[Missy]

Its that time of the year when I worry about my ryeland ewes and lambing.

Last night my ewe was obviously in labour but had no discharge, I watched and eventually the water bag appeared and as I was watching there was a lamb in it.  This is when I didnt quite know what to do as with my goats, the kids have drowned as I didnt break the bag.

I did burst the bag and then there was just a head poking out and when I had a feel both legs were tucked inside.  I did manage to get a leg forward and then helped her to lamb.  The second was normal and the third exactly the same as the first.

My query is whether I should have left the lamb in the bag until it was completely out and then burst the bag.  The fact that he was in a bag would she have lambed easier because legs would have been encased in the bag and would have come out easier?

Every year I seem to have a different scenario and they never seem to behave as the text books say they should!!!

[shep53]

In this case since the legs were both back you did the right thing    normally the bag will burst on its own

[SallyintNorth]

Yup, the sheep don’t read the books, do they?! 

The lamb won’t drown until it tries to breathe, and it’s got no reason to try to breathe until the cord is broken.  So whilst it’s in the process of being born, it does no harm to leave the bag intact.

There’s a possible slight exception to that, if a massive lamb is stuck in the birth canal and the cord is constricted.  So if I went to a ewe and found it all jammed up, I might then break the bag - but tbh, in those circs the lamb probably has its chest so constricted it wouldn’t be able to inflate its lungs anyway.

I don’t think you do any harm breaking the bag; if you have to assist, the bag often breaks anyway.  But yes, it gets less slippy and friction can increase once the bag has burst.

[Backinwellies]

Lamb is not going to be born with 2 legs back ..... so you would have needed to help a bit anyway..  Welldone

[bj_cardiff]

If you feel you need to assist or check that everything is 'ok' you need to pop the bag so you can feel around. Usually you can see the two front feet inside the bag, as you saw the head and no feet you did the right thing, pop the bag and find the legs. Well done