[Lfether]

We moved our ewes onto fresh pasture two days ago and this morning one old ewe was off her feet. When we tried to stand her up she was very shaky and collapsed. Took her to vet who has given her metacam and pen strep for 4 days and twin lamb drench.  She is very thin and dehydrated. I have been drenching her with water every few hours. The lambs were born on 5th April and are quite strong but since we have got the ewe in I don't think they are getting much milk or eating hay should I give them a supplementary bottle?

[Nortonhillbilly]

Yes, i would. If the ewe has lost condition, anything that reduces the stress on her and allows her to recover is good. We have had two ewes with E Coli , off their food, scouring, one developed mastistis subsequently. They too had metacam, and alamycin, plus a glucose drench and puled through but we began bottle feeding and offered creep to the lambs as soon as we spotted it. Seems to be working and the ewes are back out gain. Yours sounds like it could be twin lamb disease

[Nortonhillbilly]

Good luck, I meant to say, before I pressed post!!

[SallyintNorth]

Yes I would feed the lambs, if they'll take it.  And give them creep feed too.

Would your new pasture have been fertilised?  Fresh grass, especially if artificially stimulated, can lead to staggers, especially in older ewes who do well on poorer ground.  There's a lick you can put out with magnesium in it that can help, just in case the same thing affects any of the others.

[Lfether]

Thank you. No fertiliser has been used. All our aged ewes appear very thin they have been on short grass but with ad lib hay and mineral bucket. The fresh pasture has plenty of fresh growth so hopefully they will all pick up soon.  The ewe is on her feet this morning so fingers crossed.

[shep53]

Your ewes are milking themselves to death, in order to produce milk they use their body reserves, old ewes have less muscle and fat .  Ad lib hay a bucket and poor grass is not enough they needed nuts in large amounts . Good grass should turn them around but you may need to wean the lambs early say 10 wks old to give the ewes a chance to recover. Yes take the lambs off and get her out onto the best grass

[Lfether]

We have balwen welsh mountains on lowland pasture. Last year they did really well sadly we should have taken more attention to the quality of the grass this year a lesson learned. The poorly ewe is now  up and going and I am topping up the lambs and they have creep feed. 

[animalcrackers]

i would give her a big vitamin jab and maybe calciject.

[Anke]

Magniject - if she is off her feet it is more likely grass staggers.

[lachlanandmarcus]

Your ewes are milking themselves to death, in order to produce milk they use their body reserves, old ewes have less muscle and fat .  Ad lib hay a bucket and poor grass is not enough they needed nuts in large amounts . Good grass should turn them around but you may need to wean the lambs early say 10 wks old to give the ewes a chance to recover. Yes take the lambs off and get her out onto the best grass

Agree with this, our Shetlands usually manage in lamb on very few nuts, but this year they have had a handful each per day plus hi energy lifeline buckets for the last 4 weeks, normally that would be risking them being too plump but I could tell that this year they needed more of a normal sheets inputs in order to be in good condition. Hays a good filler but last years crop didn't have a lot of nutrition in it. Worth checking ewes teeth as well, as that can have a big effect in their thriving or not.


I must admit with the weather being as unhelpful as it has been, and us being on very exposed Scottish hillside, I am fairly tough and send off the old girls as soon as I think they aren't in top nick, just to avoid them and me having to struggle. We always seem to have a lot more ewe lambs than boys so plenty of replacements and the dogs enjoy eating the chewy old girls :-)

[Padge]

we,ve had this with 2 first timers   both with twins      done magniject........and calciject.........and relevant lick buckets....thought initially staggers but talking to vet was decided calcium    the lambs are among the youngest at  6 weeks      we had a jrt once upon a time who could only feed her pups for so many weeks and went off her feet ...that was calcium.
\one of the ewes is recovering better than the other  still stumbling and unsteady but both out and about and feeding as normal

[shep53]

Magniject - if she is off her feet it is more likely grass staggers.

   HYPOMAGNESAEMIA  classic signs are ,if still standing stiff legged walk,peeing , twitching .   If lying then on its side  , twitching , legs paddleing   and  death.        HYPOCALCAEMIA   signs looking slightly drunk , trembling, lying on chest and drooling maybe bloat if lying for a long time