[colliewoman]

So far..... Never! but was always taught that the year you don't have any will be the year you need it

I used honey with someone elses who was looking a bit doddery, as soon as the owner got the drench we used that as well.
It's on my list of must haves in my sheep book, so I always have some on hand
I would use in whenever a ewe looks a bit off colour and in lamb, or post lambing. It isn't a cure for everything, but harmless and a good energy boost if even it wasn't needed.

One of my goats had suspect pregnancy toxaemia about 5 weeks ago, she got some and a pain killer because I thought she was in pain. One of them did the trick

[in the hills]

But what is it?  

Is it for the ewe or the lambs?  Is it for before or after lambing? I have heard of twin lamb disease but dont know much about it.

Ahhhh ..... another gap in my knowledge!!!!!

[Remy]

We've all had to start at the beginning and no doubt will have felt like you!  Also experienced breeders will come across situations they've never had before.  If you've never experienced something you're not going to know what it's like, books are useful but there's nothing like first hand knowledge.

When my first lot of ewes lambed I didn't even know they were pregnant, we put raddle on the ram but the sheep weren't being marked.  Changed the colour block several times but still no marks - we thought the ram might be gay!  Then next spring found a dead lamb in the field and one live one  .  Dunno what happened with the colours!

I've been breeding lambs for five years now and this year I've had to do things I've never done before, including putting my hand right inside the ewe to try and pull the back legs out from a breech birth - it was sooo hard as the lambs were huge and she didn't have much space, and I was really worried I might damage the ewe.

ITH twin lamb drench is a high energy supplement in liquid form you give to ewes via a long nosed syringe if they have had a difficult time carrying twins or during labour - but I gave it to my little Gotland Tiny when she nearly died earlier this year.  I am sure it helped pick her up.  I also gave it to the ewe who had struggled with her dead twins (the one I had to assist with!).  You can buy it in agricultural feed merchants.

[Fronhaul]

If it is any consolation one year I even had a friend threaten to take my ewes away and lamb them in his barn and then bring them back to me because I was fussing so much! 

With any animals the important thing is to know when you are out of your depth and need to call on expert help.  The depth will vary with experience and there is no shame in seeking help.  But most of the time the sheep manage very well without us.  And as you will see from my recent post all the text books in the world won't stop the odd one from catching us out.

[Pedwardine]

There are times when, even though I've been there done that, I forget everything and just PANIC. We all arse it up from time to time but I'm well experienced at kicking myself for it. When we were bringing our ewes in for lambing, one decided to give birth at the same time. Another was slow with Hypocalcaemia. Nothing was normal about it all and I should've just left them all for a few more hours or the next day but one had already lambed that morning and I was thinking 'Got to get them in QUICK'. We had ewes all over the field (which is fenced by the way). It wasn't going to plan and I got into such a state which meant the ewes got in a state too. Got them all back where they'd started waited a while for 'normality' to resume, and began again CALMLY. Made such a difference.
I've never had a cast sheep. Think I'd be a tad flustered on that one too.

[TheCaptain]

I'm sure all these tv programmes are to blame, showing shepherds diving into their ewes back ends for every lamb. 

Why do they do that?!?! I think that on Countryfile this weekend was the first time I've seen the Shepherd just let his ewe get on with it. Adam Henson's face was a picture!

[jaykay]

Makes for better viewing, something has to be happening we can't just all be sitting about watching nature take its course  Action!! Sound bites!! 

The kids at my school (and some of the adults!) live life as though it were a soap opera, with that level of angst and drama. I'm sure they think, since every TV programme seems to show that and they watch lots of them, that it's normal. I suppose a sensible, calm life with people getting along and negotiating things rather than screaming and fighting, would seem too boring for words 

[Rosemary]

The kids at my school (and some of the adults!) live life as though it were a soap opera, with that level of angst and drama. I'm sure they think, since every TV programme seems to show that and they watch lots of them, that it's normal. I suppose a sensible, calm life with people getting along and negotiating things rather than screaming and fighting, would seem too boring for words 

I SO agree with that - I used to work with folk who could make a huge drama out of the most trivial things and I think it was watching too much TV / having an otherwise unfulfilling life.

We're all learning - when we stop we'll be deid   

[Brijjy]

Makes for better viewing, something has to be

happening

, we can't just all be sitting about watching nature take its course  Action!! Sound bites!! 

The kids at my school (and some of the adults!) live life as though it were a soap opera, with that level of angst and drama. I'm sure they think, since every TV programme seems to show that and they watch lots of them, that it's normal. I suppose a sensible, calm life with people getting along and negotiating things rather than screaming and fighting, would seem too boring for words 

Absolutely agree. I'm working with a girl now who wanted to be put in care cos she thought it would be like Tracy Beaker. Now she's with us she realises it's nothing like the telly and she'd rather be back with her mum.

[Castle Farm]

I never bother with my ewes. I lamb outside and only helped one this year. First lamb alive twins behind her dead.
Sheep have been having lambs for a number of years without all the rigmarole we think is the norm now.

Feed the ewe prior to lambing and feed her well after.
From18 Llyens I had 35 lambs and lost 2 more.

[Remy]

One of my pregnant ewes got cast this spring for the first time, but she was w-i-i-i-d-e!!  I knew about being cast because of horses but agree if you haven't had experience of it or know what it is, it could be quite alarming!  She was like a turtle on its' back 

[jaykay]

Lol, that happened to me once when I was walking with a big rucksack on 

[Hellybee]

Nettex Collate Multi lamb rapid we find is a very good product for twin lamb sickness.

But prevention is better than cure we think and so our twin ewes had hgh energy licks constantly with them, an were fed plenty of beet.  x

[in the hills]

What are the signs of twin lamb disease? Causes?

I didnt think any of mine would have twins as I thought this was unusal for Soay lambing for the first time but we already have one set and another ewe is HUGE.

[jaykay]

It isn't automatic with twins. It is where the ewe can't keep up with the energy demands of the foetuses/lambs (can happen before or after birth) from her food, so she starts to use up her fat. Too much breaking down of fat causes ketosis, which reduces appetite, making her even less able to meet the demands.......

Feeding ewes with twins well during and after pregnancy helps avoid it. If it does happen, she needs lots of easily absorbed energy (hence the drenches) and tempting with anything she'll eat basically. I drenched a goat with very runny Readybrek and syrup once, seemed to work, the syrup is the quick fix and the oats gave the rumen something to work on.