# Yellow Discharge



## WindyIndy (Mar 24, 2016)

Hi everyone, I just signed up. I'm new to sheep and have a few quick questions regarding one of them. She's a Katahdin, and just turned a year old this month. I bought her last year as a lamb. I believe she's pregnant and should be due to lamb early next month.  I noticed last night that she had a small bit of yellowy discharge. It wasn't a lot, and it looked slightly dry, mostly sticky. It kind of looked like mucus. I tried googling but couldn't find much. I read stuff about a possible abortion and now I'm worried, I also saw that it could be contagious ( I have 2 other pregnant ewes due the same time). She isn't acting sick, she's alert, walking around, bleating, eating, chewing cud, etc. I haven't seen her drink, but have a 40 gallon tank that they have free access too. I also have a copper free loose sheep mineral that I feed free choice. I talked with my vet and she was worried about the color. She was also worried about a possible abortion and the other sheep getting it. I separated her tonight, but being herd animals she's not happy. I'm worried about her getting so stressed that she aborts the baby that way. Does anyone have any thoughts? She hasn't had anymore discharge that I can see. Am I worrying about nothing? Should I put her back in with the others? I tried getting a urine sample for the vet but she wont go! Is there anyway I could encourage her to go? I tried rubbing her vagina but that didn't work. I've had problems with her in the past getting sick, but 10 days of penicillin/wormer took care of that. I just don't want to lose her or the baby.


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## goatgurl (Mar 24, 2016)

i'm not a big sheep expert but both sheep and goats loose whats called a mucus plug a little while before they give birth.  kind of a thick yellowish white goo.  they may show a little of it for a day or more,  that could possibly be what you are seeing.   normally its just enough to make you nervous but not enough to cause a problem.   keep an eye on her and make sure something else isn't going on.  is she making an udder yet?


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## Latestarter (Mar 24, 2016)

Greetings @WindyIndy from the front range in Colorado ! I don't own sheep, but from all my reading it sounds normal... Like GG said, sounds like she's loosing/lost her mucous plug. I'd keep an eye on her and as long as she's moving around, eating, drinking normally, then I'd not worry too much about it. One of the first things almost everybody will agree with is if you think something is wrong/not right, take the animal's temperature. That tends to be a very accurate way to determine if something is going on abnormal. @secuono @Roving Jacobs @Sheepshape ?


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## norseofcourse (Mar 25, 2016)

Welcome from Ohio!  Pregnant sheep have all kinds of bits of discharge/goo for weeks before they lamb, it's part of their plan to drive us nuts.  Some goo can look more yellowish as it dries, too.

You can take her temperature like Latestarter suggests, and if it's normal (100.9 to 103.0), and she's acting and eating and drinking normally, it's probably nothing to worry about.

What would worry me would be discharge that was red/bloody (although that's normal for several days *after* lambing), or an excessive amount of discharge (usually what I see is a teaspoon to a tablespoon amount or so).

We'd love some pictures of your sheep


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## WindyIndy (Mar 25, 2016)

Thank you so much everyone! And for the greeting Latestarter! 

I'm so comforted to know that it could just be a normal discharge, I was crying last night. I'll give that new info to the vet and ask her her thoughts as well as a vet assistant there that has raised sheep for years. I'm interning there!   And I'll pick up a thermometer today, that's probably good to have on hand 

It looks like she is starting a bag, but it's no where near ready for lambs or as big as my Barbados Blackbelly's. I would think if it was the mucus plug, then she better grow quick! 

I'll try and get some pics ASAP for you all  I'm raising them for meat. I have my own ram (also a Katadhin), and plan on keeping some of the ewe lambs from this year to help grow my flock. I'm raising for my family and possibly a couple other people interested in meat. I also have 2 horses, a fainting goat, and a Pyrenees. The family has some chickens. We used to raise beef cows, and I hope to get a milk cow someday. All in all, I'm one BIG farm girl!! lol!


