# Lamb grafting need advice.



## Blue Sky (Jan 10, 2018)

I have a week old bottle lamb and just discovered a ewe w a dead lamb. It's been gone  a couple of hours but she's still anxious. I'm not tough enough to do any skinning  but I'll try about anything else.


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## mysunwolf (Jan 10, 2018)

Take the placenta from the dead one and rub all over the alive one. Works about 50% of the time for me.


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## Sheepshape (Jan 11, 2018)

It helps to put a bit of camphor (the sort of stuff you rub on your chest with a cold) on the nose of the ewe so she doesn't smell the new lamb properly. If she's nervous of dogs, bring a dog along to sit by the pen when you are trying to get the lamb to suckle. The ewe will concentrate on the dog and may allow the lamb to take milk.

A week old bottle lamb may not get the hang of latching onto a ewe now, though, as it is only familiar with this way of feeding. It is more likely, unfortunately, that the ewe will reject the lamb.....but GOOD LUCK...great when adoption works.


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## Blue Sky (Jan 13, 2018)

Had to keep the lamb in the house. He just wasn't getting the hang of it and we are experiencing cold (relatively) weather. Went out to check ewes and found one with a prolapsed uterus. I couldn't return it but my husband got it back. That sugar thing works or did in this case. Ewe seems fine, has healthy strapping lamb. Gave her a penicillin shot. What a lambing season. Down to four pregnant still. I will be glad when they're all on the ground. As always thanks to everyone.


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## misfitmorgan (Jan 15, 2018)

Sorry the adoption process didnt work for you. Prolapse is never good, we have yet to have one of our sheep prolapse but i do not look forward to the day.

what sugar thing?


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## Blue Sky (Jan 15, 2018)

Sprinkling a generous amount of granulated white sugar on the prolapsed uterus with a 15 minute wait reduces the swelling. Some vets advise against it because of bacteria. A quick rinse and hope fully it goes back in place. It's day 3 she and  her lamb look fine. It may change at any time but we're taking it a day at a time.


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## misfitmorgan (Jan 15, 2018)

Blue Sky said:


> Sprinkling a generous amount of granulated white sugar on the prolapsed uterus with a 15 minute wait reduces the swelling. Some vets advise against it because of bacteria. A quick rinse and hope fully it goes back in place. It's day 3 she and  her lamb look fine. It may change at any time but we're taking it a day at a time.



Good to know. DH said he just gloves up and shove it back in generally with ample supply of OB lube...but better ways are always worth a try.


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## Blue Sky (Feb 8, 2018)

Update on prolapsed ewe. She's doing fine and has a healthy lamb. We had another prolapse but we euthanized due to heavy bleeding. In fact she nearly beat us to it. You win some, you lose some and some get rained out.


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## Latestarter (Feb 8, 2018)

Sorry for the loss, happy for the success.


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## misfitmorgan (Feb 8, 2018)

Sorry to hear about the loss, i'm glad the first ewe is doing well.


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## Blue Sky (Feb 9, 2018)

Thanks everyone.  so far so good.


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## Sheepshape (Feb 10, 2018)

Sorry about your bad luck, it can feel SO disheartening when there's problem after problem.

 Ewes who are too fat are the ones most likely to prolapse, but there's also a genetic component.

Any ewe who has prolapsed needs to go to market after she has stopped lactating...it will reach next time she has lambs and will be earlier and worse. I made the mistake of keeping a ewe who had had a relatively easy to reduce prolapse (managed by a harness and not being an issue during delivery). Last year she had a huge prolapse, kept in place by a harness, but prolapsed massively when the lambing process started. She had to have a Caesarian and it was touch-and-go with her lambs.

Ewes who prolapse after birth have a uterine infection. If the prolapse is replaced and she is treated with antibiotics (I use penicillin/streptomycin) she may be OK and the prolapse will not recur in the following year. Personally I wash the prolapse with boiled and cooled water with a little disinfectant, then apply the sugar and replace the uterus with someone else holding her back legs in the air and her shoulder area on the ground.She'll then have antibiotics and anti-inflammatories for 5 days.

Here's hoping all goes well from now on in.


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