# Help. Whats happening with my ewe



## Zummerol (Aug 5, 2021)

Hi all... my ewe is trying to lamb by the looks of things but what she is trying to push out does not look normal... when she lies down and strains a mass looks like its is coming out but when she stands up it all goes back in. There is no bubble like sack and it has not burst and there is no thick mucus involved. I got back from town and found her straining and was quite shocked at what I saw ... I will post a pick but it is night time here so not sure how clear it will be


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## Zummerol (Aug 5, 2021)

Zummerol said:


> Hi all... my ewe is trying to lamb by the looks of things but what she is trying to push out does not look normal... when she lies down and strains a mass looks like its is coming out but when she stands up it all goes back in. There is no bubble like sack and it has not burst and there is no thick mucus involved. I got back from town and found her straining and was quite shocked at what I saw ... I will post a pick but it is night time here so not sure how clear it will be


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## Baymule (Aug 5, 2021)

I just saw this 2 hours later. How is she doing, and is she still straining?


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## Zummerol (Aug 6, 2021)

Here is a pic


Baymule said:


> I just saw this 2 hours later. How is she doing, and is she still straining?


Morning. Everything stopped at 10.30 last night... all straining up and down everything... I was up through the night checking on her went to bed at 3 am and back up at 6 to check on her and she came running with the others for their feed...


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## Baymule (Aug 6, 2021)

@farmerjan @rachels.haven @Ridgetop 
Do y’all have any ideas?


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## Zummerol (Aug 6, 2021)

Baymule said:


> @farmerjan @rachels.haven @Ridgetop
> Do y’all have any ideas?


Ok it would appear that it was a urinary prolapse. When I did an internal at 10.30 and could only feel a sack I must have moved it which then allowed her to urinate and took pressure off the bladder... I must admit I have never seen anything like it before... she is on antibiotics now due to the internal so fingers crossed that everything is fine for now but will keep you all updated


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## misfitmorgan (Aug 6, 2021)

That was my thought, prolapse. Invest in a spoon and harness if you dont have one yet.


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## Zummerol (Aug 6, 2021)

misfitmorgan said:


> That was my thought, prolapse. Invest in a spoon and harness if you dont have one yet.


Not sure if we can get that here in africa. Will ask my vet when he comes out to vaccinate my horse...


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## Baymule (Aug 6, 2021)

Never had one prolapse, so I’m no help to you. But others here have and know a lot more than I do!


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## Zummerol (Aug 6, 2021)

This group has helped me so much in the last 10 or so months that I have been on it. Without all you guys I have no idea what I would have done... it's not that easy to get a vet out and sometimes not even necessary... Thank you everyone...


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## Baymule (Aug 6, 2021)

Even vets here aren’t that well versed on sheep. Plus it doesn’t take long to get more money in one than it’s worth. Most of us bring our problems to the forum and only use a vet for extreme emergencies or the big problems.

I don’t think anyone here keeps a ewe that prolapses. They do the best with the lambs, get them weaned and slaughter or sell the ewe. Nobody wants to do that again.
I wish you the best with this ewe.


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## farmerjan (Aug 6, 2021)

Sorry, with work and all I did not see this until this morning.  I would also say a prolapse... but not urinary... a vaginal prolapse.  You can have rectal, vaginal and uterine prolapses... it sounds like it is vaginal and may continue to be a problem.  I do not have much experience with a spoon and a harness, although I have heard of them.  In cattle, we will put a couple of stitches in to keep the cow from straining and pushing it out until she is close to calving.... they will normally be able to pee and do manure ....
In most cases of prolapses, they will happen again.... anal/rectal ones will normally go back in after the calf is born, but will most usually happen again the next time and will get progressively bigger.  Vagina is a sign of weak muscles and will probably occur again.  Uterine is a toss up... it is a mess to deal with, but if it goes back in smoothly, there is only a 50/50 chance of it happening again.  It is most common with a large calf and the cow straining alot....
Again, not well versed in it happening in sheep.  Think we have only had one or 2 in 40 years... and have gotten the lambs out and then after the ewe raised them, she was sold.  Haven't had any in many years. 
Hope your vet can advise better...


