Author Topic: Lamb not thriving (Read 3273 times)

cluckyclaire · « **on:** August 15, 2010, 12:31:40 am »

I got some orphan lambs at auction back in April. One was tiny and has always been smaller than the others, although has always feed well and grew in proportion to the others just smaller. However the poor thing got flystrike a couple of months ago on her shoulder and has lost a lot of the wool on the shoulder which is not showing any signs of growing back and she doesn't seem to be growing anymore. Always has a round belly and shoves everyone else out of the way when they have their afternoon feed (grass has been bad so just giving them a little each day as a top up). She is also a cheeky little thing who reguarly escapes with her best friend giving me n my puppy plenty of excise going on a hunt to find them (they manage to get into many of the surrounding fields and we can't for the life of us figue out how!) Other than not growing she seems completely fine in herself.

Anyone got any ideas on how to help her? If the wool doesn't grow back is there anything i can do to help her keep warm in the winter (don't have the facillities to bring her inside)?

Thanks Claire

ellisr · « **Reply #1 on:** August 15, 2010, 06:25:03 am »

It takes a while but the wool does grow back I have had the same with my orphan lambs which I shaved the back ends of but the wool is now growing back. Orphans are always good at escaping I think it's because they haven't had mums to learn from

Cinderhills · « **Reply #2 on:** August 15, 2010, 08:36:02 am »

Has she been wormed? Round bellies I think in other animals, like kittens, could mean worms, also if she eats loads this could be a symptom.

One of my ewes got flystrike last year and her wool took a long time to grow back too.

Pony-n-trap · « **Reply #3 on:** August 15, 2010, 09:36:28 am »

I was going to say has she been wormed also, the last of our sheep were sheared yesterday and as we had all the lambs in too we dosed them again as a couple have gone a bit scoury with the tell tale round belly.

farming-girl · « **Reply #4 on:** August 15, 2010, 12:13:14 pm »

defanitly sounds like worm problem. Especially considering the flystrike which is usually secondary to worms. Also have you now treated with something to keep the flies of???

VSS · « **Reply #5 on:** August 16, 2010, 05:30:53 pm »

Some animals are just poor do-ers.

cluckyclaire · « **Reply #6 on:** August 16, 2010, 06:00:45 pm »

Yeah she has been wormed. No scours. Think she may just stay tiny but wish she would put some meat on her bones!

bazzais · « **Reply #7 on:** August 17, 2010, 12:15:17 am »

She sounds a right little character

If she seems fine, she probably is. I have some strange shaped lambs from all kinds of mothers. Takes all kinds.

As long as shes up on her meds and shes feeding well, what more can you do?

Ta

Baz