# Ewe in Labor, I think....HELP!!!!



## YakLady (Jan 20, 2010)

A few days ago I got an email from the lady who I bought my Spring lamb ewes from.  This lady's farm was wonderful, and the girls have been fat, happy, and playful from day 1.  In the email, she gave me a heads-up that some of their girls of the same age have begun lambing.  Apparently, their ram got to all the girls earlier than what they had thought.  We had suspected such, because two of our girls were lookin' pretty portly.  Well, yesterday I go out there to give them the vaccines that they have to have in the last month of pregnancy.  I noticed that one of my girls, Bella, had some bloody mucus-y gunk on her hind leg and under her tail.  So I brought her in to the lambing pen (this was around 5:00 PM).  She was alert, eating and drinking.  I assumed that it was her mucus plug, and stayed up all night waiting for something to happen.  She is still having some pinkish mucus-y discharge, but nothing else.  She's pawing the ground now, has lost interest in food, is laying down then standing up again, has her eyes half closed, but nothing seems to be happening (It's now 11:22 AM here).  This is my first experience with lambing, and I'm nervous as all heck.  Should it take this long?  And should she be having this mildly bloody discharge?


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## jhm47 (Jan 20, 2010)

I assume that she has not lambed before, so it likely will take her a little longer.  If she's pawing and sniffing the ground, she is probably going to lamb in the next 12 - 24 hours or less.  Has she been sheared?  If not, be sure to trim the wool around her teats, or the lamb(s) may begin to suck on a piece of wool.  Once they start that, it's hard to get them to go back to a teat.  They sometimes suck happily of a piece of wool and starve themselves to death.


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## YakLady (Jan 20, 2010)

Oh, goodness, poor brainless little things.  LOL!  They are adorable, though.  Yes, this is her first time.  Since I posted today, she has changed a bit.  She still has no udder, no milk.  There is still a little bit of the bloody discharge (just enough to keep the bottom of her tail dirty).  At around noon today, she finally laid down.  She has been lying down for most of the time since then.  Her head is hanging, she's breathing fast, and she is acting sad.  I do not see any real contraction-type stuff happening, though.  When I go in, she will continue to lay down and let me pet her for a few minutes.  Then she gets up and goes over to the sheep block or hay and nibbles a tiny bit.  When I lift her tail, I don't see anything significant with her vulva.  It's definitely not open.  If I press my hand under her belly to feel for movement or to feel her teats, she hunches against my hand.  I think I felt movement, but it could have been a gas bubble for all I know.  At this point I don't even care if she aborts, as long as she's ok.  She's not my playful, alert, happy little Bella.  But she's not in distress, either.  Not sure what to do.


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## ksalvagno (Jan 20, 2010)

I would get the vet out.


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## jhm47 (Jan 20, 2010)

If the udder hasn't developed at all, there likely is something wrong.  She might be aborting.  Call the vet.


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## freemotion (Jan 21, 2010)

So....how is she this morning?


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## YakLady (Jan 21, 2010)

Thanks, all.  I had to fly out of town today, and just spoke with my husband.  She went into active labor this morning, and gave birth to a stillborn little ram.  My husband said he was very cute and fully formed, and had obviously died during labor.  She got right up shortly after and acted like she was feeling much better.  I called the people who I bought her from, and they said that she was  just too young.  Their ram had gotten to her before they realized it.  She's a good, healthy girl, so she should be fine.  I'm sure her future deliveries will be much easier for her.

Hubby called the vet, and the vet agreed that she was simply too young.  Otherwise, she's fine.  Yes, they all had their CD&T vaccine and got de-wormed.  And yes, I was supplementing with a portion of grain the last month or so.  It saddens me that the little one didn't make it, but I gotta say... I'm just relieved that she's alright.

Thanks again for the advice.


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