# Sheep Lambing Diseases....all in my own sheep shed (unfortunately1)



## Sheepshape (Mar 17, 2019)

Lambing for me never starts well.....and this year is no exception.

The weather changed....from seasonally too warm, to storms (first Gareth, then Hannah).....torrential rain, high winds, sleet etc 

Two ewes (imminently pregnant) developed severe pneumonia. One recovered after potent antibiotics....the other was unconscious for 48 hours, then began to recover. Long story cut short....her lambs died within her (as became apparent). Unable to stand 10 days on, maintained by fluids from the drench gun....vet came 2 days back. Just before she came, some stinking blood-stained fluid starts coming from her vulva. Vet came and manually extracted the two dead (and stinking) foetuses.The ewe is still (just about)  with us, but still not able to move.

An old girl expecting triplets became lame on a front foot (injury more than infection). Penned up....looking Twin Lamb(ish). Condition going off in spite of antibiotics, inflammatories, drenching etc etc. Started to push after 5 days....I pulled out a folded, several days dead folded breech lamb. She gave birth to two dead lambs in the next few hours.....then her placenta failed to leave. The vet manually extracted her placenta 2 days back. Heavy antibiotics/anti-inflammatories and lots of TLC, and she is also still with us.(Oh, and a big fistful of kudos to the little lady vet who pulled, pushed and never flinched at the stinking, slimy, nasty work she carried out. Also the fact that she had a car capable of coming through the road at the bottom of the drive which had a flood well over a foot deep with a raging torrent across it).

So....lambing commences....5 dead lambs, and two ewes still 'on the critical list'.

Whilst the vet was there, another ewe starts to push....one LIVE ewe lamb. Marked for two, so I stay with her. Shortly, a back leg appears....breech. I pulled it out...a big (and very FLAT) ram lamb. Mouth-to-muzzle, swinging, rubbing...and, quite honestly, a sense of 'you cannot die after I have just had 5 dead lambs' prevailed. Over an hour of working with him, and the most friendly and co-operatve ewe that this world could ask for....and he is with us and suckling. He needed to be helped to stand and suckle throughout the evening, but has come on well since.

Finally, Winnie...an old ewe with a history of giving birth very quickly, scanned for twins. I see Winnie pushing.....she isn't fooling. Several little grunts from her and she lies down, so I look at her vulva. Bulging a bit, no water bag to see yet. A big grunt from Winnie and lamb is coming into the wold with intact water bag sitting like a mask across her face. I frantically strip the bag off and hand the ewe lamb to Winnie, who is very pleased with herself. I move her swiftly to a lambing pen, Winnie grunts and lies down again....another back leg and tail, so I pull out the lamb and clear her face. Lamb sneezes a few times and shakes her head, Winnie is extremely pleased with herself and makes those lovely little gurgly noises that ewes reserve for their lambs. 10 minutes later and both are feeding and the first born  actually does a little dance.

The weather is forecast to improve in about 2 days....I'm hoping that will signal a change in my girls' fortunes!

Why do we do this?


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## Mike CHS (Mar 17, 2019)

That was a sad post to read but now I have a need to know what you will name the ram lamb (if any)?

With all of that going on I know it's sometime hard to keep the desire to continue going.


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## Wehner Homestead (Mar 17, 2019)

Wow! Sounds similar to our Calving season. We have four more to go. Glad that the last few lambs have done well after minor interventions!!!


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## Sheepshape (Mar 17, 2019)

Mike CHS said:


> I have a need to know what you will name the ram lamb (if any)?


He probably should be called Lucky.....but I'm of a mind to call him Shencyn....strange old Welsh name which is always used for the Regimental goat locally (big army barracks in Brecon).....who has an honorary rank of corporal so it's Corporal Shenkin IV who is currently the goat mascot...from the Queen's flock of goats. Seems somehow suitable, but I don't really know why as he is not a goat.


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## shepherdO (Mar 17, 2019)

Wow - I'm impressed that you got your lamb 'resurrected' after an hour!  Makes me think that I should have tried harder with the 3 beautiful dead ewe lambs I had this year.  I wanted them so badly... meh.  I tried all the things you said, but maybe not long enough...


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## Baymule (Mar 17, 2019)

It just has to get better. You have had a very rough winter, lots of bad weather. Spring is on the way, it will get better. I am so sorry that you lost so may lambs.  It will get better.


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## Sheepshape (Mar 17, 2019)

shepherdO said:


> Makes me think that I should have tried harder with the 3 beautiful dead ewe lambs I had this year


Often, dead is just that. However, I pulled this lamb out, and there shouldn't have been much delay in his birth such that he inhaled birth products or time for him to get seriously acidotic......though there was a bit of 'I just can't let this happen'.



Baymule said:


> Spring is on the way, it will get better.


I'm hoping this is the case. The weather is forecast to change for us this week, and I'm very, very lucky that I haven't had a surge of lamb births in the last few days which would have meant that my sheep shed couldn't accommodate them all whilst waiting for the weather improve.

Today may be the day when lots of lambs are born, though, so I'll eat big breakfast!


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## Skiesblue (Mar 20, 2019)

Sounds like you’re one tough shepherd to deal with all of that. I’ve asked myself “why?” too.” I believe that husbandry on even a small scale connects us with things that modern life doesn’t.


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## Baymule (Mar 20, 2019)

Skiesblue said:


> Sounds like you’re one tough shepherd to deal with all of that. I’ve asked myself “why?” too.” I believe that husbandry on even a small scale connects us with things that modern life doesn’t.


Well said.


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## Mike CHS (Mar 20, 2019)

Baymule said:


> Well said.





Skiesblue said:


> Sounds like you’re one tough shepherd to deal with all of that. I’ve asked myself “why?” too.” I believe that husbandry on even a small scale connects us with things that modern life doesn’t.


.
If you don't mind, I'm going to turn that into a plaque,


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## Sheepshape (Mar 20, 2019)

Skiesblue.....I entirely agree. I love children to get involved and point out the way animals show sentience, individuality, and love for the owner (if treated kindly). I think it teaches our own young to respect other life forms. Though most of my sheep are very friendly, one shows an extra-ordinary affection. An ex-bottle lamb (triplet birth) she comes over to me whenever I enter the field. She walks up to me and stands there until I crouch down and put my arms around her chest. She then rests her head on my shoulder. When I come back up again and rub her chest/face/shoulders, she 'wags' her tail and closes her eyes. Very similar behaviour to my dog! 



Skiesblue said:


> Sounds like you’re one tough shepherd to deal with all of that.


 I guess I deal with what I have to deal with, but I'll be blubbering 'til my face is raw and my nose a snotty mess! It is the fact that there are other animals to deal with that keeps us from crumpling, I believe.


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## Baymule (Mar 21, 2019)

I totally get it @Sheepshape I love my sheep and when I lose one, I can usually suck it up and do whatever is necessary, but then sometimes I just fall apart and bawl my eyes out. I hold the lambs until they die in my arms, I just can't bear the thought of leaving them all alone. I have only had to put down one grown ewe, my very favorite, she is buried under the garden gate.


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