The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: lou995 on April 06, 2013, 01:12:54 am
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Unfortunatly had a lamb born dead tonight. No fostering options, whats the protocol for looking after the ewe now? Will she need any medication to dry her off? Doesn't appear to have a lot of milk on her anyway.
Left her with lamb for now and will take away come daylight, how long before she settles without lamb?
How do other smallholders dispose of deadstock? Hunt? Fallenstock? other?
thanks
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Whilst your not allowed to do it - Im sure many people would bury a small lamb.
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Sorry to hear about your lsmb. One of our ewes lost a lamb and they go round bleating and looking for it for a few days. It's upsetting but they do get over it.
The milk dried up on its own and she was fine without any intervention.
There will be other information in the forum on this somewhere if you search.
As for disposal, it's meant to go via the usual route ( knackery) but some farmers do bury the odd one.
Good luck xxcccccc
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Lou, after a prolapse our vet had to assist with the lambing and she pulled the lamb out dead. The ewe was put back in the trailer and the vet slung the lamb and afterbirth in with her. This surprised me (I am a complete novice) as I thought the vet would dispose of it.
Anyway, perhaps being with the dead lamb in the trailer helped because she didn't seem to miss it afterwards.
She was put in a field with another ewe that didn't go to the ram and seems to be ok. I continued to give her some hard feed, although just half rations (perhaps this was me being soft) as I didn't want to cut it out too drastically, and gradually wound it down. Please bear in mind that all of this is a first for me so may not be the correct course of action.
OH disposed of the body and afterbirth on a fire in the field.
Actually it was the only time that day that I laughed. The fire cause so much white smoke I thought OH was announcing the new pope. :roflanim:
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I'd consider giving the ewe antibiotic and drying her off quickly - good straw and only a little water for 24 hours. Part of the reason she'll be bleating for her lamb is that her udder is full and uncomfortable.