Author Topic: How to manage ewe after dead lamb (Read 6971 times)

suziequeue · « **on:** April 07, 2015, 06:01:46 pm »

Most upsetting - first time ewe gave birth to good sized healthy ewe lamb while we were out. It's been a hot dry day and the membrane dried onto the lamb's face before Mum had licked it off. Dead lamb had a clean dry bottom where the membrane had split but as we all know - lambs don't breathe out of their bums

We took the lamb away and put the ewe in with the non-pregnant bunch. She is calling for her lamb and I am wondering if we should bring her into the pens for a day or two to check on her teats etc.

Should I be doing anything for her? or just letting things take their course?

shep53 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 07, 2015, 06:10:40 pm »

IF you don't have or want to put a foster lamb on her then leave her , the milk will go fairly quickly ,the teat ends have a wax plug so if you leave alone the teat is sealed .

suziequeue · « **Reply #2 on:** April 07, 2015, 06:35:45 pm »

Thankyou.

We don't have a lamb to foster onto her at the moment. We've had five sets of twins and the youngest are about three days old so they are all well mothered up. However, we are expecting a set of twins very soon so that's a possibility - but we don't have the ewe's dead lamb to skin and cover the expected lamb - if that makes sense.

The ewe expecting twins has been bagged up and ready to go for a few days now. She's got loads of milk and has parked herself under a tree. I've been pleading with her to get on with it but she won't budge

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On balance I think the less intervention the better so unless something happens with the twin lamb ewe I'll just see how it goes.

Anke · « **Reply #3 on:** April 07, 2015, 09:15:38 pm »

I have the ewe after stillbirth/lamb died in a pen with no green feed at all, some hay, or preferably straw and of course water. NO concentrates - the "starvation" ration will help her to dry up quickly. For the first few days I will also check her teats twice daily and ease some milk out - put the ewe on her behind and with a squirting/squeezing action take some colostrum/milk out. I don't normally bother saving it. After a few days only once and then you will find that her teats get slacker and then she should be fine, but still no concentrates - so going out with the youngstock will be fine then. Just reduces the chance of mastitis.