Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Entropion...  (Read 7406 times)

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Entropion...
« on: April 15, 2013, 03:38:03 pm »
Just a rant...
 
And there I was thinking that it is going quite well this year, 3rd of the way through lambing. Weather ok-ish, camera in the shed so helpful for night time checks from the comfort of the house rather than disturbing the ewes, all ewes lambed by themselves so far (compared to last year where the previous texel boy produced massive heads and shoulders and I ended up pulling a lot of the lambs).... and then entropion in a set of really good sized twin boys...
 
So now have to check ALL his lambs (hopefully the shetland tupped ones will be ok), and sell Bru - as in Irn - (who is just 1 year old and really well trained/behaved so was going to stay for a few more years yet...)...
 
Maybe it's time to go back to primitives... (and I am one of the few people who actually likes Texel tups... sorry)
 
Anyone know what breeds are most prone to entropion? Looking for a new tup now...

Tala Orchard

  • Joined Nov 2012
  • North Cornwall
    • Tala Orchard
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2013, 04:06:47 pm »
Regarding Entropion here is an extract from sheep101

Entropion (inverted eye lid)
Entropion is a heritable trait in which the lower eyelid is inverted, causing the eyelashes of the lower lid to brush against the eye. Entropion should not be left untreated. The constant irritation results in tearing and can lead to corneal ulceration, scarring, and blindness. It may affect one or both eyes.

Mild cases of entropion can be treated by injecting a long acting antibiotic under the skin of the affected eyelid. Sometimes, staples, sutures, or clips will need to be applied to the skin surface of the affected eyelid. Rams carrying this trait should not be used for breeding.


Although you probably know all that anyway
Pigs are human tooo

colliewoman

  • Joined Jul 2011
  • Pilton
  • Caution! May spontaneously talk rabbits!
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2013, 04:27:38 pm »
If it is only the one set of twins, would the problem not be equally as likely to have come from the ewe?
Shame to get rid of a nice ram if it might not be him :-\
Never dealt with it before but seems strange to be just the 2 lambs if it was the ram.
Is entropion a dominant or recessive fault? Anyone know?
We'll turn the dust to soil,
Turn the rust of hate back into passion.
It's not water into wine
But it's here, and it's happening.
Massive,
but passive.


Bring the peace back

MrsJ

  • Joined Jan 2009
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2013, 05:13:07 pm »
Our vet injected the eyelid with something like Botox (I asked if he could do the same for me as well, but he declined!)  It made the eyelid swell slightly and it turned out the right way.

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2013, 06:22:14 pm »
Considered a recessive gene but some experts consider slight dominance, if only one pair of lambs you could put that ewe to your shetland ram next year

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2013, 06:32:14 pm »
The vet put in clips today... so the bill for that and any possible future ones makes me quite sure that I do not want to take the risk and continue breeding from him... and vet's advice was to get rid.
 
I am a bit of a wuss when it gets to treating something like this, so I am now dreading the next few  of his lambs and what to do if that happens again ...
 
Maybe just try and get an old boy instead of a tup lamb, hopefully less of a chance of getting this kind of fault...

Remy

  • Joined Dec 2011
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2013, 06:39:44 pm »
My Ryeland has produced quite a few lambs with mild entropion - but interestingly all of them have self-corrected with growth and without treatment.  As I've not had a permanent case as yet, and he produces very good lambs I'm keeping on using him.
1 horse, 2 ponies, 4 dogs, 2 Kune Kunes, a variety of sheep

ScotsGirl

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • Wiltshire
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2013, 07:43:55 pm »
I had a few cases last year one needed vet to inject but others were easily corrected. This year I only had one very minor which I actually felt I had caused in handling. Might be mad but I'm sure it wasn't there at delivery but appeared within 24hrs.


Anyway I'm not convinced its the ram as have tried a few and had the occasional problem. More likely the ewe but doesn't happen every year and I don't think same ones.


I'd give him another chance. The injection of antibiotics isn't expensive not sure how it compares with clips.

Sbom

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Staffordshire
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2013, 07:56:01 pm »
It's quite an easy thing to treat, you just need a steady hand. You can inject penicillin, locain or just sterile water, just enough to puff out the lower lid. By the time it's gone down in a few days the lid has sorted itself  :thumbsup:.

wellies

  • Joined Jul 2010
  • Shrewsbury
    • Fairfax Ryeland Flock
    • Facebook
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2013, 08:49:03 pm »
we had two last year and one this year with entropion. One last year had the injection to correct it, wasn't expensive and was fine after. The others have corrected by gently pulling down the lower lid a couple of times a day. They were fine by day 2. Our ram who sired these guys has now gone but it happened so rarely in his lambs that I still used him. Now we have a young new lamb it will be interesting to see  if we have any cases next year

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2013, 08:54:29 pm »
We get a few each year (Ryelands). This year, we had a few - mainly in the white lambs rather than the black ones. I've never injected or anything - I always check at birth, and if the eyelid is turned, I just flick it out. Do this a couple of times every time I go past the pen and it's sorted.

When I worked on a sheep farm 30 years ago, we had cases of it then and we were lambing Mules and Halfbreds to Suffolk and Texel tups.

VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #11 on: April 15, 2013, 09:16:31 pm »
It can sometimes be sorted out just by giving the offending eye lid a good pinch - enough to make it swell a little and flick the eyelashes out the right way.
The SHEEP Book for Smallholders
Available from the Good Life Press

www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2013, 09:47:09 pm »
It just seems another thing that needs sorting out... I am just annoyed that I didn't spot it, to be honest it never occurred to me to check every lamb at birth. But I guess that's how we learn.
 
Not sure on Bru's future yet, vet was very clear on his advice...
 
Any terminal sire breed known NOT to have this problem (and good doers in the north too)? Cheviots?

Hazelwood Flock

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Dorset.
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #13 on: April 15, 2013, 10:08:11 pm »
I've kept and bred from females who had it as lambs (corrected by injection) and have NEVER had it occur in their offspring or subsequent descendants, so I don't believe it is at all heritable. I think it is totally random as the last 2 years I have not had any even though I still have the same breeding stock.....
Not every day is baaaaaad!
Pedigree Greyface Dartmoor sheep.

NLL

  • Joined Apr 2010
Re: Entropion...
« Reply #14 on: April 16, 2013, 07:23:45 am »
we used three tups this year, the older ,tested on produced no problems. The two younger ones produced about 90% of lambs that needed vet attention for badly turned in eyelids which caused ulcers.This was from ewes which had previously had no problem. The two younger tups have already gone.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS