[Alicenz]

Oh no, I just read your message, that is awful. Im so sorry. 

Have you just put them onto new pasture?  I have a problem on my property with going from hay over winter to the lush new growth on grass in spring in one particular paddock. They seem prone to bloat there.

 One year I had three go down with bloat, and one died  (an older wether) in front of my eyes.  There were no signs except bloated tummy after he was dead.

He was miserable for about an hour,but i thought like the othrs he would come right I had called the vet but he wasnt quick enough.  Angus died very quickly, he rolled on his side I held him and he was gone in about 1/2 a minute. Much easier and humane than i had expected Up until the last two minutes when he rolled over I had expected he would come right.  His tummy was very gurgly.

The lambs sound like they will be fine.  They will take a bottle only if you sit them on your lap and try and dribble it in until they learn.They will struggle against it till they learn.  Easiest to slip the teat between their cheek and gums and eventually they get it.  Time consuming and they sound like they will be ok without it.  You know in the bloat forums for lambs people suggest weaning them at quite a young age so must be ok.  They probably  will learn to take pellets or creep from you and will treat you as mum.

I assume you vacs for pulpy kidney / tetenus etc?

Thinking of you.  i am so sad for you.

[SteveHants]

They'll be extremely unlikely to take to the bottle at this age but with creep and good grazing should get by OK.  The contents of the rumen will continue to ferment for a while after death so froth at the mouth isn't necessarily an indicator of bloat.

This. In summer, ruminants 'blow up' pretty quicky when they die, so it wasn't nescessarily bloat that killed it.


I wouldn't worry too much about one unexplained death though. Its par for the course with sheep.

[Alicenz]

Yes I agree with Steve, its very sad, but it does occassionally happen.