Helping to dry up milk?

[BrownSheep]

We actually staggered the weaning on a ewe with triplets. We removed two left one with her for week or so.

I've seen cases where people do this with twins-- and it turns disaster. Most of my lambs only nurse from one side-- never switching. I see this most often when I lose a lamb that is a month or so old... the other side will swell up like a balloon... Singles nurse both sides, but for some reason-- twins will only nurse from one side far more times than they'll switch sides...

I haven't really noticed this, but then again we don't have many sets of singles. Our ewes also generally wean on their own well before we remove them.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I never, ever withhold water. I think that can lead to disaster. I'd rather have a ewe with a full udder than have one get dehydrated.

It takes a minimum of 5 days for the udder to get the signal to stop producing milk. If you milk her out before this, her body doesn't get the signal to quit producing. After 5 days, you can milk her out if she's still engorged, but usually they're not too bad. If you do milk her, just use a teat dip afterwards. Milking her out after 5 days also gives you the chance to see if there's any mastitis. I usually don't end up milking my ewes out ever, and I've not had any issues w/ mastitis.

 

[TexasShepherdess]

As Remuda said, once the actual shrinkage started, it went quickly. This ewe had a HUGE bag anyway..it took about a week for her to actually start going down. Just kept her on coastal, and waited her out.

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

Usually when I am going to wean, I bring them all in and lock them up from the pasture with water, straw, and low quality hay for about 24hrs. before I take the lambs away. I put the lambs were the ewes can not see them, and keep the ewes penned up with the water, straw, and low quality hay for another 48hrs. Then turn the ewes out on a small or already eaten off pasture for a couple more days before they go out to a lush one,so I can monitor them. Occasionally, there is one with too much milk and her bag is not going down, I will milk her a bit, but not right out, just enough to relieve the pressure, and with in a day or two her bag will start going down.

 

[Rvrfshr]

I was wondering if a loose Ace bandage wrap would ease the discomfort of the ewe?

This is something my Granfather, a vet, once did. It's been so long ago that I don't remember the circumstances.

 

[feed grass]

I was wondering if a loose Ace bandage wrap would ease the discomfort of the ewe?

This is something my Granfather, a vet, once did. It's been so long ago that I don't remember the circumstances.

what good would it do if it was loose? wouldn't stay on.

 

[bonbean01]

I believe the term loose was as in...not to bind tightly to cause problems. I thought that was obvious to all. A good question about helping an uncomfortable ewe during weaning and I look forward to input from forum members who may have knowledge about this.

 

[Rvrfshr]

I believe the term loose was as in...not to bind tightly to cause problems. I thought that was obvious to all. A good question about helping an uncomfortable ewe during weaning and I look forward to input from forum members who may have knowledge about this.

I shouldn't assume that it would be clear that " loose Ace bandage wrap" would preclude anyone from assuming the opposite which would be a blood flow constricting binding.

Thank you Bon for assisting with clarification of this.