# Fatal Deformity....WARNING GRAPHIC PICS.



## Sheepshape (Apr 30, 2017)

Judy was lovely 2 year old Blue Faced Leicester ewe.....and the last of my ewes to give birth. Yesterday she was lying on her side, scratching and arching her back...clearly in pain. Labour....but things didn't look right. Eventually she discharged a small amount of mucky, bloodstained fluid.I took her indoors to examine her....her cervix was only about 3cm open and I couldn't feel any presenting part. I gave her Metacam and Pen/strep and waited. She seemed much more comfortable.

Today she began straining again. I examined her and felt first one set of front hooves, then the other, unable to determine the nose. One leg eventually came down, the hoof sheared off. The other couldn't be moved. We phoned our sheep farmer neighbour, who managed to bring down the other leg with ropes, but couldn't get a bearing on the head. The lamb was decomposing, the ewe very ill. To cut a long story short, the lamb couldn't be bought down the birth canal. We decided it was kindest to euthanise her (never a decision I take lightly).

We opened up the ewe to determine the cause of the problem and found a lamb with a hugely deformed head (puncturing the head led to the release of a very large amount....probably well over a pint, of fluid).I believe the lamb had developed congenital hydrocephalus.....unfortunately leading to the death of both itself and the ewe.

I show pictures here to show one rare cause of fatal dystocia.




 

 

 

 

 

Not a pleasant way to end lambing....but at least I don't feel there was much that could have done for either.


----------



## Baymule (Apr 30, 2017)

So sorry about your lamb and even more sorry that you lost your ewe. That sucks. But we do what we have to do, get up, brush off our jeans and get going again. Thanks for the post and thanks for the pictures, how else would we learn, if not from each other? My vet studied sheep in school, he is willing to learn, but at this point, I learn more right here in BYH than anywhere else. Big hugs.


----------



## frustratedearthmother (Apr 30, 2017)

So sad, but fascinating.  As Bay said - we learn so much here!  So sorry for your loss.


----------



## CntryBoy777 (Apr 30, 2017)

Some situations only present very difficult decisions with no viable options or solutions. You did everything ya could possibly have done, and made the best decision. Really sorry for your losses, and as Bay said, I also am thankful for your strength to post this for our learning....


----------



## goatgurl (Apr 30, 2017)

so sorry for the loss of your ewe and lamb.  loosing one is never easy.  and as the others said, thanks for posting the pics.  learning isn't always pleasant but is always necessary.


----------



## Beekissed (Apr 30, 2017)

Thank you for posting these pics....incredible learning experience for us.  I'm sorry about your ewe...that's a hard pill to swallow.  Any idea of potential causes for such a deformity as this?  Just occasionally happens and no one knows why?


----------



## Sheepshape (Apr 30, 2017)

Thank you for the kind words. As far as I know there isn't a causative agent for this (thankfully pretty rare) condition.

 I feel sorry about the ewe, but she would only have died in agony if we hadn't had her shot (sounds horrible, but neighbour is a very good shot and has a very effective gun......she died within a matter of a few seconds.....much quicker than when the vet euthanises them). 

I suppose what I am learning with time is what I can do something about and what I can't.( Also when to call a halt to what I may be trying to do in order to minimise the suffering of the animal.).


----------



## Goat Whisperer (Apr 30, 2017)

I'm so sorry you lost the ewe. I know you love your sheep and it had to have been tough to make that decision. 

As the others said, thanks for sharing with us. I've seen deformed lambs and kids, but none like this. Very informative and sad at the same time.


----------



## Latestarter (Apr 30, 2017)

So sorry for the loss of both.  Always the worst case as you hope to at least save one. Thanks for sharing the pics.


----------



## greybeard (Apr 30, 2017)

I'm not a sheep guy, but have seen and read of the same or a similar deformity in cattle. Neuropathic hydrocephalus--'water head'. The affected calves very often have no brain in the skull.
 In cattle, it is usually considered a genetic mutation and as such is hereditary, passed on by the sire.
In the Angus breed, 2008 timeframe, , it was traced back to a very good and very popular Angus sire (GAR Precision 1680) whose semen had been used around the globe. In that case, it is pretty well believed to have been a one time event --spontaneous mutation- beginning in that bull but by the time it was recognized, it was out 'in the wild' thru semen sales.
About 10% of the breed's sires were found to carry the mutation, found thru a breed wide sampling.
It is my understanding, that the gene responsible for this defect is recessive and for the malady to actually present itself in the offspring, both sire and dam have to have the recessive gene and the offspring is homozygous for the mutation, having inherited it from both sire/dam. There are DNA tests for it.
http://www.angus.org/NH_Summary.pdf


Gar Precision 1680 also carried the separate genetic mutation  for AM--Arthrogryposis Multiplex known as curly calf syndrome and it too caused a lot of problems.
(curly calf can also be caused by ingestion of lupine plant.
I'm sure you know that a form of AM is also cause of dystocia across several species.

Which brings up my question:
You did the 'right thing' in euthanizing the animal, but ...have you had any birthing problems using this same sire?

I remember this from several years ago:

https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/polyhdramnios-fatal-outcome.21760/

Is there possibly a connection?


----------



## Sheepshape (Apr 30, 2017)

Greybeard.....no problems with the remainder of his offspring.....we have about 50 of them (the only offspring he has ever/will ever have). He was, however, in a fatal argument with our one-eyed ram (who lost his eye to another ram!) and had to be euthanised (by the vet) when he failed to recover from a severe head-butting injury.

