[Beeducked]

I have a ewe that prolapsed last year. Ultimately she had 2 very large twins (and she is the smallest of my ewes), the first of which was breech and dead, the second was a cracking large ewe lamb. The advice to put her in lamb again was mixed (sorry to those who recommending culling - you were right) so decided to give her a chance.


As you might have guessed she has prolapsed again. Last year she lambed 3 days after she first prolapsed, this year she is over a week since she prolapsed and no sign of lambs although she looks very close (but been saying that for days!).


So how long have most people found it between prolapse and lambing? She seems very settled and comfortable. Eating, drinking etc Udder is very large but not tight.


Feel a bit like I guess expectant fathers feel, excited, anxious and wish she'd just get on with it (and wondering if turning her upside-down and shaking a bit would help - actually guess that's just me!)

[mowhaugh]

The timing of the prolapse can vary hugely in relation to the lambing, so I wouldn't be worrying too much because she hasn't lambed justecause she has prolapsed, if that makes sense.  We are having problems with prolapses in a new batch of sheep we are contract farming for the first time for someone (600 sheep and we've had 12, which is NOT good), but we have no idea of their history at all, I would say the first one was 5 weeks ago now and we are not due to start for another weekand 2 days.

Agree re the culling afterwards, though (or keepas a pet if you prefer), you don't need the stress again, there is enough to worry about, and not pleasant for the sheep if it happens again, although they don't always.  We hope ours will lamb successfully and raise their lambs, but every one is marked with a huge red P (or 9 if my husband's done it, he's dyslexic) so they go once the lambs are weaned.

Good luck!

[SallyintNorth]

Sorry to hear that she has prolapsed again - they don't all, but some do.   

As mowhaugh says, they can prolapse many weeks before lambing, potter about wearing their spoons or harnesses quite happily for weeks, and lamb with no bother.  It's one of the reasons we do use spoons - when fitted correctly they don't hurt at all, she can wear one for a long time with no ill effects and lamb through it without any problems if she decides to produce when we are not watching.

We just fitted a spoon yesterday to a repeat offender - but she's had two trouble free lambings in between her two prolapses, and most (though not all) of her partners-in-crime the first time who also stayed on produced two more crops too.  When they had the rash of prolapses three years ago, they were a batch of 2- and 3-crop ewes we'd bought in-lamb.  We figured they'd been fed well for sale, then we put them on middling sort of ground here, but they were from very rough moorland, so overall we felt they probably had justification that time and didn't cull all those who prolapsed.  We have had one or two more prolapse since, but certainly nothing like all of them have repeated the offence.

[Beeducked]

She has been very settled with the spoon in but managed to dislodge it yesterday (OH saw her manage to get it caught on the edge of a hurdle). She hasn't prolapsed again since so keeping a really close eye but haven't replaced it at the moment.
Hopefully she isn't far off.

[Marches Farmer]

Can you see if she has hollows in front of her pelvis and if her stomach looks as though it's dropped nearer the ground?  This would indicate the lambs have moved into position for birth.

[Beeducked]

I think I have been staring at this ewe so much I'm going cross eyed but don't think she has changed shape. She is just as round as she was! She was the first to lamb last year and for no good reason at all I am convinced she will be this year too. Have to keep reminding myself to look at the others too

[trish.farm]

My ewe with a prolapse lasted over 2 weeks with a spoon in, lambed with my assistance with 2 mahoosive ram lambs, (probly the cause of the prolapse) no problems afterwards.