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## misfitmorgan (Aug 6, 2021)

Baymule said:


> Even vets here aren’t that well versed on sheep. Plus it doesn’t take long to get more money in one than it’s worth. Most of us bring our problems to the forum and only use a vet for extreme emergencies or the big problems.
> 
> I don’t think anyone here keeps a ewe that prolapses. They do the best with the lambs, get them weaned and slaughter or sell the ewe. Nobody wants to do that again.
> I wish you the best with this ewe.


No we would not keep her or any of her offspring. Same thing for bad mothers and low/no milk producers, them and all their offspring go.


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## Ridgetop (Aug 7, 2021)

Just saw this - have been off computer since Saturday.   Several important questions -

1.   Has this ewe lambed yet?  
2,   Is she still pregnant?  
3.   When is she due?  
4.   Is this her first lamb?  
5.   Was this a complete prolapse or a threatening prolapse?  

If you can't get a spoon or prolapse guard, then you can sew up the vaginal opening with dental floss or fishing line. Sew the edges loosely together in an X cross.  Leave enough play to allow her to urinate.  

*YOU WILL NEED TO CUT THE STITCHES WHEN SHE GOES INTO LABOR TO ALLOW HER TO LAMB WITHOUT TEARING.  Just be ready for her to prolapse while lambing as she strains.  *

*If answer to question 1 is yes*, she has lambed, then just sew her up until the lamb is weaned and then sell her.  A ewe that prolapses will continue to do so and aside from having to be replaced and sewed up all the time, can pass that proclivity on t her offspring.  Unless thus ewe is super special bloodlines in your flock, dn;t kee any ewe lambs from her either.

*If answer to question 2 is yes*, she is still pregnant, you will need to watch her closely when she is due to lamb to cut the stitches to allow her to lamb.  During lambing you will have to watch for prolapse.  If she prolapses after or during lambing, you will need to replace the prolapse after washing it off with cold water, and then sew her shut again.  If you can't replace the prolapse, then you have a bottle lamb.  *Milk out the colostrum from the ewe before putting her down.

Answer to question 3 goes to answer above.

If answer to question 4 is yes, and she did not completely prolapse (question 5), *it is possible pressure from a big lamb, or several lambs caused her to threaten a prolapse.  Better to sell her after she weans her lambs.

A picture would help visualize what type of prolapse it is.  Over the past 30 years I have dealt with uterine, rectal, and vaginal prolapses. 
One rectal _threatened_ prolapse was treated with Preparation H cream, and self-corrected when the ewe delivered triplets.  Never a true prolapse and she went on to deliver again safely.  
One ewe had a total uterine prolapse which I replaced and used the dental floss X stitches to sew up her vulva. Replacing the uterus is very difficult.  It is very heavy and swells up hugely after coming out!  It took DH, myself, and our 3 boys to get it back in.  After several months I cut the stitches, she did not prolapse but I sold her before another breeding season.
A third ewe had a complete rectal prolapse.  She was important genetics for my flock and only had a few weeks before delivery so I called the vet out.  He used the same procedure that you do on hogs for this condition.  Inserted a small PVC tube into the rectum then banded the extruded prolapse around it.  The tight band caused the protruding rectal tissue to atrophy and die off.  The ewe was in constant antibiotics and pain meds.  When she delivered her lambs, I had to cut her vulva severely to deliver them.  A pair of ewe lambs, one didn't make it.  The vet sewed up her vulva and she was able to nurse the survivor for 5 weeks.  Then I noticed that the pain pills were not working well, and she saw not eating well.  We put her down.  I kept the lamb for her genetics and will see if she prolapses like her mother in which case, she goes down as well.  If that happens it will be hard because she is my granddaughter's pet since she was raised in the jugs due to her mama's condition.  However her mama had a short show dock and I am hoping that is what contributed to the prolapse.  A super short dock has been shown to affect the nerves and muscles in both sexes.    

