[Furryears]

  why oh why oh why has my 5 month old ewe lamb started suddenly losing its fleece? She got fly strike 4 weeks ago now, but has survived that and is healing well from that. She is bright enough, eating and drinking, but as of this afternoon suddenly going bald? Help please! She Suffolk X

[Me]

Woolslip, stress, large amounts of Pen.?

[Marches Farmer]

It will grow back, but slowly.  If you're planning to keep her I suggest keeping shelter available through Winter, or fitting her with a calf jacket.

[Anke]

If the skin was damaged by the flies/larvae, then it will grow back new and pink now. She will be fine in time, but if it is a large area definitely some shelter or even a coat of some sort would be useful as suggested above.

[Remy]

When sheep have suffered a huge amount of stress they can often completely lose their fleeces - it's happened to 2 of mine. Coincidentally I have a 6 month old ewe lamb that had very bad fly strike and she almost died, she has also just shed her fleece and I've had to buy her a dog coat!


Yours will need some kind of coat and shelter over winter till her fleece grows  back (which it will)

[Hellybee]

I'd say stress after being poorly, she ll be fine, it ll grow back xx

[Furryears]

Thank you all. Remy, your situation sounds very similar to mine.

Currently she is in the barn with a buddy, as her sore rump was cracking/not healing out in the sun and rain, so I decided to bring her in last weekend. As soon as her sore has gone I will put her back out with some sort of jacket - would be awful to be bald outside at this time of year.

Thank you for the information and reassurance - I was very worried when I suddenly found her with two bare sides this evening - even though she is very bright / eating.

[devonlady]

Sudocrem or E45 cream will keep her skin from cracking.

[Furryears]

Hi Devonlady, I have been using sudocream, it does seem to be doing the trick - looking at her this evening the fleece on her back seems to be well attached, she has just lost down her sides and around her neck.