The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Bionic on March 12, 2013, 02:20:24 pm
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My first ever lamb is on its way (I think) The ewe has bagged up in the last couple of hours and can't get comfortable, alternating between lying down and standing up and making soft little grunting noises.
Any idea how long its likely to be before her waters break?
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Bionic - sure someone experienced will be along soon.
Most of our lambs arrived in the bags last year and didn't see any waters break as such, just the bag emerge with the lamb still inside. Don't know if that is the norm though.
Good luck :fc: :excited:
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I would say her water bag will appear shortly - within half an hour probably if she is getting up and down all the time. The bag should appear and then a short time later you should hopefully see the tip of the front feet and very end of the nose appear. Keep a close eye on her now but don't be too keen to interfere (stick your hand up inside). With my ewes, the water bag bursts before the lamb is actually born. Much patience is required despite how fast your heart will be racing! Good luck - how exciting.
The other night my ewe showed early signs of labour at 5pm and water bag appeared at 7pm so they do all vary. Your ewe sounds quite advanced labour wise if getting up and down repeatedly though.
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It could be 30 minutes, it could be 24 hours!
Try to be patient, and don't upset her by coming in to check too often... ;)
Once the water bag is seen (which sometimes you miss as it may burst very quickly, or she may walk around with it hanging off the back for hours like a gory fashion accessory ::)), it would normally be within the next 4 hours that she goes into labour, or could be very very soon.
Did you get your ewes scanned - do you know how many she has in there?
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Sally, I have been sitting in the stable with her and no change. She definitely seems to be in labour but bag still hasn't broken although judging by some of the replies it could come away with the lamb. No, we didn't scan so don't know how many she is having.
Off to sit in the stable again with my hot water bottle ;D
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Hope she starts soon for you.
I am in the same Boat, sitting in the stable waiting for a goat to pop ! at least I have a connection on my laptop ::)
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Tip: sometimes they won't lamb while you're watching - something to do with being a prey animal ;)
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Think its a prolapse. On the phone to the vet now
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Prolapse will be pink and look like flesh. Lamb sac will be darker or white-ish and look more full of fluid.
Take and post or PM a pic, if you like.
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How's it going Sally? (sat here slightly nervous for you :hug: )
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Hope the vet gives you some good advice. Fingers crossed for you. First time is scary but you'll soon get to know what is OK and what is not. Last year was our first lambing and we were checking all the time. Now much more laid back (and so are our ewes). Good luck x
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Oh I hope everything went ok? :fc: One of our ewes went into labour this morning and I was so worried luckily everything was fine so I'm hoping it's the same for you :hug:
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Wish my old bags would start lambing its day 147 and i have no damn fingernails left... and nothings even started to happen :( Hope your sheep is ok sally :fc: :fc: keep us posted.
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Just back from work and seen this. Very excited if she is lambing but also on edge in case it's not the case.
:fc:
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littlelugs, mine who lambed this morning was on day 151. I thought it was never coming out :relief:
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god dont think i can wait that long lol! :tired:
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Looked at images on google and realised it was definitely a prolapse. Took her to the vets and he said that what appeared to be labour (she was due yesterday) was in fact her expelling the prolapse. He pushed it back in, gave her an epidural so that she wouldn't try to expel it again for a bit and put a stitch in, some pen & strep and some anti inflamatory.
From the internal examination he doesn't think she will lamb for a day or two but will then need an assisted lambing. We have decided for first timers we will get the vet to assist. He has told us what to watch out for and then to ring and take her in again.
I think I must be jinxed. My first chicken had a prolapse and now my first ewe to lamb :(
Good news is that she seems as bright as a button and is eating well.
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Well done you for spotting it and acting on it :thumbsup:
hope she lambs without too much problem. Cannot wait to see her little cherub when it arrives :love:
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well done for spotting it sally. :fc: for a trouble free lambing.
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Well done Sally for taking the initiative and getting her to vets so promptly :relief: . :fc: it is all ok now - bit of a steep learning curve for you ::)
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From the internal examination he doesn't think she will lamb for a day or two but will then need an assisted lambing. We have decided for first timers we will get the vet to assist. He has told us what to watch out for and then to ring and take her in again.
Never mind first timers - I would too, given that advice from the vet.
Well done for realising she was prolapsing and doing exactly the right thing :thumbsup:
:fc: all goes well hereon.
