[feldar]

Well it looks like we been cursed again. Hubby just lambed a shearling with a smallenberg lamb.
Lamb had head fused backwards and twisted front legs he unfortunately pulled one front leg off trying to get it out. He finally got his hand on the back legs and manipulated lamb around and got it out. Very dead. Has fused long neck extra long back legs, one is not jointed properly and head is fused around to one side. Jaw is parrot mouthed.
The afterbirth is white??? very strange not had that before.
We phoned VLA they don't want it as it is not the first this year, apparently poll dorsets have been hit first and also the government has cut the funding to test for these lambs, so they can only take a small quota. Nice of the Government to do that looking after the farmer again.
Anyway vet has confirmed Smallenberg by a visual, but to be honest we saw it such a lot last year it can't be anything else.
Ewe is a bit in shock, she had such a time of it, so we will have to give her some TLC over the next few days.
4 lambs born other than that, everyone of those ok, so this must be a ewe that didn't get bitten last year. Just hope she's a one off!!
 

[in the hills]

    Sorry Feldar.     that you have no more, must be awful to deal with.

[moprabbit]

So sorry. Just hope this is the only one.

[Foobar]

Very sorry to hear you've had this again this year.


I think the rest of us (non-early lambers) are praying dearly that we tupped late enough to miss the midges, or that our girls got infected pre-tupping. 

[downsized]

Damn sorry to read that, hope I never see one, that's probably a forlorn hope though

[kanisha]

(((((Hugs))))) sorry to hear that,  midges still flying here

[Bionic]

Really bad news.  So sorry that this happened again to you 
Sally

[SallyintNorth]

Sorry to hear about that feldar      she's the only one somehow didn't get bitten before she was tupped.

[TheCaptain]

Had two born this morning with it - extra joints, fused joints, under-bite, twisted spine. One delivered by herself, the other needed assistance. Thought at one point I was lambing him sideways as the front leg wasn't attached to the shoulder blade. Two weeks early too.


We're near Wincanton for what it's worth - don't know if anyone else is near us and due to lamb soon.


Devastated.

[sabrina]

How awfull, poor ewes having to go through all that and how hard for you all having dead lambs 

[kumquat]

Just saw this thread and my heart sank, so so sorry guys....not nice 

[jaykay]

So sorry that this is hitting you guys again 

[feldar]

There's a case in Somerset a friend of ours has had to lamb 3 ewes with problems. 2 had dead twisted lambs and the third had live not so bad lambs but they have since died. So i'm afraid this dam disease is here to stay. We have a ewe due soon who had SBV lambs last year so it will be interesting to see what she has this year, will keep you posted

[SteveHants]

I'd heard it is all over the south west now.


From what I understand, there may be a vaccine by next year. I wonder if it is now endemic in our midges, if it is, I suppose most animals will get bitten when the midges first come out, which this year was probably late, but in 'normal' years could be early enough to make sure the early lambers avoid it. I can't imagine what a bloody nightmare it will be at lambing outdoors.

[Brucklay]

So sorry to read this Feldar & TheC.- especially after what you went through last year Feldar - keeping all my finger    for all of you out there lambing