Workindogs

[workindogs]

I have a ewe down with weak backend....pinched nerved, broken hip?? She's been down for 2 weeks and eating but I suspect that she's carrying multiples (twins+) and, based on records, due to lamb next week. There are only two other ewes due to lamb with her.....one possibly the day before and the other with her on the next day.

 

I've not had much luck with grafting.....in fact, all prior attempts have failed (head gate, sliming subject lamb, headgate + slime). Please give me suggestions for successful grafting.

 

My work schedule does not allow for bottle babies. At best I can do a morning bottle and a night bottle.....sometimes an early evening bottle and a late evening bottle but not consistently.

 

Thanks

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Headgate your ewe. WASH the lamb if you have time. Use gloves or a towel to handle the lamb. Slime the lamb. Slime the ewe's nose. The second she licks to clear her nose, stick the lamb under her nose. This won't work as well if your ewe is really nervy - and if she's freaking about the head gate ditch that part, too.

 

Rub the lamb's butt up against the other lamb's, and also on HER butt. It's great if you can get her to pee on said lamb (though kind of gross for you, lol). Keep sticking the lamb under her nose - first the graft lamb, then hers, then the graft, over and over. Also rub the lamb's head on her udder area really hard - there's lanolin glands under there that are part of the "eau de MY LAMB" bouquet, I believe. Plus it will help attract the graft lamb to the area.

 

You can also do this with something strong smelling - scenting both lambs AND the ewe's nose. Also slather her udder with the scent. But this can backfire with an experienced ewe - I guess they know their own scent - then you've got two orphans on your hands.

 

If your lamb is nursing the ewe ok, but the ewe isn't letting it nurse, tie one of her back legs as well. Or you can go out and make sure the lamb is nursing but you'd have to do it every couple hours round the clock, especially the first couple of days.

 

My experience is that once the lamb is nursing with confidence, the ewe starts accepting the lamb. It can take as long as three or four days, but eventually she'll be drawn by the smell of her own milk/udder all over the lamb and will accept it.

 

Good luck!

[Pipedream Farm]

The lamb on the right was rejected by mom. We didn't have a grafting gate at that time so we tied her up with a halter in a narrow space between the wall of our shed and a panel. We had to milk the ewe initially to get this lamb strong enough to nurse on its own, but once the lamb was stronger it was aggressively trying to nurse. It took about 5 days for the ewe to accept the lamb (or at least not totally stop it from nursing).

 

 

We purchased a grafting gate for another ewe but she was to agitated in the gate (eventually hurt herself) to leave her in it.

 

I like Becca's suggestions on rubbing butts and masking the smells; I suspect it would help. However, since sheep are visual it may not be 100% effective. Another suggestion I've heard was to place two t-posts on either side of the ewe just in front of her hips so that she cannot prevent nursing by moving side-to-side.

 

Good luck

 

Mark

[kajarrel]

I haven't had great luck with grafting when I've chosen to do it - and short of using a head gate, I've tried every method known to man - so I have no suggestions there. But I do occasionally have a ewe down as you describe and up until now have not had problems with the mother feeding the babies. Typically, they stand after delivering (I keep standing/propping the mother with hay bales while she's down, typically when I'm feeding the other sheep). Even if they don't stand right away, the babies learn to nurse with the mother lying down (you may need to get them started but I sometimes find them after birth nursing with the mother lying down). The key is keeping mother and babies together in lambing panels. If you're busy, I think this route might be easier.

 

I'm sure you're aware of this but you may need to pull the babies. Since the mother isn't up, she's not able to move around and get the babies in the right position for birth.

 

Some additional suggestions - have you tried a lamb bar? I've started some lambs on this right at birth (e.g., when the mother has mastitis). The Premier parts probably cost around $5-10 (and I assume free shipping on these items - too expensive to ship when not free). No need to give bottles . . . I keep the baby right with the mother so that the lamb has nurturing and "acts like a sheep."

 

Finally, sometimes when I have a mother that isn't able to feed her babies adequately for one reason or another, I can put her/her lamb in a small space with a couple of other new mothers and lambs. The babies learn to bum and I can get them through the first few critical weeks this way without bottle feeding (when they move to grain). Of course, you don't want to do this if the "bad" mother has active mastitis.

 

What works depends upon the situation . . .

Kim

[workindogs]

Kim

 

Thanks for the tips....this seems to fit my situation. The ewe has been down for almost a month and due to lamb in another week. She was alert and eating the grain and alfalfa pellets I gave her, but she's losing weight and getting a bit depressed....I've started giving her propolene glycol guessing that she may have a bit of ketosis.

 

I'm going to order the Premier bucket parts....it sounds like the way to go. I'll probably leave the lambs with her for awhile. I'm not sure how long she's going to make it. She's always been a good mother....raised triplets last year. If I can get her to have the lambs, maybe she'll rally a bit.

 

My previous grafting attempts only seemed to get everyone messed up....don't want to create orphans in my attempts to graft.

[kajarrel]

You might also want to try B-complex, if she's ketotic to stimulate her appetite. When they're lying down and pregnant (especially with triplets), their abdominal capacity is greatly decreased. This is why I try to prop and feed them at least a couple times a day. Are you giving grain? Depending upon her condition, and if you're pretty sure she's about 1 week from her due date, you might also consider inducing her this weekend when you're there to assist (dexamethasone). . . It would be a shame to loose the baby(ies) and the mother.

 

BTW, did you see that you can use the Pritchard teats with the Premier system now? I haven't tried that yet but imagine it would make starting the lambs even easier. I always use(d) the yellow latex nipples. Make sure you order enough of the red washers - I usually put one on the inside wall and one on the outside wall to get a good seal (they'e cheap and it's worth it to have extras to avoid frustration).

 

Thankfully I lambed in Dec and only have a few stragglers who lambed during the summer coming now!

 

Kim

[workindogs]

She lambed twins early last night...sometime after my last check. Probably about 5 days early. The lambs were dead this morning when I found them, not cleaned and still in their sacks, including their heads. She was licking on one of them and nickering.

 

I guess that's the sheep business.

[kajarrel]

That sucks. I hate loosing lambs. Kim

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

I'm sorry - it's worse when the mama is trying, too. As you say, that's sheep. I lost a good number this year (lots of first time mamas) but I got a lot of what I wanted/needed so I'm not complaining.

[workindogs]

Funny thing is that she's been up on her feet quite a bit more...still wobbly, unstable and quick to lie down....but up a bit more. Maybe it was a pinched nerve after all....or maybe she's feeling lighter on her feet. Too soon to tell really. It will be interesting if she make a recovery.