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## Sheepshape (Mar 25, 2016)

I'm agreeing entirely with the concept of all manner of discharges when lambing is approaching. Smelly, bloody and purulent discharges or an ill sheep are the times to worry.

DO keep us updated , and very best of luck.

Some sheep only bag up as they go into labour...so may be ready.

Good luck.


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## norseofcourse (Mar 25, 2016)

I don't know if it's typical when a ewe miscarries a lamb, but the only time I've had it happen there were absolutely no warning signs (other than she wasn't developing an udder yet and the others were, but udder development can vary).

This is a picture of Brosa (warning - hind end goo) that I took yesterday.  I'm guessing she's 2 or 3 weeks from lambing, at least.  As it dries, the discharge would look even more yellow.  This is normal.  The plug, from what I believe I've seen of it, looks more whitish.




 

Sounds like you'll fit right in here with all your critters and plans!  Good luck with your sheep, and keep us updated.


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## WindyIndy (Mar 25, 2016)

Mama had an extra thermometer that I used this morning. Her temp is 103.3. She was just as alert and even ate some whole corn for me while I took the temp. I put her back out with the others, hope that was the right call, I can separate again tonight if need be.  

Goo doesn't bother me, but thank you for the consideration  That doesn't quite look like her's. Her's was hanging off very bottom of her vagina on the 'tip', and looked like a dry yellow string. Wasn't wet looking like that.  And guess what she did when I was getting ready to mover her, she peed! And I DID NOT HAVE MY CUP!!     It would have been SO nice to have that as a second conformation too. 

Thanks! I surely will, I just want my girls to be as healthy as they can be 

PS: She was also walking good, and was eating the mineral after I put her back. And her bag isn't flat, but it isn't hanging like my 6 year old blackbelly's is.


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## Latestarter (Mar 25, 2016)

Another thing beside bloody or smelly, you can taste it to see if... just kidding!!   But really, the smell can tell you an awful lot! I mean aside from taste, (and smell is tied to taste as well as you prob know) if it smells "bad" then you can be about 100% certain that something isn't right. That was a great pic to share @norseofcourse  A picture really is worth a 1000 words! As a first freshener, FF, I wouldn't place too much faith on udder development as an impending birth indicator... She "MAY" start bagging up before, or she may not bag up till right after she delivers. Sounds like your "little" farm is off to a great start! Hope you'll keep us updated!


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## WindyIndy (Mar 25, 2016)

That IS funny!! ROFLOL!! Thank you all so much for the wonderful advice, it means a lot to me. I'll check you all updated as lambing gets closer. I talked with the sheep lady and she said it sounds normal too. yay!! 

And for some reason the post I tried sending this morning says it's waiting for approval, none of my others said that


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## Latestarter (Mar 25, 2016)

Ahhhh did you try to attach/upload a picture? That might be why as you have to have a certain (unpublished, think 5-10) number of posts before they let you upload pics... one of those anti-spam things


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## WindyIndy (Mar 25, 2016)

No, just a regular post like this one and the one before.  There's some smiles. I tried to copy/past it and post that but it said the same thing


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## Latestarter (Mar 25, 2016)

Well, I'd give it a day or so and see what the powers that be do.  I'm sure it's probably some minor glitch or something... In case it just disappeared into cyber space someplace, I'm tagging @Support here to take a look and see what the issue is.


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## WindyIndy (Mar 25, 2016)

Thank you so much!!


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## Latestarter (Mar 25, 2016)

Your post did show up, back where you had originally intended


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## WindyIndy (Mar 26, 2016)

yay!


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## 1crazybird (Mar 26, 2016)

Hi, I always wanted some lambs. Hope all goes well for you!


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## WindyIndy (Mar 28, 2016)

Thank you!!

Amee is doing great (I'm a HUGE star wars fan, all my sheep besides the older one that I bought who already had a name, has star wars names  )! She had some more discharge yesterday, but it looked like the pic so no worrying here. I wonder if I'm going to have some lambs by the end of the week!!


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