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Author Topic: Twin Lamb Disease and triplets - now born and retained placenta  (Read 5959 times)

Emmam

  • Joined Apr 2012
One of my young ewes looked like she was going to lamb on tuesday evening and then nothing.  She became more and more depressed and stopped eating, I did all the drenches, parcels of hedgerow etc and she sat with her head against the wall.  Vet yesterday recommended that I induced her before she succumbed totally to tld.

So I injected her yesterday and sat with her last night.  She eventually pushed out a water bag and then pretty much gave up and had partial ringwomb.  I did manage to gently open her up and could feel a tiny head with a couple of my fingers but that was as far as I could manage.   So the vet came out at 6am and delivered a tiny stillborn lamb.  She checked again to make sure there was not another lamb and found 3 live lambs, explaining the huge exhaustion of mum! 

All tiny, weak and I am topping them up with powdered colostrum and holding mum up so they can get little sips off her as well.  Is there anything else you can recommend to give the tiny triplets a better chance?  I am planning on feeding/help them feed colustrum every three hours, is that enought They can all stand now but a little shakily.  Mum is not 100% but is eating a little mix and licking her lips when I drench her.  Thanks!
« Last Edit: May 15, 2012, 03:51:06 pm by Emmam »

PDO_Lamb

  • Joined May 2011
    • Briggs' Shetland Lamb
Re: Twin Lamb Disease and triplets - now born
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2012, 02:44:55 pm »
I suggest a heat lamp in a creep area to keep the lambs warm. It is unlikely that the ewe will have any milk so be prepared to bottle feed the lambs.

I don't know the size of your flock, but if you only have a few perhaps you could take them to a neighbour to get them scanned with a bigger flock. Alternatively most vets have a scanner for pets which can be used to scan a few sheep provided you are happy to turn the ewes 80 days into the pregnancy. Scanning is well worth the money as the barren ewes don't need feeding and you can waste a lot of time watching a barren ewe in the first few days of the lambing time before you decide she is not pregnant.

dixie

  • Joined Mar 2009
Re: Twin Lamb Disease and triplets - now born
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2012, 02:50:01 pm »
Well done for catching her in time, hopefully she will improve daily, the lambs keep on with little and often feeds, a heat lamp would be good. Keep them with the ewe, by them trying to feed it will help stimulate her milk if she has any, has she any? You may have to completely bottle feed or may find she has enough for maybe 1 or 2 of them, after 24'hours they can go onto lamlac, again little and often until they are strong enough to take 4-5 bigger feeds, good luck keep us posted.

in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Twin Lamb Disease and triplets - now born
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2012, 03:20:00 pm »
Sorry, cant give any help but good luck. Hope they make it.

Haylo-peapod

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Twin Lamb Disease and triplets - now born
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2012, 03:39:26 pm »
Sounds as though you have done very well in what could have have turned out to be a disastrous outcome. Well done!

 Do you have any others due to lamb soon that may have a single?  If so you might like to considering fostering one of the triplets on.  Good luck!!

kanisha

  • Joined Dec 2007
    • Spered Breizh Ouessants
    • Facebook
Re: Twin Lamb Disease and triplets - now born
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2012, 03:55:55 pm »
 :o wow well done  and good luck it sounds as if you have some hard wokr still to come but a live ewe and three out of four lambs has to be job satisfaction :sheep: :sheep:
Ravelry Group: - Ouessants & Company

Emmam

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Twin Lamb Disease and triplets - now born but retained placenta
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2012, 03:50:32 pm »
Thanks for your posts.  Mum has finally perked up a bit today and is standing on her own accord now.  Triplets are feeding off her and taking the bottle too, so fingers crossed.  I still have 3 ewes to lamb, so pop in with a bottle on my nightly checks.

However, the ewe has retained her placenta.  I have spoken to the vet and had a gentle feel but it does not want to budge yet, so she is receiving la antibiotics and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it shifts.

moprabbit

  • Joined Oct 2011
  • North Notts
Re: Twin Lamb Disease and triplets - now born and retained placenta
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2012, 10:38:35 pm »
Well done and I hope all goes well from now on!
4 pet sheep

Emmam

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Twin Lamb Disease and triplets - now born and retained placenta
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2012, 03:10:53 pm »
Placenta now out!  Yay!  So pleased - one less thing to think about.

plt102

  • Joined Jan 2011
Re: Twin Lamb Disease and triplets - now born and retained placenta
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2012, 03:15:18 pm »
So pleased for you! I am really glad that ours all had singles this year as it was mostly theirs and our first times. Sounds like you coped brilliantly and at least I have a little more idea of what to look for if things get more difficult.
 

Mallows Flock

  • Joined Apr 2012
  • Shepton mallet
    • Somerset Pet Sitting and Dog Walking
Re: Twin Lamb Disease and triplets - now born and retained placenta
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2012, 08:06:22 pm »
Hi there
I am also a novice lamber... my ewes all lambed themselves this year and all first time lambers. One had quads which all survived and she reared them all herslef til they were 4 weeks old, then she got a little sore and I took 2 off and put them on the bottle.
I personally am a HUGE fan of twin lamb drench and Ewe Drink... it helped my exhausted ewes get back on their feet and eating quickly and gave them much needed electrolytes and nutrients.
I am to pick up NINE MORE orphan lambs off of a farmer tomorrow and am seriously thrilled about more mouths to feed. Gorgeous Mules x Texels.
From 3 to 30 and still flocking up!

 

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