[Brijjy]

Just the 2 ewe lambs and not the litter she looked like she was carrying. However she did have to have help from the vet. She did not dilate enough and so it was a tight squeeze to get them out. The vet said next time a jab of calciject 5 would hopefully help to relax her. But unfortunately she is being a complete bag to the lambs and refused to clean them and won't let them suckle. We got them both on the teat and they had their fill of colostrum. She is now tied up and peed off. The bigger lamb is bolshy enough to push under her and get a drink but the smaller lamb is a bit dull and needs help to suckle. She's got to the end of the afternoon and then if she's still struggling I will bottle feed her.

[Anke]

Don't give up on the lamb, she will learn to suckle just needs acouple of days longer maybe??? It would be a lot more work/cost to bottle her agianst maybe a couple of days of teaching her?

It would be quite undertsandable that the ewe wasn't interested if there was quite some dramatic intervention.

[Brijjy]

Lambs are still with mum. The smaller one is needing to be topped up though. She still isn't bold enough to just push under mum.

[colliewoman]

She'll get the hang of it as she gets stronger, and that won't take long if you are topping her up.
I think a picture would help too

[Brijjy]

I will try and get a piccy tomorrow 

[SteveHants]

Unfortunatley, mismothering is a 'breed problem' in Wilts. Cull that ewe if you can.

[katie]

That surprises me. We've never had any problem with ours. They've lambed by themselves and been excellent mothers.

[ellisr]

give the lamb a dose of fast start it gives them 'wings' we had a dull little lamb that just wanted to sleep and not feed we gave him a dose or two over a couple of days and he has never looked back. he is a week old and keeping up with chasing games with the older lambs or should I say beating them to the finish line.

[SteveHants]

That surprises me. We've never had any problem with ours. They've lambed by themselves and been excellent mothers.

There are some good breeders out there who have all but eradicated this from their flocks, but it is a problem associated with the breed. It is hereditary and a good culling policy will help improve the breed as a whole.

[Brijjy]

Update on the enormous Wilts ewe. Hurrah. She took to her babies after a few days of being an old baggage. The smaller lamb was topped up with a bottle but the bigger one fought her way to the teat successfully. Now mum and babies are out and she is feeding them both fine. Doesn't really like me photographing her though. I did take a pic but I can't put it up cos it's too big. I've tried to make it smaller but no joy.

[jaykay]

Good to hear she's behaving nicely now 

If you load your pic into Photobucket, you can just copy and past the IMG code here.

[Brijjy]

http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s383/brijjy/mumandbabs.jpg
Don't know if this will work but this is a link to a pic of the not so enormous Wilts ewe and her babies

[MrsJ]

Ah what a lovely photo.