Hope this information helps you.


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## misfitmorgan (Aug 9, 2021)

Great information!


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## Zummerol (Aug 10, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> Just saw this - have been off computer since Saturday.   Several important questions -
> 
> 1.   Has this ewe lambed yet?
> 2,   Is she still pregnant?
> ...


Hi. Sorry been off line for a few days. Unfortunately it is like that on the farm. She has not yet lambed and was never supposed to be covered by any ram. She came with ewes that I had bought and was bottle raised by the previous owners. Not because mommy rejected her but because people can be stupid and decided it would be nice to bottle raise a lamb... sorry not something I agree with at all unless you absolutely have to and not because it is a novelty... she is quite small for her age and I put the lambs with her when I take them away from mommies only one of the young rams got out and in with her and the young girls and from there we are here... unfortunately she has prolapsed again... it happens only when she lies down. The minute she stands up it all goes back in along with all the dirt and sand so she is on a course of anti biotic... unfortunately I have searched high and low for a harness but cant get them here will have to import and with our postal system I will be lucky to get it by 2025... I even tried looking up the specs to make one myself but could find nothing on the internet. I have noted when all my other ewes are due but have no idea with her as I did not even realise one of the boys got in with her... her udder is quite big but withers are still full not hollowed out yet... maybe if someone on this group has a harness they could post the specs so I can make one for just in case it happens again. I think I am going to have to do the stitch thing tomorrow morning or should I say later this morning as it is currently 1am.


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## Baymule (Aug 10, 2021)

Oh that’s tough. She’s a pet and special to you. Why do the ones next to your heart always get in a bad way.


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## misfitmorgan (Aug 11, 2021)

Zummerol said:


> Hi. Sorry been off line for a few days. Unfortunately it is like that on the farm. She has not yet lambed and was never supposed to be covered by any ram. She came with ewes that I had bought and was bottle raised by the previous owners. Not because mommy rejected her but because people can be stupid and decided it would be nice to bottle raise a lamb... sorry not something I agree with at all unless you absolutely have to and not because it is a novelty... she is quite small for her age and I put the lambs with her when I take them away from mommies only one of the young rams got out and in with her and the young girls and from there we are here... unfortunately she has prolapsed again... it happens only when she lies down. The minute she stands up it all goes back in along with all the dirt and sand so she is on a course of anti biotic... unfortunately I have searched high and low for a harness but cant get them here will have to import and with our postal system I will be lucky to get it by 2025... I even tried looking up the specs to make one myself but could find nothing on the internet. I have noted when all my other ewes are due but have no idea with her as I did not even realise one of the boys got in with her... her udder is quite big but withers are still full not hollowed out yet... maybe if someone on this group has a harness they could post the specs so I can make one for just in case it happens again. I think I am going to have to do the stitch thing tomorrow morning or should I say later this morning as it is currently 1am.


Here are some approximate dimensions in milimeters. You may have to make it a bit smaller if she is a very small ewe.




Make sure you make the spoon part very smooth so it does not injure her vagina. You can use rope to go thru the holes and either clip it to her wool or make her a harness based on her size. The spoon is quite flat, there are videos you can find showing how exactly to use it and it will give a good idea of how it should look.


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## Zummerol (Aug 11, 2021)

Thank you. Sorry I should have been more specific. No way I can make something like that will post a pic of what I was referring to but thank you for the picture and tlresponse. Really appreciate it


misfitmorgan said:


> Here are some approximate dimensions in milimeters. You may have to make it a bit smaller if she is a very small ewe.
> View attachment 87277
> Make sure you make the spoon part very smooth so it does not injure her vagina. You can use rope to go thru the holes and either clip it to her wool or make her a harness based on her size. The spoon is quite flat, there are videos you can find showing how exactly to use it and it will give a good idea of how it should look.


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## Zummerol (Aug 11, 2021)

Zummerol said:


> Thank you. Sorry I should have been more specific. No way I can make something like that will post a pic of what I was referring to but thank you for the picture and tlresponse. Really appreciate it


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## misfitmorgan (Aug 11, 2021)

The harness is ment to be used with the prolapse retainer(the thing I posted). Depending on how back she is prolapsing when she lays down the harness and stitching her will hopefully be enough. If the prolapse is going back in on it's own as you mentioned it is likely not a severe case. Hopefully she has the lambs soon.


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## Ridgetop (Aug 13, 2021)

Finally home and catching up on this.  At this point since she continues to prolapse, your only option (since you can't order a prolapse spoon and harness) is to stitch her up.  Just an X stitched across her opening.  She needs to be able to pee through it.  

This is not a happy posting and I apologize in advance for any pain or upset I cause you.  

*You will need to watch carefully when she goes into labor and be there to cut the stitches.  You will need to help deliver the lambs since she will prolapse again during labor and delivery.  When she prolapses during labor and deliver it will be a BAD problem because the swelling prolapse tissue will block the lambs exit from the ewe.  You might have to use a scalpel, a razor blade, or very sharp knife to cut through prolapsing tissue to rescue and deliver the lambs.  This will be a life or death situation for them.

I hate to say this but this is already a terminal problem for this ewe.  Her chances of survival are very small.  If she is just about ready to deliver, you should consider having the vet do a C-section now and avoid having her go through labor.   If she does not go through labor she will not prolapse during delivery. This might be her only chance to survive labor and delivery.  Otherwise, if your vet can sew her up afterwards she might make it long enough to raise her lambs for a month.  She will need heavy doses of antibiotics and pain meds.

Whatever happens, try to milk the colostrum out of her to give the lambs a good start to bottle feed them.  You can raise them on fresh goat milk if necessary.   (If you can't get lamb replacer.)  *

I am really sorry to be so negative about your poor ewe.  I am going from experience on the last ewe I had that prolapsed.  Normally I would have euthanized her immediately but she was almost at term and I wanted to retain her particular genetics.  

Our vet repaired the rectal prolapse temporarily but when she went into labor the straining caused a further prolapse which compressed the vaginal opening.  This prevented the lambs from being able to come out.  It took both DS1 (who is a large strong man) and myself to try to hold the prolapse out of the way.  Finally I had to cut her vaginal opening to allow the lamb (a nice size ewe lamb) to be born Unfortunately by the time we got her out she was dead.  I milked the colostrum on one side and while doing so, noticed that a second smaller lamb was being born.  Luckily that one survived.  The vet stitched up the areas where I had to cut her so she could rear her lamb.  However the stitches did not entirely hold.  She required heavy antibiotics and pain medication several times a day.  The ewe survived to feed the lamb for 5 weeks.  The she started showing extreme pain and I put her down.  

I feel guilty that I did not euthanize her immediately and just bottle feed the lamb because I am convinced that I caused that ewe to suffer needlessly.  I do not keep my animals alive unless they have a chance at recovery.  I hoped this ewe would recover enough to be pain free for as long as it took to raise her lamb although I knew she would be euthanized eventually.  She made a start at recovery but then went downhill after 3-4 weeks.  I don't like my animals to suffer and should have out her down immediately.  

I am telling you this so you will understand why I am recommending that you euthanize her once the lambs are born  If you decide not to have the vet do a C-section, be prepared to do one yourself when she goes into labor.  You will have to cut the lambs out of her regardless of whether you have any anesthetic and put her down immediately.  The alternative is watching her die trying to give birth.  

Go on line and read the procedure for c-sections on small ruminants.  

I am so sorry.  😢


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## Zummerol (Aug 14, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> Finally home and catching up on this.  At this point since she continues to prolapse, your only option (since you can't order a prolapse spoon and harness) is to stitch her up.  Just an X stitched across her opening.  She needs to be able to pee through it.
> 
> This is not a happy posting and I apologize in advance for any pain or upset I cause you.
> 
> ...


😭😭😭


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## Ridgetop (Aug 14, 2021)

Hopefully you will save the lambs.      Please keep us posted on her progress.


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## Zummerol (Aug 14, 2021)

Ridgetop said:


> Hopefully you will save the lambs.      Please keep us posted on her progress.


I will do. I have made a harness for her and it fits and works quite well. A quick question as I have never had to deal with this before. How will I know that she is definitely in labour and not relapsing and trying to push it out...


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## Zummerol (Aug 14, 2021)

Zummerol said:


> I will do. I have made a harness for her and it fits and works quite well. A quick question as I have never had to deal with this before. How will I know that she is definitely in labour and not relapsing and trying to push it out...


Prolapsing not relapsing


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## Ridgetop (Aug 14, 2021)

That will be the tricky part.  Also if she goes for any length of time unable to deliver the lambs, she will stop her labor.  

Do you know the exact day the ram got into the pen?  Did you write it on your calendar?  If so, you can count off 5 months and 5 days (or go online and look at a sheep gestational calendar).  That will help you pinpoint a lambing date.  

A normal vulva gets swollen and slightly wobbly just before lambing  You might also see some clear or white mucous stringing from it.  Since you will not be able to see  her vulva due to the harness, and her vulva may be swollen from the prolapse this will not be a guide.  

Examine her udder.  Her udder may or may not engorge.  Sometimes you can express some sticky yellow colostrum from the teats a day or so before lambing.  This might help a bit.  

You will need to do an *internal* exam when you think she is in the process of lambing. Lubricate your first 2 fingers (I use antibacterial soap) and gently insert them into her vulva.  If you feel a hard bit near the opening, it will hopefully be a nose or front foot.  Do not go past your middle knuckle. You will also be able to feel if the tissue is swelling around the vulva.  If there is nothing there, she may not be quite ready to lamb so leave the harness on and check again in about 30-60 minutes.  She will get up and down, paw the ground, and you may see her straining.  

When you are sure she is in labor, the work begins.  _Make sure you have at least one helper to assist you. This will not be a normal or easy birth because of the prolapse. _ You will have to get the lamb(s) out while keeping the prolapse inside.  Be sure to have a lot of lubricating oil to slime around the inside of the vulva to help the lamb slide out.  You can use a meat baster to put lubricating oil inside the vulva as the lamb slides out.    If she is too swollen you may have to do some cutting.  Have a sterile scalpel, safety razor blade, or sharp knife or scissors handy.   You might have to cut the vulva muscle to give enough room for the lamb to exit.

While oiling the area and assisting the lamb out of the swollen prolapse tissue try to keep the prolapse from coming out  Remember, if the prolapse tissue comes out, it will immediately swell and prevent the lamb's exit into the world.   Have your helpers hold the ewe and help lift any prolapse tissue out of the way while you are pulling out the lamb(s).   

If worst comes to worst, be prepared to cut open the ewe and pull the babies out that way.  Take comfort in the fact that if she can't get the lambs out she will die anyway and by doing this you might save the lambs.  Put her down immediately afterwards.  A bullet through the ear canal is fast.  Do *not* kill her before getting the lambs out since when she dies so do the lambs.  Sorry to be so blunt but remember that she will be suffering and this is the kindest thing you can do for her.  

If the cord comes out with the lamb without breaking make sure to compress the cord several inches away from the lamb's body and while squeezing the cord push any cord blood upwards toward the lamb.  Have dental floss or a bobby pin to close off the cord if it continues to bleed (rare, but if the cord separates too close to the lamb's body it can bleed out).  

This will be a sweaty and bloody process, and can take some time.  Have antibiotics ready for the ewe.  if you can't get the prolapse tissue back inside after getting the lambs out you won't be able to save the ewe. Milk the ewe out and try to save the lambs with her colostrum and milk until you can either graft them onto another ewe, or obtain a milk supply.  Goat milk will work.

