[DartmoorLiz]

I had a big day yesterday.  Ewe down in the morning - gave her 60ml calciject in a tent of skin by her leg - ewe up and feeding newborn lamb by lunchtime . 


That was just the start.  Another ewe had been nesting all day and gave 2 big contractions at 6pm - by 7 there was still no lamb so had a feel and found a spine and what felt like a load of skin and random joints but no head, feet, tail or recognisable features.  Phoned a neighbour who came right away and told me it was breach and after much eye watering, up to the armpit ruddling about, delivered a dead lamb.  I thought that was the end of it but he pointed out the ewe had lots of milk and would adopt a spare lamb if I skinned the dead one.  Never done it before - really gross [size=78%] -[/size][/size] but now ewe and lamb are bonded and looking OK together[size=78%] [/size][size=78%].[/size]

[Black Sheep]

Sorry to hear about the gruesome events but at least some good outcomes for you :-)

Serious question to others more experienced with mothering on though. Is there any data or experience out there about which methods work best? Skinning a dead lamb might be worth doing if it is more effective at getting a ewe to accept another lamb but if it is no more effective than, say, covering the other lamb in fluids from the amniotic sac and rubbing under the ewe's nose, why do it? The latter is quicker, easier and much less gruesome.

[harmony]

It isn't always possible to rub the foster lamb in the birthing fluids so skinning might be the only option left to you.

[shep53]

Your talking about 2 different scenerio's  , the birthing fluids are normally used when a ewe is known to be carrying a single and you are there at the time of birth to foster a second lamb on to the ewe ,  or IF a lamb is dead and you pull it  and can have a second lamb  at hand .    Skinning a lamb is done when you find  a lamb/lambs that have died during birth or dies after birth and the mother has bonded with the dead lamb/lambs then skinning or restraining of the ewe are the only alternatives available .

[Black Sheep]

That's helpful, thank you both.

[landroverroy]

I've only skinned a lamb once. I was there when a single lamb was born dead. I had a fairly new born triplet handy so put the triplet in with the bereaved mother (a very placid dorset ewe). I also stood in the pen with the 2 of them in case the ewe attacked the lamb. I must admit I got pretty absorbed in skinning the dead lamb and it took absolutely ages as my penknife was completely blunt. After about half an hour I got the skin off and looked up, The ewe and lamb were perfectly bonded and the lamb was happily feeding off its adopted mother. The 2 of them had obviously got bored with waiting!

[DartmoorLiz]

Ewe and lamb now out in field looking like they were meant to be together.  The skin started to smell really bad so I left it on less than a day.  The back end had fallen off anyway with no issues so it was an easy decision to make to take the whole thing off.  Kept them in overnight with lamb in her own clothes then let them out this morning.   

[Marches Farmer]

I must admit I got pretty absorbed in skinning the dead lamb and it took absolutely ages as my penknife was completely blunt.

A Stanley knife works well.

[mowhaugh]

Your talking about 2 different scenerio's  , the birthing fluids are normally used when a ewe is known to be carrying a single and you are there at the time of birth to foster a second lamb on to the ewe ,  or IF a lamb is dead and you pull it  and can have a second lamb  at hand .    Skinning a lamb is done when you find  a lamb/lambs that have died during birth or dies after birth and the mother has bonded with the dead lamb/lambs then skinning or restraining of the ewe are the only alternatives available .

This. With practice, although this is understandably not easy to come by, skinning doesn't take long, maybe takes me two minutes. I know the skin does go very smelly, (sometimes, sometimes it goes dry and crispy instead) but just leave it on, better too long than taking it off too soon and undoing your hard work.