a variety!   :D  (I had a look but couldn't find the thread, I'm afraid.)

I think, when you smell it, you will know that's it.

Not everyone can pick up the ketone smell.

My son had ketosis when he developed type1 diabetes - the GP siad he reeked of ketones, but neither myself or my OH could detect it.
Title: Re: panting pregnant ewe - how long should I wait?
Post by: Haylo-peapod on March 22, 2012, 09:06:56 am
She has had a lamb at lunch time today!

Brilliant, pleased it all went well  :thumbsup:  :sheep: