The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: colliewoman on April 22, 2012, 05:43:16 pm
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Tarragon has just had a little ewe lamb, thank goodness I was there with this one. I arrived to find just a head out with mouth moving and eyes blinking :o :o
I don't know if what I did was the best practice, especially with a first timer, but after managing to pop the head back in, I quickly found one leg and delivered her like that. I assumed that she would drown if left 'in' long enough for me to bring both legs forward :-\ Anyhoo, it worked, she was very weak, mum bolted in a panic, but rapidly came back once lamby was poked and prodded and swung into something resembling life!
It's been about an hour since and little one (Jupiter) is trying to stand finally. I've cycled like a nutter home to grab a bite and will go back and check she's had some milk.
2 goats threatening to kid today too ;D :love:
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It sounds a bit traumatic :bouquet:
Glad everything turned out fine. :thumbsup:
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Carry On COlliewoman :D :D :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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good stuff cw, your antics are putting a much needed smile on me today!! :thumbsup:
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:thumbsup:
Well done you.
Keep up the good work. ;D
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Yippie - well done - so good when things work out even if your in a slight panic inside - just look confident to the ewe and all will be well - that's my plan!!
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Here she is, I THINK she's had a drink, but can't tell really??
Will check again in a few hours :sheep:
(http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa363/missus-snow/DSC_0001.jpg)
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Ah, cute pic. Hope she's doing okay.
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Good grief, sometimes I think I have OCD for a reason....
Littlest had a very tucked tum, was shivering and getting cold and I had no spare colostrum last night so I poked her down my jumper wrapped us both in my wax jacket and cycled to the goats field at 2 AM (am soooooo glad I live in a very remote area :D) and bless Doris the goat's heart she stood and let little lamby fill her belly with goat colostrum :love:
I am hoping she took enough and that goats colostrum is better than nothing, certainly she is MUCH stronger today.
I am topping her up as Mum still is VERY sore after her traumatic birthing yesterday.
However she is eating her hay and coarse mix, and lots and lots of willow whilst I waited to go fetch the painkiller from the vets.
Never underestimate the painkilling properties of willow twigs all! By the time I got home from the vets, she was standing and chewing the cud, rather than lying down grinding her teeth.
She is mothering her lamb very well but not letting her milk down much yet (understandably so), however lamby is getting stronger and keeps trying, so I hope we will get there soon.
Wish us luck please!
ps Anyone know how much lamlac a small shetland size lamb should have a day?
At the moment she is taking about 75ml every 3 to 4 hours but is getting a little from mum also, I am letting her feed til her belly is full but trying to leave her a bit hungry so she goes to mum.
I have never needed to bottle a lamb before so this is all very new to me and any advice will be most gratefully accepted :thumbsup:
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Sheep hardly produce any volume in the first day, so don't worry about her not letting her milk down. The goat's colostrum will have done the lamb a power of good, that was a good idea :thumbsup:
I'd be tempted to back off the lamblac if mum is feeding her - the demand from the lamb is what causes milk to be produced, no demand, no milk.
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And she might reject baby if it's poo does not smell of her milk.
If you're not sure a lamb has fed, just hold it up by the front legs, a full stomach will protude.
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And if you squeeze gently from the sides, just in front of the back legs, when you are holding it up by the front legs, standing on its back legs, you will feel the belly is plump when it's eaten
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thing is though, cos mums so sore as soon as littlest sucks, mum walks off ???
She is still being mum and licking back end etc when I'm feeding the lamb but lamby is so tiny I worry she will chill. How long can I safely leave her to see if mum will let her get enough?
I'd rather a bottle baby than a poorly one.
Every time I give her some, she goes and then tries to get some from mum, and mum IS getting better, but I do worry so :-[
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Not sure why she'd stop the lamb sucking cos she was sore from delivery? That just sounds as though they need to get used to each other.
I'd pen them quite tight (4x3ft) and leave them to it. Check lambs belly as described. A hungry lamb is obviously miserable and yells. Some eat tiny amounts very often at first, you think they can't actually have got any they're latched on for such a short time, but they do and they thrive.
Is there someone near you who can show you what a full lamb and an empty lamb feel/look like? Once you know that and can trust it, you know if a lamb has eaten or not and it takes all the worry away. I didn't see my first Shetland lamb feed for days, but I knew he was ok as his belly was always full.
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Oooooo ..... sorry cant give any real advice but hope little one is okay.
I worried my first lamb had not fed. Couldnt tell if he was latching on properly and was under for such a short time. Neighbour came to look .... bit of a worrier here. He said that lamb would be bleating and looking sorry for himself if not fed for a few hours. He put a clean finger in mouth to check lamb was warm and as others described checked for a full tum. I couldnt say that I saw any of mine have a good feed but just looked at how they behaved. After about 24 hours could see yellowish poo on their back ends.
Good luck
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Before I top her up, lamby has pinched sides and a hunched back, definately no protuding belly :-\ She hasn't till now been getting enough from mum.
Mum loves the lamb and is doing all the right things, she is penned in a small jug already.
Mum had a really rough delivery (head out, no legs and was REALLY hard to get the lamb back in to correct) and has spent since then grinding her teeth etc and showing obvious pain. Painkillers are definately helping, and now the lamb is stronger and more persistent I think we will get there.
So if I don't feed the lamb anymore now, how long do I leave it if she is pinched and hunched again?
Thankies all please keep the advice coming :-*
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Ok, perhaps halve the amount you've been giving over the next day, that is half the amount, same frequency, and watch to see what the lamb does in response.
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K will do, I have only been letting her have enough to fill her belly out a bit. Really really don't want a bottle babe if it can be helped but I am confident that as mum feels better she will soon be taking over :love:
Thank you very much :-*
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It sounds as though lambie is trying to drink from mum and mum's skipping away. I'd be getting in there and holding mum still to let lambie have a proper suck. Just a few seconds the first time then a bit longer each time. Then give lambie the bottle top-up. Hopefully quite quickly mum gets used to the feeling and her milk comes in, and lambie won't need the top-ups.
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Just got back from another check and mum is standing comfortably with her head up and chewing the cud, so the painkillers have really worked well. And a certain little lamby is sucking away ;D ;D
Poor girly she must have been really sore, vet has given me enough pain relief for 3 more days, so that should do the trick
I will try the top up after she's sucked, thanks for that Sally!
Thanks for all the advice everyone your support has meant the world :love:
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A quick update for you all, I let them out onto the grass this morning as the sun is so warm today.
I now cannot catch the little turd so I think we have success!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Mum is MUCH brighter again today, and eating the lovely grass we have here as though she is starved.
Thanks again all, I am packing the bottle away again :D :D
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well done cw, your stroke of genius with the goat colostrum probably saved the day by the sounds of it!
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Oh good, that's excellent news :thumbsup:
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Goat colostrum is perfect, I keep it frozen for lambing time, much better than volac which the lambs don't seem to like! Getting them on grass is also good to get them eating, glad its worked out for you :thumbsup: