[Brucklay]

My ewe that lambed on Tuesday I think she may have this - lumps/growths in udder, feeding lambs but I don't think they are getting enough so I'm topping up, no discolouration in the udder, udder is not hot and she is quite happy for the lambs to feed and for me to touch. When she lambed I just watched the lambs feed and didn't inspect her (another thing to add to the list in future) I've called the vet for help but they are all out and not got back to me yet so I was wondering if anyone had first hand knowledge of this and any bits of wisdom. Is this hereditary or something I have done wrong? Thanks yet again

[MrsJ]

I'm no expert but when one of our ewes had mastitis, her udder was very hard and hot to the touch.  She did manage to bring up two lambs on one side with very little in the way of top ups.  I certainly dont think you have done anything wrong.  It's all a learning curve.

[shep53]

The symptoms you have described happen as a result of an old infection, varies from a single golf ball sized lump up to maybe three lumps or the whole quarter can be hard, or the teat canal can be hard . If she has lumps but is still milking the amount produced will be much reduced.

[Brucklay]

Thanks Shep53 - sound right and vet did eventually get in touch and I told her all signs and what I had felt and suspected - and was told as long as the ewe is eating, which she is, happy in herself, again good there and the lambs are getting some milk and I top up and she doesn't deteriorate then nothing to do at present. I should have checked her udder out before now - I guess over time I'll get through the full list of ailments in the sheep book!!

[Anke]

Lumps in the udder may be caused by eager lambs butting for top-ups. I would have thought that is is almost impossible to detect sub-clinical mastitis in ewes, as you are not handling the udder and you would have to milk some out and get it tested... takes a few days.

If the udder feels hot, and/or ewe walks with a bit of a gait (to move leg away from painfull quarter) then an anitbiotic, like Pen & Strep will be the quick and general approach.

[Brucklay]

Thank you Anke - you right I've tried to milk her a wee bit to see if anything is there, but failed on that score bar a dribble that looked good and white not clear - I was just reading all the things I could to correlate the symptoms she had - she has no hot udder, walking and moving fine, feeding happily but the lambs are not full so it looks like she has a lot of scar tissue from a previous problem - before I got her.