Sheep scanned

[Alaskan]

I know zilch about sheep.... but I thought it was interesting that you were thinking of trying to shift some of lambs around. ..

Just because I know goats do well with three kids. .. what can I tell ya, I know zilch about sheep.

So I thought I would look for data etc... differences between sheep and goats etc....

but I found this great article. Impressive info all about how to get triplet lambs bigger etc. In case you want to read it too:

http://www.ceresfarm.co.nz/tripletlambing.htm

 

[Sheepshape]

Just because I know goats do well with three kids. .. what can I tell ya, I know zilch about sheep.

Thanks,Alaskan. It is sometimes possible for a ewe to raise triplets, but, if they are good sized lambs, the milk supply may well not be enough. Of course, with 2 teats, one lamb has to wait. If that one (as often is), is a smaller triplet, they can fail to thrive.

Here's an example of marked size discrepancy in twins

My practice, therefore is to leave two approximately equal sized lambs (ideally the same sex, too), with mum. Usually any attempts I might make to get them adopted don't work as there is no ewe who has just given birth/gave birth to a dead lamb. Though I'm happy enough to skin a dead lamb and make it into a jacket for a lamb I'd like to get adopted, I won't tie the ewe up etc to force her to accept.

Those of my ewes who are having two or more lambs get more solid feed in the run up to birth, too.....usually ensuring that they avoid toxaemia and produce reasonable sized lambs.

Nature always has a way of surprising me, though!

 

[Alaskan]

Thanks,Alaskan. It is sometimes possible for a ewe to raise triplets, but, if they are good sized lambs, the milk supply may well not be enough. Of course, with 2 teats, one lamb has to wait. If that one (as often is), is a smaller triplet, they can fail to thrive.

Here's an example of marked size discrepancy in twinsView attachment 42057




My practice, therefore is to leave two approximately equal sized lambs (ideally the same sex, too), with mum. Usually any attempts I might make to get them adopted don't work as there is no ewe who has just given birth/gave birth to a dead lamb. Though I'm happy enough to skin a dead lamb and make it into a jacket for a lamb I'd like to get adopted, I won't tie the ewe up etc to force her to accept.

Those of my ewes who are having two or more lambs get more solid feed in the run up to birth, too.....usually ensuring that they avoid toxaemia and produce reasonable sized lambs.

Nature always has a way of surprising me, though!

goats can also have a huge size discrepancy with multiple kids. However it was interesting to read how ewes and the lambs just have more trouble with triplets than goats.

The article I linked went over a number of factors, very interesting. Even the height of the grass that the ewe of triplets was on was very important.

Just a very different critter than goats.

 

[misfitmorgan]

I find it pretty amazing they will scan sheep on your farm there, here most vets dont have scanners and if they do it is reserved for the money making animals(aka cows or horses). I asked the vet last year about doing preg checks on our goats(because of them not having kids like they should) she said she could draw blood(to verify pregnant) or i could bring the goats in to be scanned(check for number of kids) later in pregnancy......bring the goats in....

This was the same vet place who wanted me to bring in all 37 goats we had so they could do blood draws and run fecals....

 

[Alaskan]

I find it pretty amazing they will scan sheep on your farm there, here most vets dont have scanners and if they do it is reserved for the money making animals(aka cows or horses). I asked the vet last year about doing preg checks on our goats(because of them not having kids like they should) she said she could draw blood(to verify pregnant) or i could bring the goats in to be scanned(check for number of kids) later in pregnancy......bring the goats in....

This was the same vet place who wanted me to bring in all 37 goats we had so they could do blood draws and run fecals....

that is so crazy.

I am amazed that they didn't realize how crazy that request was. They knew you had more than 2 goats?

 

[misfitmorgan]

Yes i told them we had 37 goats, they said well you could bring them in in batches......oh yes delightful idea your an hour away one way and the ND are all pregnant atm. I don't go there anymore unless it is an emergency.

There is a vet locally I so want to be my vet....but she is full up on clients and has a waiting list. Probly be 10yrs before we can see her but she knows about goats and sheep and owns some!!

 

[Alaskan]

wow! mind blown!

 

[Sheepshape]

I find it pretty amazing they will scan sheep on your farm there

It's pretty routine around here......and not vets, but trained farmers who have their own scanning trailer. It's costs less than £1 per animal and is done on site. The guy we have is very accurate, too. He likes to do the scans between about 40-80 days of pregnancy.

This was the same vet place who wanted me to bring in all 37 goat

Any other vets in the area? That vet doesn't want the work/ is too rich!

Our vet practice does on farm visits for quite reasonable fees.....still they do admit to being a farm animal practice.

 

[misfitmorgan]

It's pretty routine around here......and not vets, but trained farmers who have their own scanning trailer. It's costs less than £1 per animal and is done on site. The guy we have is very accurate, too. He likes to do the scans between about 40-80 days of pregnancy.

Any other vets in the area? That vet doesn't want the work/ is too rich!

Our vet practice does on farm visits for quite reasonable fees.....still they do admit to being a farm animal practice.

Not really any close enough to do farm visits reasonable it seems. We had old man vet for awhile but he retired, he was great. The large animal/farm vet that was in the next town up got brain cancer and died a few years back and no one has replaced him. Everyone else around is a small animal/pet vet. When our lamb got a broken leg i had to call 6 or 7 different vet places to find one that would accept a lamb. Thats why the few vets who do farm calls and large animals are to busy for new clients..i believe there are 3 farm vets within 1hr of me but wont do farm calls because i'm to far away. I mean i cant really blame them because they are full up with local to them clients already.

I'm hoping this spring i can get the local vet to do a farm call so at least i can get her to give us a script if one is needed and i have a local place to drop off fecals. They run fecals on site for $4.50/sample or a pool of up to 5 animals for $9....very reasonable.

$1(i know its a pound...i dont have that symbol and dont remember how to pull up the special symbol thingy atm) is very cheap. When the vet offered it was $30 for the office visit and $20 per scan unless you did more then 10 animals then it was only $15/scan

 

[misfitmorgan]

OMG.....i went to check that vets site again...you know to dream of using her for my vet!! She brought in another vet.....so maybe if i call after work i can get them to agree to a farm visit next month!! I think the vet i really wanted is doing the farm calls now and the new vet is doing the clinic stuff.