[CEW]

Hello, we have 37 mule ewes recently bought from market they are all in lamb with twins and triplets due to lamb in 20 days .. we've had one with an anal prolapse and other seem to be dropping.. we have been giving glucose and calciject and a drench as soon as we spot ones going down is there anything else we can do ? All advice greatly received

[Foobar]

What and how much are you feeding them?  What condition score are they?

[Sbom]

Moving heavily pregnant ewes, especially through the market system will cause untold stress which can result in problems.
You need to get energy into them, high energy licks, fodder beet and feed according to condition score. You'll also need milk powder to help with triplets!
Mules generally have plenty of milk, plenty of lambs but need plenty of feed to help with this.

Good luck 

[shep53]

You are not painting a good picture with only 20 days to go , yes you need energy buckets eg CRYSTALIX /lifeline  , you can buy Glucose buckets .  I would try to feed them the best quality  nut or coarse mix you can afford in at least 3 meals per day so you don't over load them , maybe 1kg per head per day , their intake of hay will be very limited at this time as the lambs will restrict rumen space .  Have a talk with your vet you may need proplyne glycol or similar eg ketosaid  so you are ready for any twin lamb disease .  Try to keep any stress from handling / weather /lameness  / competiton for feed space to a minimum

[Azzdodd]

Firstly do they have teeth? It's all good saying about the buckets but I'd they can't use them properly not much point.

All my ewes always have access to good hay an fresh water. If there teeth are not great like has been said get a good course mix they can eat an don't bother with ewe rolls if there teeth are no good

[Old Shep]

You need to get energy into them, high energy licks, sugar beet

Feeding sugar beet can cause prolapses so pleas stick to ewe nuts or pellets.

[Sbom]

You need to get energy into them, high energy licks, sugar beet

Feeding sugar beet can cause prolapses so pleas stick to ewe nuts or pellets.

Really?
Beet the root not the nut?

Everyone round here feeds beet to sheep with no obvious prolapse problems......

[waterbuffalofarmer]

You need to get energy into them, high energy licks, sugar beet

Feeding sugar beet can cause prolapses so pleas stick to ewe nuts or pellets.

Really?
Beet the root not the nut?

Everyone round here feeds beet to sheep with no obvious prolapse problems......

I have always fed ours on sugabeet pellets before lambing and after and never had problems. Although recently I have been feeding them feed blocks and hay, which they seem to do fine on. I did feed wheatbeat for a time, but in moderation,cause of the protein levels it contains. I would agree plenty of energy for them though and what is there condition like? I kept mules once and only one lambed well, the other I had to pts due to a continual problem after birthing.

[Marches Farmer]

You have to wonder why these ewes were sold heavily in lamb in the first place.  As has been said, you need to get feed into them, gradually ramping up over a few days so you allow their gut flora to adapt.  Tempting although it may be to get the full weight of the veterinary profession behind blood testing and so on, I'd be inclined to consider improving their feed, along with ad lib hay, and giving them a very quiet life with minimal handling, just standing quietly a little way away from them (eyes averted) when you've put down hard feed so they realise you're not a threat.  If you're planning to lamb inside you could put feed down closer and closer to the shed, then inside the shed, so they get used to that too.  It could help make lambing less stressful for them and minimise the likelihood they'll be slow to mother up.  Have they had a booster jab for clostridial diseases?

[harmony]

You have to wonder why these ewes were sold heavily in lamb in the first place.

It is that time of year.

[Sbom]

Have they had a booster jab for clostridial diseases?

I wouldn't be bothering with this now if not, the extra stress it would cause to do would be incredibly counterproductive

Just keep treating the ones with symptoms, calcium, ketosaid etc. Hope things improving as they settle 

[Womble]

It is that time of year.

Yes, I think some of the replies have been a bit harsh so far, though I know they are well meaning.

People sell sheep at market that are due to lamb. CEW has bought nearly forty of them, a couple are having problems, and those are being treated appropriately. There's also no suggestion that they're emaciated or anything, so why the panic measures?

They've been moved now, so surely the best thing would be a several small feeds a day with ewe nuts, maybe supplemented with high energy buckets. That and a quiet life, as MF says.

The point about vaccines is a good one, and whether it's worth it surely depends on how stressed they are at being handled (with most of our soppy sheep, I could just walk up to them and jab them whilst they're chewing the cud - commercial mules, possibly less so!). Apart from that, what am I missing?

[CEW]

All ewes are in and have been for a few weeks so that we didn't cause them too much stress travelling while so heavy! All were fed sheep rolls whilst in the field and nuts as soon as they moved into the shed.. they have an energiser lick and ad lib Haylage.. we are feeding twice a day 1kg per ewe now slowly increased over a week.. they have all had heptavac jab and all bar two are fine .. the prolapse ewe is still down but desperately trying to get up we are assisting with that .. she has had calciject & glucose and the other one too with twin lamb drenches when needed! They are settled when we are in with them in actual fact extremely inquisitive ? Thankyou for all your advice all help greatly received ??

[CEW]

Those are supposed to be smiley faces   

[Sbom]

 

In the original post it sounded like you'd just bought them.......hence why I suggested re stressing with vaccination wouldnt be ideal.

Sounds like you are doing everything right, even just bringing heavily in lamb sheep inside for lambing can trigger problems with twin lamb symptoms. At a big sheep farm I lambed at we always expected the odd one a day or two after coming in.

Make sure the haylage is top notch as any mouldy bits can cause listeriosis.

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