The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Little Landy Lover on April 18, 2014, 07:47:33 pm
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Hi all.
One of my ewes had a prolapse last week so we stuck a prolapse spoon in her, all was well. I've heard that they can lamb through them but I need re-assurance/contradiction please!
cheers
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They can lamb through them---no point in worrying about it either
I stitched one up a week ago that kept prolapsing ---yesterday morning I saw her looking a bit 'suspect' so caught her and cut the stitch---came back a few hours later and she had 3 lambs at foot
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Yes, she'll lamb fine past a spoon. We have had three manage this year. They won't be doing it again, though!
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Won't be lambing again?? I hope not as she's such a lovely ewe...
Thanks for the re-assurance, she's had a few mucus like discharges since it went in and is now soo wide!
Thanks again
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Yes, you'll find her with the spoon sticking up towards her tail and her lambs fine and dandy.
As to breeding from her again... sometimes they prolapse again and sometimes they don't. If you can pinpoint a cause and it's something you can avoid next time, and you really like her, then try her and keep an eye on her.
I hope you gave her some antibiotics when you fitted the spoon? If not, I would do so now.
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I had one that prolapsed last year and went through a bad time when the vet had to pull a dead lamb out of her.
There was conflicting advice on wether to lamb from her again or not so I decided to give her one more try.
She prolapsed 4 weeks before she was due. Vet put a stitch in and we cut the stitch when the water bag appeared (meant we had to keep our eyes on her the whole time as they can't lamb through the stitch). She had a lovely single ram lamb and I was pleased for her.
A couple of days after lambing she prolapsed again. It wasn't as bad but the vet put another stitch in which we can apparently leave in for as long as we like. Needless to say we won't be lambing from her again. A
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I think this answers a question,i ve been toying with .I ve had two ewes prolapse,both beltex crosses,I was considering keeping them on but you have confirmed my thoughts that they should be culled .its a shame though they are only first timers.
Does anyone know how long I should keep the prolapse harness on for?
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I much prefer prolapse harnesses to spoons. They can lamb through the harness, although we always took the harness off as soon as we spotted the ewe had "dropped" - something noticeable with Down sheep, when the lambs move into birthing position and they get hollows in front of their pelvis. That sentence was in the past tense as we always culled prolapsers, apart from one ewe we gave weekly jabs of Calciject to who went on to lamb twice more without prolapsing. This was an experiment which seemed to suggest there's involvement of impaired ability to metabolise calcium in the diet. A spoon seems a perfect source of irritation and route for infection - the only time we used one the (female) vet asked me if I'd like one of those inside me .....? 'Nuff said!
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thanks for the replies.
She prolapsed a week before she was due and is was only about the size of a tennis ball so wasn't the worst one in the world!
As I'm only on nine ewes and have the facilities to accommodate many more, just not the cash, I'm going to keep her on as it shan't cost me much and any additions to the flock would be very welcome! Also I only got her in September and it would be awful to get one season out of her!
They can't lamb through the type of harness I know, basically covering most of the vulva. Whereas the spoon should allow all to pass through? should I take it out when she starts lambing? is it possible for me to have put it in wrong?
thanks again ^
Arch
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When she lambs the spoon will pop out, no bother. You do not need to do anything.
When you reinsert the prolapse, she will pee as soon as the bladder entrance is clear. (Be ready for this and have your sleeves rolled well up!)
When fitting the spoon, she should still be peeing. Not constantly, but a bit now and again. If she can't pee, the spoon is in wrong. If she can pee the spoon is in right.
The most common problem is to not tie it in tight enough. As long as she can pee she will be perfectly comfortable, so make sure it's pulled hard up against the bottom of the vulva. If it's loose, she'll pop it out, closely followed by the prolapse again.
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Arch shes likely to cost her more money if you keep her than if you sell her so budget for that (for eg. she prolapses worse next time, you call the vet out, he stitches it in for you, gives her antibiotics etc, you don't see her lambing = awful mess). Assume she will prolapse again and feel very lucky if she doesn't.
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Arch, if you want to keep her great but don't try to breed from her again. I had one that prolapsed last year and she did it again this year. We ended up at the vets 3 times with her.
For me, she is a pet, so I wanted to do everything I could to keep her. Money wise, was it worth it?, NO
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There are always people wanting to tell me about the one ewe I said to cull who went on to lamb again ok, they neglect to mention all the others that they didn't cull that they lost time, money and heartache to (though to be fair some have 'fessed up)
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Thanks for all the advice!
I think that if she lambs well and easily this year (lots of milk and certainly twins, probably triplets) then I will put her in lamb again next year, if I have to assist and they are weak little lambs then I'll probably cull her given that it would be near on impossible for me to prevent her from being fertilized without stressing either the tup , or her, out!
Thanks again folks.
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thanks for the replies.
They can't lamb through the type of harness I know, basically covering most of the vulva.
Arch
Yes they can! The harness is pushed to one side and the lamb comes out unobstructed. I had a ewe lamb yesterday through one - 2 fine twins. She's had a prolapse the size of a melon and been wearing the harness for a fortnight. I took it off today and she's fine.
To me the harness is infinitely preferable to sticking a rigid plastic spoon thing inside the poor animal, and also better than sewing her up and having to be there at the crucial time to cut the stitches.
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landroverroy,
How tight was the harness on? We waited until we saw the water bag and then took the harness of as instructed by the vet. I don't know if we had the harness too tight (instructions were to put it on tightly) but I can't imagine how mine would have been able to push it aside to lamb.
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After using spoons for many many years and stitches before that I now only use a harness and while if I see a ewe lambing I remove it often ewes lamb through the harness,it moves to the side , 2 have done so this year . AND I keep repeating that keeping a prolapse to lamb again is an individuals decision , BUT I have seen many dead prolapsing ewes after pushing out intestines or rotten lambs as the cervix opens lets air in but lambing doesn't proceed , so for me once is more than enough
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landroverroy,
How tight was the harness on? We waited until we saw the water bag and then took the harness of as instructed by the vet. I don't know if we had the harness too tight (instructions were to put it on tightly) but I can't imagine how mine would have been able to push it aside to lamb.
Difficult to say. Initially this year I put it on too loosely and she prolapsed again. So washed the bulge and put it back and tightened the harness up. It's a bit of trial and error as obviously it has to be tight enough to keep everything in, but not so tight that it looks uncomfortable and she walks awkwardly.
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My old matriarch, Beryl, had a prolapse the size of a melon 4 weeks ago :( . Much to her disgust she has been wearing a spoon and harness ever since.
To say I have been worried is a complete understatement :hugsheep: and I have been watching her like a hawk. Had a parcel delivery at 1600 and I went back up to the house. By the time I got back to the barn she had produced massive twins :excited: . They are feeding without help and she seems fine :relief: .
For sentimental reasons she will not be culled, but these will be her last lambs. She has produced 7 cracking lambs for me. My own theory for the prolapse is that some idiot docked her tail so short (illegal) it has damaged the muscles in that area.
Anyway, I'm celebrating now, and so is Beryl.
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Bramblecot, its good to hear there was a happy ending. I won't be culling mine either but neither of them will be bred from again.