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:fc: Fingers crossed big time for your girl. Can be a while before baby says hello in our experience. We had a ewe with a spoon and harness in for a good week before lambs came. Very nervy. You have my sympathy. Keep us posted hon and look after yourself too :tired:
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Definitely a baptism of fire, keep up the great work.....keep us posted
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:fc: for you both and for a happy and successful delivery of the lambs when time arrives. Well done to you on noticing the problem so quickly and in dealing with it in the way you have :thumbsup:
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Well done for spotting the problem. :fc: for a good outcome.
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how's your ewe this morning Sally? :fc:
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The ewe (Polly) seems just fine today. Eating like a horse. She has a measured amount of nuts but is keen on her hay too. You wouldn't think anything had happened yesterday. She must be fed up us keep looking up her backside though :roflanim:
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Not the easiest of starts Sally. I hope all goes well from here on. Which vet do you use?
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Linda we use Bush House at Ffairfach. they also have branches in Llandovery, Ammanford and Cross Hands. The Ffairfach and Llandovery branches are almost equal distances to us and they seem to share the workload.
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It isn't good news. Although I didn't see the water bag it had obviously broken this morning and there was a bit of bloody mucus. Rang the vets and took her in straight away.
Vet felt inside and said it was smelly and lamb was dead. Ewe also had ringwomb and it was very difficult to get the lamb out. Vet said it might come out in pieces. Thankfully it came out whole. Its so sad as it looked a lovely lamb.
Vet gave painkillers and pen & step. I have to give another pain killer injection tomorrow and pen and strep for 5 days.
Its all very sad and would have been my first lamb. I think OH is kindly getting rid of the remains while I am inside.
Keep your fingers crossed for my other girls.
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:bouquet:
So sorry you had to have that experience with your first lamb, Sally. :hug:
We've just had one exactly the same; it does happen. Generally it's just 'one of those things' and doesn't mean you'll have other horrid outcomes with your others.
Chin up, chick, and :fc: you'll be telling us a happier story soon :-*
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Sorry to read that Sally - here's hoping for lots of lovely lamb pictures soon :fc: :fc:
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So sorry to hear that it wasn't the outcome we were all hoping for but lots of good luck vibes coming your way for all the others. You will soon have your first little lamb bouncing around :hug: Stitches in a ewe are always a pain in the a** (not pun intended) and never seem too straight forward when the ewe actually does go in to labour. With the ringwomb as well seems you had it all to contend with in respect of that one ewe - a real in at the deep end scenario for you. It will get better!
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so sorry to read this. Wishing you lots of luck with your other girls, I'm sure it won't be long before you have them bouncing around :hug:
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Aaaw what bad luck. We also had a ewe delivered two dead lambs yesterday - they had clearly been dead a few days. The ewe had been bright as a button. She was a first timer, first lamb stuck fast but presenting as it should but I had to call the vet as she was so tight I just couldn't move it. Just one of those things but sad nonetheless.
Better luck for the next one
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So sorry to hear about the lamb. It's always so hard to lose them and even worse as it was your first. Hope there will soon be others to cheer you up. :hug:
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That's so unlucky for your first lamb - we have had over 35 lambs and never had either of those problems so please don't get downcast and think that's likely to be a common issue for you ....it's just very unlucky.
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Sorry Sally :bouquet: . Things will get better I am sure.
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What a terrible start but as has already been mentioned ringwomb is very rare and incredibly bad luck that lamb had died.
Hope you have some more with healthy lambs.
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Ringwomb per se is rare, yes, but if the lambs are dead then it is not unusual for the cervix to not dilate fully, as the ewe is not getting the right signals from a lamb actively engaging with the birth canal.
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We've just had our very first experience of ringwomb in 6 years........lost triplets......OH did manage to get them out goodness knows how the ewe is fine although we will NOT breed from her again
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Would anyone else breed from a Ewe that has had this condition? is it ongoing ?
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Sorry to hear that Bionic.
Have you got any other ewes lambing this year?
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If the lambs were long dead, then I wouldn't cull the ewe for having 'ringwomb'. But if it's genuine ringwomb - lambs alive at the start of parturition - then yes I would cull.
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Any better news yet Sally?
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Suziequeue,
I have 3 more to lamb. One was due on 12th, nothing yet (keeping my eyes closely on her) One is due on 17th and the last one is not due until 3rd April.
Karen (Kaz) where they went to the ram, has said that hers are all late this year.
Poor Polly is acting as if nothing happened. She doesn't seem to have missed the lamb and is eating well. The vet said if she is ok I could turn her out today but the weather is awful so I might just hang on a bit.
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Fingers crossed then for the rest of them. It's such an exciting time. Let us know how you get on.
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Just catching up on TAS after two days farming experience myself. So sorry to read the outcome, Sally. :fc: that all the problems have gathered in the one ewe and the other three girls sail through. :hug: