[mab]

well I've had my first ewe deliver today - out in the big field on the wettest day for over a month - and of course I had to rush out to work this am and only gave them a cursory look through the falling drizzle before setting off - didn't see the lambs & only discovered around lunchtime when I got back.


lambs looking OKish I think (though neighbour thinksthey both look a little underfed, but one lamb was away from mum looking unfed so got her into a pen in the shed (eventually) and put the lamb on the teat (the 2nd one as the 1st one was putting out pink stuff). Squeezed out the pink stuff whilst I was there and can feel a lump inside - for some reason I thought mastitis only happened later (i.e. not on day of birth).


called SOS to the neighbour and borrowed some A/B,s and some milk powder (thinking mum might not have enough on one side)and a tube of stuff to squirt into the teat (it's what he does with his sheep).


tried to give 'em both a bit of bottle but neither wanted much then one (that didn't look so unfed went onto mum).


Feeling rather guilty now for not checking properly this am , but    they'll survive my mistake.


given them a small heat lamp as they looked a little shivery and the winds picking up (and it's still misty-drizzling).


so it begins...

[Bionic]

Hopefully mum and lambs will be ok mab

[mab]

thanks

[jaykay]

Hope you've caught it all early and they're all fine.

[Backinwellies]

Sounds like both lambs could do with some  'quick start'  ... watch out for lambs getting hypothermic ..check temperatures are over 39  (voice of experience!) .  Lack of food soon leads to hypothermia......  heat lamp only keeps warm it doesn't warm up.   Stomach tube is better than bottle for lambs who are not feeding much... ensures they get enough.
They need feeding little and often.

  they are all Ok.

[mab]

well they have taken some more milk (though I felt a bit bad about disturbing them when they're snuggled up to mum). then they went to mum for more even though they had walked away from the bottle (I guess they prefer mums.


I'm just wondering how often I should give them milk.

[Anke]

If they are suckling from mum and do a good stretch when you disturb them, they should be fine. But the udder needs watching for a while - are the lambs taking any milk from the bad side? If not (as in the side feels full and tight) you will have to try and milk some out.

Also lambs would be better tube-fed, so they don't get confused between bottle and teats.

[fsmnutter]

Sometimes colostrum can appear quite thick and pink, so may not even be mastitis?
Sounds like she's well covered by the antibiotics if it is, if hard, hot udder, some anti-inflammatory painkillers may be of use, but if not, and the lambs are keen to suckle from her, i would leave them to it and keep an eye on them, like mentioned, making sure they stretch when you get them up, and don't look hunched up or hollow in the belly
best of luck with them
Suzanne

[mab]

thanks folks


they're still alive this am - and they don't look hunched - but am worried about the lamb that did look underfed yesterday - she's taking the bottle well enough (the other lamb doesn't seem keen), but she's struggling with the mum's teat, and when I do get her on mum she doesn't suck for long (though maybe other lamb's taking most of the milk?). She's also started sneezing in the last couple of hours and was looking a bit shivery again - am worried she may have missed out on mums colostrum - I've wrapped her in a wool jumper but wonder if I should take her indoors? - just to make things more difficult for her the rain is still dense, misty and horizontal & driving in everywhere.


the other lamb is looking perky and comforable and inquisitive by contrast, though am not certain she's getting enough milk from mum - which is why I keep trying her on the bottle.


did try squeezing out mums mastitis side 'cos it was looking full again but couldn't seem to get a lot out - may try again later (neighbour agrees with diagnosis and it's quite a red pink - and there's a hard lump in there).

[Marches Farmer]

Would suspect poorly lamb has pneumonia - a/bs quick.

[mab]

that was my worry too - but she's stopped sneezing    - at the mo' and my neighbour thinks it was probably just a bit of bottle milk up the nose - the teat has a larger hole than optimal and I may have tipped too much into her mouth.


squeezed out red ewe juice again and given her a bit of green Ivy - which she seems to pick odd leaves off.


still can't get this lamb to take more than a couple of sucks off mum though - farmer neighbour suggests letting her get properly hungry first (did try her before giving her the bottle) but I am worried about letting her go hungry and cold for long so soon.

[Bionic]

Marcus, have you got a heat lamp? I put a cardboard box without a lid or front on it under the lamp and then put the lamb in the box. Mum then sat by the side of the box.


I'm not sure the heat lamp was strictly necessary as it isn't that cold at the moment but it made me feel better anyway and the lamb looked nice and cosy.

[mab]

I do have a small one - trouble is the lambs have a habit of moving around and they don't seem to go back to where it's warming - they do seem to have taken to the old wooly jumper though - think I'll move the lamp (again) to where the jumper is.


will try the cardboard box too - it should keep the drafts off. 

[Backinwellies]

I still think a stomach tube is the way to feed the reluctant one (farmers can afford to lose the odd one!) ... starving it this young especially if it has not had a lot of colostrum wont help ... 50ml 4 x a day my vet recommended until it starts to suckle properly on mum .......... worked for two of mine. ... if you were closer I'd show you the technique ... but it not that difficult...

[mab]

well I may have overstated my concern for the one that won't take the bottle (or my concern has diminished) - she is suckling from mum (it's the one I'm bottle feeding that I worry didn't get enough colostrum);- they both looked very thin and hunched when I got them in yesterday but they both look better today I think - and the one that's on the bottle is certainly taking a lot more than 50ml*4 a day (more like 200ml*5) -  so the other's presumably getting similar amounts from mum.



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