[omnipeasant]

Lost another lamb tonight.   This is the second time I have lost a lamb following the death of it's mother. When we find a dead ewe we always try to find the lamb that might be left behind but they tend to disapear in the crowd. Both times it wasn't until tey started to fail that I caught them ( let's face it, if you can catch a lamb easily then it needs attention) First one died of pneumonia after about a week of tlc. This one was much older but same symptoms, lethargic, dehydrated, refusing to eat. She has only been in for two days but rapidly went downhill despite rehydration, terramycin injection and bicarb in case of acidosis. She was actually out nibbling grass with another for company when I found her sat up and dead.

Any thoughts on this? could it be just grief that stops them eating? Incidentally we have three flocks of around 250 ewes in total so losing two ewes isn't unusual and they were from different groups.

[YorkshireLass]

Do you know why the ewes died? I'm wondering if whatever got them has passed through the milk maybe...?

[Herdygirl]

Am so sorry OP it's always hard when you lose a life, for no apparent reason.  But i firmly believe that livestock have far more 'feelings' then we give them credit for.

i have lamb an orphaned lamb  a differnt breed to my flock that i am convinced would have given up if it hadn't had been for  an exceptionally 'kind ,tolerant, motherly' old Herdwick ewe that i have (she won't be in the freezer).

i am convinced from observing the lamb that  once she got on her feet that she greived when she couldn't find her mother

[Bramblecot]

she greived when she couldn't find her mother

Sorry for your loss .  Watching my 5 Shetland shearlings 'join up' again with their mothers and form small family sub-groups with this year's lambs, I am convinced they recognise each other.   They were apart from tupping to lambing.

[langfauld easycare]

have the lambs been vaccinated ? sounds like pasturella the stress may have brought it out .

[omnipeasant]

Thanks for your replies so far. yes it has occurred to methat mum's might have had something, perhaps even lacked something!

I am thoroughly convinced that sheep have families. Some of my badger faced welsh remain in their family groups for life. That is why I don't scan at lambing time. I would be seperating sisters and mothers if one was carrying twins so that they twinners could be fed better.

[tizaala]

Just when you think they are up and running and you're through the worst bits, wet and cold don't help , and not enough sun for vit D production, poor old sheep, poor old you.