[norfolk newbies]

Hello o sage and experienced sheep people.
 
One of my longwool ewes appears to have hoof problems ( we have had some issues with scald this year). She is due to lamb mid march and is limping now, although was not during the snowy and frozen weather. It does not feel mechanical ( we do have the odd rabbit hole, but I OH says she did not flinch when he ran hand down her leg).
 
So my question is, can we tip her to cut back hoof and apply spray etc, or is the best thing to try and have a go whilst she is standing up? Which is probably more likely to create havoc and stress ( for me if not her!)? Our intention is to bring her into the dry and trim & spray, but I know that it is unwise to tip pregnant ewes, but I cannot remember if there is a timing issue as well.
 
Thanks in advance
 
Jo

[feldar]

 Our big Hampshires are a pain to turn over at the best of times but we don't tend to do it when they're heavily pregnant anyway just in case, but we do turn them if their feet are really bad.
Your ewe is still some way off lambing, but if you think it's just scald and you can't see anything wrong in her hoof, then perhaps you can just catch her up, check her foot for grit etc while she's stood up and give her a good spray with antibiotic spray and she hows she goes for a few days.
If she's particuarly flighty you may have to tip her over, but try not to crunch her up too much and she should be fine.
Hope that helps

[ScotsGirl]

No definitely not. Pick up hoof like a horse and wash out with hibiscrub or similar. Trim if necessary, feel for heat and gently squeeze hoof for a reaction. Spray and keep somewhere dry. If really bad and repeated spraying doesn't fix give Terramycin LA and maybe metacam if holding leg up.


I find mine can take several days to come right if not a couple of weeks. Risk of prolapse if you tip and not good for lambs.

[colliewoman]

Terramycin LA and maybe metacam if holding leg up.

Oooh can you give metacam to sheep?? I never knew that! Every day a school day eh?

[in the hills]

Very inexperienced keeper here but if it helps our very experienced neighbour told us never to turn a ewe in lamb unless you really had to. He has told us that over the years there have been occasions where he has had to turn them and most of the time had no problems but he would never do it by choice and treats standing up.


Ours are not due until April but treated a ewes foot a couple of days ago ..... standing position. There were two of us and our sheep are easy to hang onto so it was just as easy as turning. If they are bigger or on your own then guess could be trickier.


We could see no problem with the hoof but cleaned and sprayed with purple spray - fine afterwards 

[Fleecewife]

Terramycin LA and maybe metacam if holding leg up.

Oooh can you give metacam to sheep?? I never knew that! Every day a school day eh?

I don't know about metacam, but Terramycin is teratogenic ie causes malformations etc in the unborn lambs, so best not to use that during pregnancy.

[bigchicken]

Have seen shepherds tying sheep to a gate by the neck with piece of baller twine and stopping the back end moving with there leg  enabling them to work with both hands, Someone on here mentioned lime as an aid to foot problems.

[Marches Farmer]

Can you put her in a small pen, back her into a corner and get someone tall to stand with a leg each side of her neck?  If she has a problem with a back leg another tall person can stand astride her back end a lift the foot to check it.  We always run ours through the race, straight through the turnover crate, and catch 'em as they come out of the end and to check feet while they're pregnant

[Bionic]

Ours are pregnant and we did them recently standing up. We ran them (well they dawdled) into a race that was narrow and not big enough for them to turn round in. They couldn't get out the way they were facing and we put planks of wood behind them so that they were trapped. Once in this position we were able to do them without too many problems.
Sally

[norfolk newbies]

Thanks All
Kind of what I expected. Fortunately both me and OH tall, definitely  a 2 person job.....
I will use all advice and let you kow how we get on. (Will not be using baler twine though as they are pretty big sheep and I hate to think what could happen if she took exception to that. We do have a halter so might use that as an extra). Fortunately generally as a breed they are not too flighty and this one is particulary greedy for nuts, so I am hoping   she might be managable (ish).
 
We will keep her in the dry for the next week and do regular spraying (of purple spray and something else we got for scald ( OTC so I do not think it was terramycin ) - assuming that we can get her to lift foot after the first time!
 
thanks again
Jo

[SteveHants]

Some anti-inflamatories can cause abortion in ewes - check before giving metacam.


Its not something I would give for a mild case of scald anyway. I'd try not to sit it up  - see if you can clean between the cleats from above and give it a spray and see how it goes. Try purple spray first, might just be enough to clear it up.

[shep53]

 
(I don't know about metacam, but Terramycin is teratogenic ie causes malformations etc in the unborn lambs, so best not to use that during pregnancy.)
                                                                                 This is my drug of choice at all times of year, iv'e been on NOAH and PFIZER and read all information, there is no mention of causes  problems in pregnant sheep.                     To trim feet you should do which ever way you and the sheep are comfortable with, personally i will usually turn over,the sheep tends to sit quietly and it only take's seconds to examine and trim, i find that doing standing the sheep struggle more. Never had any lambing problems that i would attribute to turning over while in lamb

[dyedinthewool]

Hi,
 
I don't tip any of my girls (I've only got eight) they are all trained to tie up - start when they are 'medium' sized not babies.  I have a small webbing pony/foal halter the sort that has adjustable nose and head straps.  I put a few more holes in both straps to get it small enough, also to start with I run the head strap down the nose and through the nose buckle as well, this way they can't back out of the halter, also attach the rope clip to the top/front of the nose buckle (like a horse lunging canvasson) this then keeps their heads up.  They soon get used to it. I do it on a regular basis even when they don't need anything done - pick their feet up like you would a horse, tap the hoof, fiddle about give them a titbit, make a fuss of them then let them go.  They can until they get used to it 'kick out' a bit but soon get the hang of it, you just have to be firm, but gently while you are hanging onto the back leg of a leaping sheep.  Once they realize you are not going to give in they soon settle.
Now it's easy to put the halter on as they know they'll get a titbit.
 
I tie them up with their heads into a corner so I can 'knee' them to either side, they even get used to that and move over with very little pressure. 
 
LIME: I use lime and foot/scald problems have been a lot less than before, their feet are alot harder than before.  I put it were the sheep are either going to walk through it - like the barn doorway or where they are going to stand to get at the lick/water bucket - I have these in the barn and the girls come in to drink/lick etc.  It's best if you can put it where it's not going to get washed away by rain.    Be careful not to use it when it's windy - I use a bucket with a childs sand-spade to sprinkle it a couple mm thick about a square meter in size. You do need to replenish it/do it on a regular basis not wait until their feet are bad.

[star]

My grandma used to raised some sheep, from her experience, you'd better not lip her leg as it is likely to create havoc and stress (for her). I think it's just a general timing issues, maybe she just need time to adjust the pregnancy, when the mid time past, i think she would be better.

[JMB]

One of our ewes was limping badly last week. I rang the vet to ask the same question about tipping and he advised that we did her standing up. The first time we had her legs dangling about which was tricky, but someone else on this thread described it as doing it like a horses hoof, standing up with the foot bent back, which is so much easier.
Just out of interest, we ended up giving her an antibiotic from the vet which was alamycin. Said was fine for pregnant ewes.
Some people say to just turn a blind eye to limping sheep when pregnant, but I can't stand to see them in pain
J xxxxx