Author Topic: Caesarian (Read 4091 times)

Blinkers · « **on:** April 21, 2009, 11:41:31 am »

Down to our last 2 ewes to lamb (out of a massive.........................16!!)...and one was acting very strangely on Sunday. Couldn't catch the devil of course.....but she seemed fine...just....ODD

Anyway, Monday morning she finally gave in and settled down to lamb.........nothing happened. She stayed down when I went up to her and was beginning to look pretty stressed. Checked her backend and looked 'normal' rather than ready to lamb $:-\$ So gloved up and went in.....and after a couple of inches...couldn't get any further...like a wall!!! PANIC, PANIC, PANIC. Rushed back indoors and called vet who arrived about half an hour later. Turns out birth canal hadn't opened up at all....nothing....not one iota. Ewe definitely stressed by now. So, caesarian it had to be. Never witnessed this before...but thank goodness for a lovely warm, sunny day.

Phil (the vet) ....who looked about 15years old !!!!!..........gave me a running commentary as he started on the ewe. Fascinating stuff and oh boy, how on earth do they know what all those inards are.....and where they go back?!?!? Anyway, lamb leg identified, incision made....and one HUGE EWE lamb extracted through the side door. Phil then set to work replacing all the bits n pieces into the ewe and to sow her up. I worked on the lamb who took a long time to properly draw breath and keep breathing. Phil was just getting to the last couple of stitches and the ewe just found it all too much......and gave up.

Little Phillis!!!......was very weak and went straight under a lamp in a stable. Then the next 24 hours were the usual backwards and forwards with bottles / stomach tubes of Colostrum and milk powder and

by 10am this morning (24 hours later) she's showing definite signs of being a little fighter and is up and about - rather wobbly - and beginning to get the idea about suckling.

Phew.....thanks to Phil the vet, we have one more fantastic LLeyn ewe lamb who will be part of our future home bred flock.

Traumatic at times; scary at times; but being a shepherd is soooo rewarding.

dixie · « **Reply #1 on:** April 21, 2009, 01:21:01 pm »

Oh what an informative/sad/happy post! thanks for sharing, best of luck with the lamb.

Blinkers · « **Reply #2 on:** April 21, 2009, 01:47:04 pm »

Thanks Dixie......and she took about 4oz at the 1pm feed ...... so getting better and better

dixie · « **Reply #3 on:** April 21, 2009, 02:14:20 pm »

Just been looking at your website, looks a lovely place you have there! is this a new venture for you with pigs and sheep? Just wondered as I have a similar set up!

Blinkers · « **Reply #4 on:** April 21, 2009, 07:57:58 pm »

Hi Dixie - we moved to Wales at end of May last Year (

can't believe its nearly a year!!). We had a smaller set up back in Sussex but the land was rented.....AND we both worked FULL time!!!. So, gave up the day job......found this WONDERFUL place here in glorious South West Wales.....moved us, our holding and all our livestock and everything else you collect when you have animals......and now work the holding FULL TIME instead. Where about are you Dixie?
Cheers
M.

dixie · « **Reply #5 on:** April 21, 2009, 08:09:50 pm »

Boring Essex!! Moved to a place with land as we had horses, we started with 6 ducks then went on to chickens, sheep and more recently pigs! just the 4 ewes who lambed the first time this year, a GOS sow who had 10 piglets 4 weeks ago and a young boar that was bought as a weaner but we've kept him for the 'job'!! we'll see how it works out! Mine and my dads hobby really, hubby has own business and loves living here, but not really into animals (unless he has too) oh but likes eating them! I work part time and my Dads retired, so always someone around for the animals! oh and not forgetting the 3 children!

Blinkers · « **Reply #6 on:** April 21, 2009, 08:25:16 pm »

Hard work......but oh soooooooooooooooo rewarding, isn't it? I remember when we tasted our very first home reared pig......WOW WOW WOW. We get asked for GOS weaners all the time......but we stick to having no more than 3 litters in 2 years. The Berkies have got quite a following now too...the meat is a slightly different flavour and just as tasty....but we still find the GOS the best for crackling!! I've got a lonely Silver Appleyard Drake whom I "rehomed" along with his best mate.......a Black Pekin Cockrell!!!!! Been trying to find him a wife, but no luck yet. What sort of ducks have you got Dixie?

dixie · « **Reply #7 on:** April 22, 2009, 11:15:12 am »

Just one aylesbury and one indian runner x mallard! both drakes, am looking for some suitable ladies for them! We started with a couple of weaners last year, never really thought I'd take to them, but am completely hooked now! As you say the meat is fantastic, we got 3 more weaners and was lucky enough to be given a gos sow, we hired a boar and she had 10 piglets 4 weeks ago! needless to say all spoken for already!
The ewes we took as orpahns 2 years ago and have now lambed 7 lambs between them, had a rejected one and although persevered to keep him with mum she hated him! so we took him away and got 2 orphans to keep him company, they are now living in our old turkey pen and thriving!
We hatched our own turkeys (from a broody chicken)! for Xmas and now have 15 chickens and 2 cockerels, one I'm trying to home as they have started fighting!
How many pigs do you have? i like the paddock set up you have!

Blinkers · « **Reply #8 on:** April 22, 2009, 09:17:05 pm »

Dixie - sounds like you've got plenty to keep you busy.......and enjoy

As for pigs, we've got our 2 main sows (1 x GOS and 1 x Berkshire), 2 Kune Kune 'pets' and currently 4 fatteners.........and...........a 2 year old gilt that we were hoping to breed from, but has just never made the size......so she's gotta go for sausages - unfortunately

the set up works really well cos we can move all the internal dividers and amalgamate one paddock iwith a second or third etc. We can also shut off one or two for resting.

Well done with all those piglets - Pigs are just soooooooooo addictive.

Blinkers · « **Reply #9 on:** April 23, 2009, 09:22:57 pm »

Just when you think everything is gonna be OK...............Well, at this mornings 6.30am feed little lamb was doing fine and feeding well - Great. 3 hours later she'd collapsed and had laboured breathing. She was very weak but I got her up and tried to stimulate her. She stood - very unsteadily - and appeared to start taking notice. I gave her a shot of Penstrep and watched her for another 30 minutes - then she suddenly just closed her eyes and collapsed again. Rang the vet, jumped in the car and raced off down to the vet (20 mins away).....and convinced that we were gonna arrive with a dead lamb. She was completely out of it, very slow and laboured breathing but a strong racing heart beat?!? Arrived at vet - went straight in and she was examined by one of the 13 vets in the practice and who couldn't find any clinical signs of what was wrong!! Took her off to theatre and put her on Oxygen. Vet came back 10 mins later and said lambie was lifting her head (fingers crossed). After another 20 mins vet, complete with lambie in her arms appeared. Little lamb was alert and looked heaps better. She's been given several different does of vitamins, glucose, magnesium, etc etc etc..........and I got two more jabs for the next 2 days. Phew. Brought her home again and this time put her in a very small area in our tack room/office and again under a lamp. By 9pm this evening she's almost back to where she was at 6.30 this morning....and feeding ALMOST as well...but not quite. What a day - AGAIN. Still not out the woods and my heart is in my throat each time I open the door - but time will tell. Will keep you updated on the progress of this little fighter who deserves to live sooooo much.