 I'm just realising how complicated the whole of my sheep breeding  has become! The Blue Faced Leicester ram who was euthanised after his severe concussion was borrowed from the neighbour who shot our ewe today. (I'm a pacifistic vegetarian who couldn't shoot a clay pigeon.....but I haven't a problem with the responsible use of firearms by people with the knowledge/ability...and firearms licence). Thankfully there is a good understanding locally of the nature of animals and I am offering the  single  purebred ram son to the sheep farmer (plus whatever financial compensation he sees fit).


----------



## greybeard (Apr 30, 2017)

Thanks for the update. 
Sorry it all happened. The old saying..'if you're going to raise livestock, you're going to eventually lose some' is never easy to have proven true.


----------



## Beekissed (Apr 30, 2017)

greybeard said:


> I remember this from several years ago:
> 
> https://www.backyardherds.com/threads/polyhdramnios-fatal-outcome.21760/
> 
> Is there possibly a connection?



I was wondering the same thing....possibly the breed or the source genetics of that breed in this flock?


----------



## norseofcourse (Apr 30, 2017)

I'm so sorry about the loss of the lamb, and of the ewe as well.  It's a heartbreaking decision even when it's the right one.


----------



## Gorman Farm (May 1, 2017)

I am very sorry about the loss of both your ewe and lamb, it is never easy.
I understand about the tender heart part of it, I do not think I could put one of my sheep down myself at this point either. I am trying to harden myself off by butchering the chickens and turkeys which is still hard as I love all my animals but it is the circle of life and as my other half says I need to toughen up. I had to cull a deformed baby chick the other day and I took it to him with tears in my eyes and he relented and did the deed out of my sight.


----------



## Sheepshape (May 1, 2017)

Gorman Farm I NEVER intend to dispatch any of my animals.....I just couldn't do it. Maybe there is an element of absolving myself from that responsibility, but I prefer to ask my neighbour who has farmed sheep ever since he left the cradle and knows when they cannot be saved. Also I don't have the means (a firearms licence or a gun), so I don't really have the ability either.

I keep chickens, too, but I don't finish them off myself. Being veggie means that only the dog/cats benefits when they are culled (too many roosters who fight, extreme age etc). As for plucking, skinning and butchering a dead animal, then I have no  problem whatever. When the farmer friend suggested we opened the dead ewe to find out as to why the pregnancy had gone wrong, it was me that pierced the head of the dead lamb to confirm the presence of the large amount of brain fluid.

Having  witnessed euthanasia by the vet of a number of animals of mine over the years (dogs, cats, sheep) etc. and watched the shooting yesterday, I have to say that the ewe's death was a lot quicker after the shooting (neighbour has had guns all his life) than by the fatal injection. I've also spent all day at an abattoir so that I can see how the industry over here deals with meat production. Though I can handle those things, I could never do them myself.

I guess we all have to operate to our own rules, even if they seem a bit odd to others.


----------



## Sumi (May 1, 2017)

So sorry to hear about the loss of your ewe and lamb  I'm glad you had your kind neighbour to do the deed and assist you with this. I used to butcher pigs and I often got a friend to come shoot them for me, as it was the quickest and most humane method available.


----------



## Hens and Roos (May 1, 2017)

sorry to hear


----------



## Mike CHS (May 1, 2017)

I have nothing to add that hasn't already been said but wanted to thank you for sharing this.  It does all of us a lot of good.


----------



## Baymule (May 1, 2017)

Gorman Farm said:


> I am very sorry about the loss of both your ewe and lamb, it is never easy.
> I understand about the tender heart part of it, I do not think I could put one of my sheep down myself at this point either. I am trying to harden myself off by butchering the chickens and turkeys which is still hard as I love all my animals but it is the circle of life and as my other half says I need to toughen up. I had to cull a deformed baby chick the other day and I took it to him with tears in my eyes and he relented and did the deed out of my sight.


I butcher my own chickens and I say a prayer for each one. I thank it for it's life, I thank it for in it's death, it feeds us. I thank God for providing us the means to raise and harvest good food, Amen. It might sound corny to some, but I respect the life of all creatures and I give mine the best life I can before they become food for us.


----------



## Baymule (May 1, 2017)

Sheepshape said:


> Gorman Farm I NEVER intend to dispatch any of my animals.....I just couldn't do it. Maybe there is an element of absolving myself from that responsibility, but I prefer to ask my neighbour who has farmed sheep ever since he left the cradle and knows when they cannot be saved. Also I don't have the means (a firearms licence or a gun), so I don't really have the ability either.
> 
> I keep chickens, too, but I don't finish them off myself. Being veggie means that only the dog/cats benefits when they are culled (too many roosters who fight, extreme age etc). As for plucking, skinning and butchering a dead animal, then I have no  problem whatever. When the farmer friend suggested we opened the dead ewe to find out as to why the pregnancy had gone wrong, it was me that pierced the head of the dead lamb to confirm the presence of the large amount of brain fluid.
> 
> ...


Well said.


----------



## cjc (May 1, 2017)

What @greybeard describes is possibly what I believe happened to my cow/calf. Calf looked similar to your lamb. The calf was also massive, 200lbs at birth, had to give her a c-section to get it out. I tried hard to save my cow and in the end I ended up euthanizing her. The vet told me its just really bad luck, a congenital birth defect. We estimated the calf was dead in my cow for 2 months. The vet said if both animals carry the recessive gene you get what happened to us. Unfortunately that bull I bred my cow to was slaughtered after this. 

So sorry about your lamb/ewe. It's really a sad thing. I was really saddened for my cow when this happened to her. Losing a baby animal is one thing but losing its mother as well is really discouraging.


----------

