Author Topic: two dead lambs (Read 3447 times)

kevkev57 · « **on:** June 23, 2009, 07:57:30 am »

Need some help here please ! I am just trying to work out why this happened.

We bottle fed two lambs, both sisters. The mother died after giving birth. She had always been a problem mother, with young dead at birth.

The lambs were 10 weeks old, fit looking. Two weeks ago I moved them to an area with one other mother and lamb. All went well until this morning. One is dead the other very poorly, just lying there with the odd movement. no damage or signs of attack. No dog could have got in there.

I have never had a lamb die on me at this age.

I would also add that one was born blind at birth.

Any ideas ?

Thanks Kevin

hexhammeasure · « **Reply #1 on:** June 23, 2009, 08:39:42 am »

This is one of the most distressing things for a farmer. lambs get to two months old and then for one reason or other start keeling over. There are many causes most are probably related to clostridial infection, coccidiosis or nematodirus. I would surmise that as their mother died early they didn't have sufficient protection against clostridial infection. powdered colostrum isn't quite as effective as mothers milk. I would say review your vaccination procedures and worming routine and see if you could make any changes to protect against the same thing happening next year. Blindness could be related to copper deficiency get a blood test done on your ewes to check

kanisha · « **Reply #2 on:** June 23, 2009, 09:17:43 am »

do you know why the mother died?

Farmer · « **Reply #3 on:** June 23, 2009, 11:11:17 am »

Ditto hexhammeasure...loss of colostrum from their mother would leave them open to picking up infection more easily and not have the natural immunity to fight it...very sorry, but its not an unusual occurrence. Also, I find it essential to provide mineral licks for both cattle and sheep, which does provide some benefit when they are grazing and not getting feed supplements.

Worm control is also essential as is up keeping the injection and medication regimes...sadly the old saying stands..."sheep seem to be born thinking of different ways to die...and they are very good at it". However, our first born lamb (a ram) was abandoned by its mother at birth and she died two days later...we had absolutely no experience at raising lambs and everyone told us that raising on the bottle would fail...but we persevered and thankfully Laurence has been with us for three years now!

Hope everything does better for you next year...good luck

Farmer

kaz · « **Reply #4 on:** June 23, 2009, 07:32:37 pm »

I've raised two on the bottle this year, one a first time Mum decided she didn't want him and the other her elderly Mum didn't have enough milk.
From experience we have found if they don't feed within the first few hours, we tube them some colostrum regardless it is their life saver and it must be given within the first six hours.
Worming is essential and that & coccidiosis is a killer without warning.

kevkev57 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 25, 2009, 06:15:26 am »

thanks for taking the time to reply everyone. It is indeed difficult losing them at this age. Probably this situation would have not arisen normally, as we rotate parcels of land we use for sheep. This time however I moved them to a well used patch with sheep on.

They hardly had any colostrum from their mother. I however administered some on day1 and day2.

The mother, well just died. She was already an old girl to say the least.

Kevin