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Author Topic: twin lamb disease  (Read 32193 times)

Padge

  • Joined Aug 2009
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Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #15 on: February 20, 2011, 08:21:53 pm »
thanks Shep :)     you don't keep them to give up      it's a bit like rearing kids really   just when you think you've got it taped    something else bites ur ankles     be  a tough few weeks methinks  :-\

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #16 on: February 20, 2011, 08:35:23 pm »
If i can help with answers to any questions dont hesitate just ask

VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #17 on: February 21, 2011, 12:39:44 pm »
If the ewes abort the lambs there is a much better chance that they will survive as there is less of a drain their system.

True twin lamb is very difficult to treat - once they get ketosis you will be doing well to save 1 in 10. Ketones are toxic and also it will kill off all the gut flora which is essential to digestion.

Do remember that it is most commonly found in ewes that are too fat, so if you have been feeding them well all through the winter, that might be the cause. Ewes should be fir, not fat at lambing. Mountain breeds should have a condition score of 2, hill breeds condition score 2.5 and lowland breed CS 3. If they are fatter than this, they are too fat and so at risk from twin lamb disease.
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lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #18 on: February 21, 2011, 04:17:34 pm »
No, only a tiny weeny bit of food (about half a standard mineral lick tub between 16 of them a day! a scant half a handful, just to keep them tame not to feed them up) and regularly conditioned scored, vet said they were perfect condition for Shetlands lambing and this was just very unlucky.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #19 on: February 21, 2011, 06:25:02 pm »
<< VSS  says: Do remember that it is most commonly found in ewes that are too fat...>>

Now I am totally confused.  I have never been able to tell Twin Lamb Disease from hypocalcaemia, but I understand TLD is caused by POOR nutrition.  In fact Winters and Charnley in 'The Sheep Keeper's Veterinary Handbook' give the following as the most common causes of TLD:
#ewes carrying large numbers of lambs
#Shy feeders that won't eat supplementary feed
#Young sheep which are bullied by older sheep
#Lame ewes which can't get to trough as quickly as others
#Ewes which are already in poor condition.

They also say of Hypocalcaemia: 'This can be very difficult to distinguish from TLD except by blood testing....'

I am wondering if the recent early hard weather has affected these ewes adversely.
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bamford6

  • Guest
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #20 on: February 21, 2011, 07:02:09 pm »
very hard i have 200 i always scanned i no then which needs help .this can happen i have 20 at this time lambing starts for me 16 April i think that lamb numbers will be dawn due to the bad December. but remember no matter haw good this can happen to eney one .i bought a ram in september for a £1000 lots off lambs just coming to the end off lambing found him dead made me very upset .all the best with you're loss

VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #21 on: February 21, 2011, 08:45:54 pm »
<< VSS  says: Do remember that it is most commonly found in ewes that are too fat...>>

Now I am totally confused. 

As ewes get heavier in lamb the lambs inside them ask more of their mothers. The lambs are growing and require more sustenance from their mothers, the ewes then use more of their built up reserves and this is when the problem may arise.

The reserves that the ewe has built up in her body are stored as fat or take the form of sugar and glycogen throughout the liver and muscles of the body. If she uses up the sugar reserves this will cause her blood sugar levels to drop, she will then call upon her fat reserves in an attempt to raise the blood sugar levels, unfortunately as the fats are broken down by the liver ketones are formed. Excessive ketones end up poisoning the system eventually producing an effect similar to alcohol abuse in humans.

The SHEEP Book for Smallholders
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lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #22 on: February 22, 2011, 05:51:20 pm »
thats really useful VSS, thankyou!!

our ewe is hanging on in there, brought her inside the steading as she was shivering outside. Still has the fetching dog coat on and is being fed sheep milk replacer by syringe 3 times a day, on which she is quite bright, just cant get her to eat hard feed, tho I think she might be getting more interested in hay again, which would be good. Just trying to keep her going long enough to get rid of that lamb, one way or another! I assume theres no abortion pill for sheep! The old ewe I know is worth less but the lambs unlikely to make it anyway and Im fond of her.

Padge

  • Joined Aug 2009
    • Facebook
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #23 on: February 22, 2011, 09:42:45 pm »
we were offered something to abort the lambs from the vet     sadly instinct said the ewe was too far gone to suvive so we didn't take that option
best of luck LLm

Gary    sad you have lost your tup   as you say sometimes you cannot do right for doing wrong

Thank you Vss

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #24 on: February 24, 2011, 09:11:54 pm »
Really sorry to hear about this. We use Calciject, which is magic! (it has calcium AND glucose in) and then drench with one of the 'twin lamb' drenches at the feedstore - mainly glucose and minerals I think. Have managed to turnaround all our ewes so far, but lost a goat last year  :-\

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #25 on: February 25, 2011, 06:46:34 pm »
The vet did Calciject and glucose and Keta something but poor ewe just wont eat, tho still bright and alert and struggles and walks off if you go to catch her, which gives me hope.

Update is vet things the TLD/ketosis has destroyed all her rumen functioning bugs, so has given me rumen contents he has taken from another sheep and she has been drenched with that, in the hope it will kick her rumen into action again. It's her main chance, and we're only trying it as she is so bright other than the inability to eat.

kanisha

  • Joined Dec 2007
    • Spered Breizh Ouessants
    • Facebook
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #26 on: February 25, 2011, 07:11:04 pm »
out of interest how did he take rumen contents from another sheep?
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jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #27 on: February 25, 2011, 08:36:29 pm »
Fingers crossed  :-*

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #28 on: February 26, 2011, 10:17:25 am »
Would some live yogurt maybe help her with her rumen bugs?

VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: twin lamb disease
« Reply #29 on: February 26, 2011, 12:15:57 pm »
The yoghurt wouldn't do any harm.

The other thing that works as well as anything else is a mixture of black treacle, egg and milk. Mix it up and give it like a big dose. It provides energy, but also gives the rumen something to start working on if she still  won't eat. If you can get the gut flora up and running again she may pull through.
The SHEEP Book for Smallholders
Available from the Good Life Press

www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk

 

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