Wash off the prolapse tissue with cold water.   Adding sugar to the water is supposed to shrink the tissue. If you can replace the prolapse tissue reattach the harness to try to keep it in place.  Have the vet out to stitch up the ewe if you had to cut her.  If you have to stitch her up yourself, use dental floss if you don't have any sutures.  You can use a small gauge curved needle or carpet needle.  Make sure to disinfect in alcohol.  

*READ EVERYTHING YOU CAN FIND ON THE POSITIONS OF LAMBS IN UTERO.  YOU MUST PREPARE FOR EVERYTHING*.  

Sadly, this ewe should be culled to avoid any future pregnancies.  Do not keep any of her lambs since they might inherit the tendency to prolapse.  This situation is always a shepherds' nightmare.  

Hopefully this information will get you through this.  Once the labor and delivery starts you will be too busy to worry about anything except saving the lambs.  That is why you need to look up everything you can on line now so you can anticipate problems.


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## Zummerol (Aug 19, 2021)

Hi all. So it looks like my ewes time is very soon. Teats have swollen up and are no longer as long as before and her valva is very swollen. She is also not eating so watching her very closely... but to top all this stress off I now have 2 ewes that are not well...I will keep you all posted on what the out come is... thank you all for all your help


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## Ridgetop (Aug 19, 2021)

So sorry for all your problems.  Keep us posted.  It happens to us all, no matter how much experience we have.


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## Ridgetop (Aug 20, 2021)

Hope everything is ok with you and your ewes.


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## Zummerol (Aug 21, 2021)

Hi all. Ok a quick update..  my other 2 ewes are looking better so not too worried about them... Little Guy (that's her name) still not lambed but this is what her back end looks like... totally different to 10 days ago


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## Ridgetop (Aug 23, 2021)

Looks to be close to lambing.  Udder is filling.


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## Zummerol (Aug 30, 2021)

OK still no lamb. The vet was here Friday to vaccinate my horse and scan a few sheep. He scanned my little girl and picked up movement from the baby but it took a long time before he did... he also did an internal to check that there was no smell... so now it's again a waiting game... I'm going to post another thread about a calf and see if anyone can help


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## Zummerol (Sep 1, 2021)

We have a baby... momma did very well. No prolapse during the birth.  I think I was really lucky as I was all on my own at 2am this morning when she decided to have her little girl.. one question though... after she finished giving birth and all looked fine I moved them into a stall as we have a few roaming wild life here. When I checked on mommy again she had another water sack hanging out of her... it burst and I have been checking on her to see if there was another baby coming but she is not down and has not been down since she gave birth.. have not seen this in my other ewes so thought I would check with you all... pics will follow later in the day


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## Zummerol (Sep 2, 2021)

OK not to worry after birth has just passed...


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## Ridgetop (Sep 2, 2021)

Adorable lamb!  So glad that everything went well.


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## Ridgetop (Sep 2, 2021)

Probably everything went well because you were prepared for the worst!  LOL  It is a rule that if you are prepared for all eventualities nothing happens and everything goes like clockwork.


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## Zummerol (Sep 2, 2021)

I am just so grateful for all the people on this group and the advice and time that is given freely. I was prepared for the worst and that lamb just shot out of her mom with almost no strain on mom's side... just so glad it is over...


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## Mini Horses (Sep 2, 2021)

And she's adorable!  Love the markings..both eyes encircled.


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## Zummerol (Sep 2, 2021)

She is a sweetie... mom and babe


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## Baymule (Sep 2, 2021)

Beautiful little girl! So glad that all went well and that you have a healthy lamb. 

My question to @Ridgetop is, should the ewe be culled since she prolapsed? If it happened once, will it happen again, even though she gave birth with no problems? I never had a prolapsed ewe and hope I never do!


