[LouiseG]

A novice shepherd question, we have a texel x type ewe, 2 years old this is her first (and last) pregnancy. She had a prolapse 2.5 weeks ago, the vet came out and put it back and fitted the harness on, she had a fair size udder at the time, she still hasn't lambed and her udder is now sagging and swinging like a football , she also has a lot of swelling on the outer edges of the harness all the way down her whole back end, her vulva is puffy and still in the correct place in the harness. She seems well in herself and is still eating and active. Is this ok? photo attached, sorry it's not very good it was on my phone and getting dark.

[twizzel]

When is she due? Is there heat/hardness to the udder. She looks like she could lamb anytime- the swelling in her lady bits can be really pronounced even without a harness in the days leading up to lambing. As long as there’s no heat/redness/hardness in her udder then I’d be inclined to say she’s close to lambing but you could always give your vet a ring if you’re worried.

[cambee]

We had a similar situation with a large coloured Ryeland. After a dog worrying incident she prolapsed and was in a harness for 3 weeks. Around her due date she then developed an absolutely enormous udder! We figured she was about to lamb so whilst around we would take the harness off but she would prolapse again so we’d put it back and put the harness back on. Eventually she was 3 days overdue and her bag was practically on the floor so we took the harness off overnight and in between the 3 hour checks she gave birth on her own to big triplets. I’m not sure if she’d had the harness on how she would have got the lambs out but perhaps others have experience of this.

[LouiseG]

Thank you, not sure when she's due, (first ewe lambed nearly 4 weeks ago and tup came out 10th Dec) the udder is not hot, red or firm and ewe seems absolutely fine, still eating well, and oblivious to the size/swellings.    for a safe lambing soon.

[Marches Farmer]

Make sure her bedding stays clean as the teat ducts could easily get soiled and infection track upwards to cause mastitis. 

[shep53]

Udder while big for a shearling  doesn't look  that bad , she looks very fat ? Trying to make out the picture  is the strap on the left going at an angle down to the right of the udder , the harness looks very tight ? all hard to tell without seeing her in the flesh

[LouiseG]

Thanks for all the help and reassurance,
friendly farmer up the road called in on Thursday morning, and suggested I ask the vet for injection to induce her as she looked about ready to explode, and to take off her harness and see what happens,  Phoned vet about her and another ewe who was a bit wobbly on her back legs and had a small milky cream discharge whom the farmer thought had dead lamb/s inside. So induced them both Thursday afternoon.  4am this morning the ewe with the dead lambs was trying to push so helped her out with two good sized but dead lambs, by which time she was off her legs and i was worried about her. Gave her a shot of a/b's and she had perked up and eating hay by lunchtime. The prolapse ewe finally had a trail of gloop about 2.30 this afternoon but showed no signs of trying to push or really do anything so I bit the bullet and pulled out a healthy girl who had obviously been sitting in the birth canal for quite a while and then went back in to find a second lamb with its head back, finally between hubby and I we managed to get her out, a lot of blood and not convinced on her mothering skills I popped the first born over the divider to the ewe who lost her lambs this morning and she instantly started cleaning it up and talking to it etc. ( She was an excellent mother last year) and eventually the prolapse ewe got the idea with the second lamb and started cleaning it etc.


Sorry to have waffled on, but feeling relieved (and chuffed) that those two are dealt with and all is well in the end.

[shep53]

Glad it sort of worked out ok for you