The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: benkt on May 19, 2016, 07:35:02 am
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I've got a 10 day old lamb who's just slightly unsatisfactory - they've all been out in a small paddock since Saturday and this one is often on his own, doesn't seem to stick to his mum like the others. Whenever I check, he has milk in his belly but is clearly smaller and less 'bouncy' than the others. Mum has plenty of milk and is still cleaning him. Any ideas for ways to perk him up? or am I just worrying too much?
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You could give him some lamb kick start?
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Agree give him some glucose or kick start. Maybe take his temperature whilst you have hold of him too.
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I've got some ketosaid - anyone know the dose for a small lamb?
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Have a good listen to his chest. We had a couple of lambs just like that and they both had pneumonia. One survived with prompt vet treatment, the other was dead before we could get her to the vet and before the AntiBs we gave had had time to kick in.
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How many weeks before lambing did the ewe receive her vaccine booster?
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Early vaccination with heptavac three months before lambing - problems due to synchronising goats' and sheep vaccines using the same bottle.
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Early vaccination with heptavac three months before lambing - problems due to synchronising goats' and sheep vaccines using the same bottle.
Their immunity has probably been compromised as ewe's need a booster 4 to 6 weeks before lambing so it corresponds with when they are making colostrum.
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Check lungs, feet, armpits, anus, condition score.
Oh, and if he's been ringed, perhaps also check that the ring has been correctly applied, and hasn't caught a testicle mid-testis, or trapped a bit of tubing. (Not easy to tell, the latter - maybe look for tenderness, bruising?)
If all seem fine, but he's a bit listless, I'd give a shot of Combivit. Magical stuff.
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Great checklist Sally, thanks!
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And check his temperature