Author Topic: Very late shock arrival advice please for a sick lamb (Read 5665 times)

andywalt · « **on:** May 31, 2012, 08:57:50 pm »

yesturday lunch time we had a very late arrival, the ewe I had down as being baron and marked for the abbotair, during shearing on saturday the shearer tipped her over and wow a large udder bagged up, so sure enough yesturday she dropped it, he didnt look that bright when I found him to do his navel, seemed a bit dull with a little black poo round his bum, the mother is very attentive but i noticed she walked away everytime the lamb wanted to feed, but his tummy looked rounded! this evening the lamb has very black watering scours as i lifted the tail aload of wind and black water came out and it really stunk, ive brought them in and given the lamb 1mm antibiotic, the ewe milk seems ok, one side seems softer so looks as if the lamb has fed but not sure, and doesnt look that interested at all !! my question is can a lamb get black watery scours without feeding from the mother? in the morning should i take her milk and stomach feed the lamb? any one have any info or advice on a very young lambs black watery poo?? thanks in advance

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #1 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:19:04 pm »

Sorry I have no sheep knowledge. Just wish you the best of luck with the little fella.

jaykay · « **Reply #2 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:19:14 pm »

Meconium - first poo - is black, the lamb poo goes yellow when the milk starts coming through.

If the ewe likes him, he looks like he's fed and her udder does too, I'd assume he's feeding, some ewes won't when a person is about.

Don't know why the scour. I think the antibiotic was a good idea. Now follow it up with live yoghurt or probiotic from the agricultural store/vets.

I'd pen them, under cover if you can, for a few days but wouldn't intervene with the feeding yet. I'd watch and see how things were going. Check his belly by holding his front legs on your forearm and squeezing gently with the other hand from both sides in front of his back legs - you can feel if there's a bit of plumpness (fed) or hollow.

andywalt · « **Reply #3 on:** May 31, 2012, 10:10:33 pm »

so maybe if he hasnt had any yellow poo yet thats maybe because he hasnt fed? and it was just gas in an empty tummy? its got me thinking this one !

Herdygirl · « **Reply #4 on:** May 31, 2012, 10:19:56 pm »

Hi Andy

give them a chance, turning her was a bit of a shock, they don't like it at the best of times, no wonder se lambed, good advice previously to pen them up, give mum extra hard feed, some nice hay and let them bond, i have a Herdwick ewe that never seems to let her boy feed.... but he is still there.... grabing what he can and turning out very nicely (very nicely in fact, might keep him to sell as a young ram)

best of luck

Gill

andywalt · « **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2012, 10:39:24 pm »

yep I penned them this afternoon, clean water and hard feed and hay in the pen, hopfully ill see an improvemnet in the lamb in the morning, thanks for your comments so far

shep53 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 01, 2012, 01:20:35 pm »

The udder contains lots of small blood vessels and yesterday you gathered your sheep and sheared, her udder being swollen knocked against her legs and some veins ruptured leaking blood into the milk , so when the lamb suckled he got blood aswell as milk and this came out black not yellow, nothing to worry about all will turn normal as the leaks seal. Happens a lot in dairy cows

suziequeue · « **Reply #7 on:** June 01, 2012, 01:41:39 pm »

Oh wow that's REALLY useful to know shep53.

Thanks :-))

jaykay · « **Reply #8 on:** June 01, 2012, 02:45:19 pm »

That is good to understand

suziequeue · « **Reply #9 on:** June 01, 2012, 06:37:40 pm »

Update please Andy - I'm on the edge of my seat.......

Herdygirl · « **Reply #10 on:** June 01, 2012, 09:59:14 pm »

Me too

andywalt · « **Reply #11 on:** June 10, 2012, 03:59:22 pm »

sorry for the delay, and thanks for all your knowledge and answers, i dont think it was blood in the udder as the lamb had very gassy stomoch with the stinking diarrea, smelt of infection, but have to tell you 24hours later the lamb was totally differant, bright, lively and feeding, I am sure the 1mm antibiotic did the trick, and the ewe which is a norfolk horn cross jacob type did like to see with me close by.

so all is well, id be lucky to catch the lamb now without busting my lungs

regards Andy

omnipeasant · « **Reply #12 on:** June 10, 2012, 10:27:08 pm »

Glad the lamb is okay, but if this ever happens again make sure you get some artificial lamb colostrum into the lamb asap. Sometimes it takes a few days for the milk to come through if the ewe has been stressed or in poor condition. Supplementing to start with does not mean that the pair will not carry on as normal once the balance is restored. We get better at lambing and 'making' lambs live every year, but the big thing is getting colostrum in those vital first hours so if in doubt...