[Bionic]

I have been frantically reading as much as I can before I lamb for the first time.
In Tim Tynes book he says that if a lamb is aborted pick it up in your gloved hand and turn the glove inside out and dispose of it in the usual way. What is the usual way?
Does the ewe eat the afterbirth or is that dealt with in the same way, whatever that is.
thanks

[Moleskins]

I'd expect it to go to a fallen stock company, bit expensive though for 1 aborted lamb.
Ask a friendly farmer if it can go with his next collection.

[SteveHants]

I've noticed ewes eating afterbirth - certainly I don't find a lot of it lingering about on pasture.

[Marches Farmer]

The usual way for us is to the local Hunt kennels - same price as the knackerman but much quicker.  I think the ewe is pre-programmed to eat the afterbirth in case it attracts badgers, foxes, crows, ravens, etc., which would be very happy to attack a newborn lamb.  We always lamb ewes in individual pens and collect up the afterbirth ourselves - I don't think it's the most easily digestible thing in the world!

[shep53]

Eating cleansing is a breed thing, my x ewes inside very few eat them most are picked up and disposed of, outside a few more will eat it ( my dogs , foxes , birds love them )  on the hill most ewes will clean up but since most give birth to single's the cleansing is smaller. IT is very rare but sheep and cows can choke and die trying to eat it

[in the hills]

We left the afterbirth and it was mainly eaten by the ewes .... my son thought it was all really disgusting  .

[SteveHants]

I lamb outside and see no reason to go looking for it over the lambing fields when I have lambs to catch and tag etc. On the rare occasions I do notice it on the deck, it isn't there for long. I suppose one of the nice things about outdoor lambing is that no two ewes seem to use the same spot so the risk of contamination is slight - I certainly wouldn't disturb a ewe who is dealing with her newborns and placenta to get it - I don't like interfering at all, but if I do it'll be when the lambs are cleaned, up and have been sucking for hours - rejections aside.

[colliewoman]

Afterbirth gets eaten in my experience.
If I were to have an aborted lamb it would be double wrapped and of to the vets for a pm. Being potentially very infectious I would not want to risk moving it between holdings etc so if I were not asking for a pm I would take it for incineration.

[kaz]

Hi Sally,
Douglas Bros in Lampeter will collect fallen stock for you, but you can also take to them I believe. A bit pricey now, but cheaper than being in the fallen livestock scheme.  Treat aborted lambs with extreme care because you don't know why they have been aborted. They can also be disposed of in the same way.
PM.
Kaz
 

[Bramblecot]

If you have a fallen stock company nearby, they may let you take it in yourself - ours only charged pennies for a dead lamb - and it saves waiting for collection.

But for something really ghastly, look up sheep placenta- cosmetics .  The things some women do for vanity .

[kaz]

If you have a fallen stock company nearby, they may let you take it in yourself - ours only charged pennies for a dead lamb - and it saves waiting for collection.

But for something really ghastly, look up sheep placenta- cosmetics .  The things some women do for vanity .

That last bit sounds so ghastly, I'm not going to look it up.   My imagination will runaway with that thought.

[suziequeue]

I managed to pick up one afterbirth last year out of five and put it on the compost heap. It's composted beautifully :-)

[in the hills]

Bionic, was reading through some smallholding mags. from a year or so ago, which I kept as they had articles on lambing. It says that the afterbirth if not eaten should be incinerated.


HTH

[Hazelwood Flock]

My ferrets enjoy any I pick up, they relish it!

[Bionic]

Well as I don't have ferrets I will follow the advice from ITH,
thanks guys
Sally