[juliem]

My elderly tenant who has kept sheep for years was very upset a few days ago when he called a vet out who had to sacrifice a healthy lamb to save the ewe Reckons a lady vet would have been able to save the lamb. .Won't go into detail...all very traumatic Lady vets have smaller hands .Is there an equivalent to tripadvisor for finding a good vet.Same vet..same problem last year.
He doesn't have them scanned ....but I think this particular vet just lacked a bedside manner.

[harmony]

I often think you are better with a sheep farmer at a difficult lambing as they have assisted many births compared to most vets. And round here some of the farmers have hands like shovels. I know many people say women are better at these things because of smaller hands but lets face it if a big lamb will come out a big hand will go in.  At the end of the day it is experience that counts not size...is it not! 

[landroverroy]

I often think you are better with a sheep farmer at a difficult lambing as they have assisted many births compared to most vets. And round here some of the farmers have hands like shovels. I know many people say women are better at these things because of smaller hands but lets face it if a big lamb will come out a big hand will go in.  At the end of the day it is experience that counts not size...is it not! 

I quite agree. Many years ago we used a very experienced vet who had the biggest hands you've ever seen and my heart used to sink if he came out for a difficult lambing.
Having said that, if the lamb inside was still alive, he never failed to get it out safely.

On reflection though  - Julie maybe your elderly tenant needs to rethink his pregnant ewe strategy. It is unusual for an experienced shepherd to end up with that situation 2 years running. At this time of year I presume he's lambing inside so giving his ewes concentrates. So maybe he needs to feed them all as if they are expecting singles, so avoiding the problem of the oversized (and dead) single lamb.
Possibly he might be better delaying lambing for another month and lambing outside, whereby the ewes, getting more exercise tend to be fitter and have less problems.
Gone are the days when I expect a load of problems and sleepless nights at lambing time. I now lamb in the middle of April. The sheep stay outside apart from the very rare instances when I might pen the ewe and lambs up for a couple of days. While pregnant they are fed on good hay and feed blocks only, and as soon as I know the ewe and lamb are bonded they are moved onto fresh grass which is at its most nutritious at this time of year. There are no concentrates that can match the boost in milk production and growth rate of animals on fresh spring grass 24/7.
I rarely get lambing problems now as my ewes are fit, not overfed.

[bj_cardiff]

I'd be upset at loosing a lamb, but it happens.. I agree with the others and he probably has more experience of lambing than most vets.

I've only had to take one ewe to the vets for a lambing (touch wood), it was totally backwards and the only thing you could feel was its tail. I took the ewe to the surgery and a woman lambed the (dead) lamb. If there hadn't been a woman vet there and they'd had to open the ewe up then what other option do you have other than to let them?

[pharnorth]

I do think it is important to have a Vet you are happy with. When you have a serious issue the last thing you need is someone you don't trust. As to Tripadvisor, I would rather ask locally and see who others use.

My Vet came over last week (I have a ewe who is struggling with lameness and a bit complicated). In passing she was telling me she did a tricky twin lambing a day or so back for an elderly arthritic farmer and we both commented how hard it must be for someone with so much experience to have to call out and watch when they used to be able to do it themselves.

[crobertson]

Interestingly could I ask folks opinions on vets. We are registered with the local vet our dogs are at (mixture of small and farm animals) I have a bit of lambing experience but this has been my first time lambing my own. I had a bit of a tricky lambing the other day, the 1st and then 2nd twin both presented with both front legs back but it was very difficult to push the lamb back in as the ewe was constantly contracting and then when I did the front legs were very tucked up. I felt uncomfortable at this point, rang the vets and asked if a vet could come out to me as I was in on my own and they just said 'well we don't come out to sheep lambing problems, you'll have to bring it to us'. I kind of thought this was a bit off hand as we're good, paying customers, essentially asking for help, and I can't exactly drag an exhausted ewe into a trailer for a bumpy 30 minute drive. Is this normal practice for vets ..............

[fsmnutter]

It is common place to offer that you could bring the ewe to the surgery. In cases where a caesarian is required, this can often be performed very cleanly at the practice compared to a barn, with everything possible on hand. It can also save the cost and time it takes for a vet to come out to the farm.
However I have never worked anywhere where it would be acceptable to refuse to come out to the farm.
I have had a single occasion where I was at a farm doing a caesarean on a cow and a lambing called in, so we advised that a vet was not free to attend.
At any time, if you have an emergency and your own vet cannot attend, you are within your rights to ask another vet.

[bj_cardiff]

The first time I called a vet out for lambing the surgery explained that they weren't able to send a vet as one vet was TB testing and would be all day. But if I could bring the ewe to them they would priorotise her over the appointments.

I was very happy with the situation and when I've called back since I just ask if I can bring a ewe in and explained the problem. I'd much rather take a ewe to them than wait for an hour or more for a vet to arrive!

[Marches Farmer]

We had a first-timer lambing and I couldn't get a hand inside.  Usually, if the vulva's a bit tight, a few minutes' stretching will do the trick but it didn't work in this case.  Fortunately the vet who came out was a slight lass with tiny hands and she got the lamb out - the problem was that the hymen was still intact.  That was one enterprising ram.