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## Ridgetop (Sep 2, 2021)

I would probably cull her in a large flock.  *However,* if Zummerol wants to take a chance on her in a small flock knowing the risks, that is something she can decide later.

Most sheep producers routinely cull prolapsed animals.  This is because tending to a prolapse prone ewe is time consuming and costs money.  Most farming is done on a knife edge between profit and loss.  It is easier and cheaper to keep a replacement from a ewe that has had no problems.  Medium and larger producers see no point in wasting time and money on a single ewe that might prolapse at any time and die anyway.

*My questions for @Zummerol when deciding this would be -*

1.  What are the bloodlines on this ewe?  Do you already have others with these genetics?  Can you cull this ewe and continue your breeding program?  Do you need these genetics in your flock?

2.  Is this ewe docked?  Can't tell in the pix if she is docked or if you are holding up her tail.  Sometimes a severely short doc can lead to prolapse.  If that is the case, and you dock this lamb, dock her several vertebrae long to make sure that your dock doesn't damage the tail muscles.  A very short dock can damage muscle and nerve tissue.  Mounting numbers of prolapses in show sheep led to a rule in California that the docked tail stub has to be able to be lifted on the edge of a pencil.  Many breeders still consider that to be too short.  We dock for cleanliness during breeding and lambing however we leave at least 3 vertebrae which translates to a 3-4" tail stub when grown.  Some commercial breeders leave a 6" stub.  

3.  If the ewe is docked long or was not docked we move to the question of whether this is a fluke thing or a genetic flaw.  It is possible that this prolapse problem will not occur in the ewe lamb even if it is genetic.  Half the genetic material in this ewe lamb is from the ram.  Is the ram related to the mama in any way.  Has the ram produced any ewes that have prolapsed?  The fact that mama did not prolapse again during lambing is a good sign.  I would continue to watch to see if she prolapses again.  Particularly if you decide to breed her again.

4.  The final questions - is the prolapsing ewe a family pet?  Will it devastate you to sell, euthanize, or cull her?  Can you afford to keep her without breeding her again?  Do you have the facilities to keep her separated from the ram permanently?  Are you willing to put in the extra time and expense to deal with the prolapse if it occurs again?

5.  If the answer to #4 above is "NO", the question becomes - do you want to take the chance that this ewe lamb will carry a genetic tendency to prolapse?  Are you willing to put the groceries and time into this ewe lamb and take a chance with her?  If you are, do so. Just be aware that the tendency may be there to prolapse.   Having gone through it before you will be able to recognize it and deal with it.  At that point I would cull both mama, daughter, lambs, as well as any closely related ewes/rams.

So many questions that @Zummerol will need to consider honestly before making this decision.

I have culled ewes and does that I decided were not profitable breeders for my flocks over the past 30 years.  I have euthanized ewes that were not fit to continue breeding.  Most culls were for health issues, some were sold because they did not fit my breeding program.  Some were beloved family pets.  Some ewes that I sold at the auction for $100 were ewes I had bought for $500-900.  Some that I had to euthanize I paid high prices for as well.  Farming is not always a profitable business.  

I have kept Snowflake whose mother had a major rectal prolapse ending in euthanasia.  She was docked very short.   Her 1/2 sister out of the same bloodline died lambing.  She was also docked very short and her lambs did not survive.  _I want that bloodline in my flock but_ _if Snowflake (who we docked long) has problems I will cull her.  _I am willing to take a chance on Snowflake for the diversity she will give my flock.  But I won't coddle her because a ewe that throws that trait in her lambs is not a good breeding ewe.  

Everyone has to make that decision on their own.

Congrats on an adorable lamb!


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## Baymule (Sep 3, 2021)

Great informative post @Ridgetop . I draw on your wisdom and experience every chance I get. You put it all into words so well and asked thought provoking questions. We all learn from the experience of others. Thanks for being such a great teacher and sharing from the deep well of your hard earned knowledge.


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