General sheep thread

kk.man

ganmo wrote: »

manganese deficiency
strange since you're feeding licks, it might be a case of the extra minerals supplied locking up the manganese
would you be on high iron ground?

Thanks.
It would be. I cut out the lifeline a few weeks back as I thought they were a bit of a gimmick.

wrangler

kk.man wrote: »

Thanks.
It would be. I cut out the lifeline a few weeks back as I thought they were a bit of a gimmick.

What percentage of your ewes had doubles that way, we always would have a few here,

kk.man

wrangler wrote: »

What percentage of your ewes had doubles that way, we always would have a few here,

Of the 17 that lambed 2 of them. Any immediate solutions to right the wrong?

wrangler

We'd 3 abortions this year, first two were at weekends so didn't get to lab, last one did, result came back positive for Enzo and Toxo.
They're all 2017 born ewes, so they were all vaccinated the same day with the same vaccine so the vets getting on to MSD.
That was 3 abortions from 25 ewes that were vaccinated in 2017
i'd be interested to know did anyone have a similar experience

kk.man

wrangler wrote: »

We'd 3 abortions this year, first two were at weekends so didn't get to lab, last one did, result came back positive for Enzo and Toxo.
They're all 2017 born ewes, so they were all vaccinated the same day with the same vaccine so the vets getting on to MSD.
That was 3 abortions from 25 ewes that were vaccinated in 2017
i'd be interested to know did anyone have a similar experience

I didn't vaccinate for either of the above but what worries me is that I saw a cat in the haybarn a few weeks back. We haven't had cats in years.

The big lambs are normal but the small ones are just about surviving.

charolais0153

wrangler wrote: »

We'd 3 abortions this year, first two were at weekends so didn't get to lab, last one did, result came back positive for Enzo and Toxo.
They're all 2017 born ewes, so they were all vaccinated the same day with the same vaccine so the vets getting on to MSD.
That was 3 abortions from 25 ewes that were vaccinated in 2017
i'd be interested to know did anyone have a similar experience

Had 2 abortions in ewes vaccinated in august 2017
Out of 30 ish. We put one down to a knock.
There was probably more last year also

wrangler

kk.man wrote: »

Of the 17 that lambed 2 of them. Any immediate solutions to right the wrong?

We have one in thirty one doubles which i wouldn't worry about, don't know why it happens.
Some ewes don't eat as fast as others and so don't get as much, I had an interesting case a few years ago, I'd always feed ewes carrying triplets as much ration as they can eat, I had a pen with three ewes in it and one lambed , i took her out and then continued feeding two thirds of the amount to the other two, they weren't long before they were very sick with acidosis.
The ewe I took out must have eating some amount of meal

ganmo

pure manganese supplements are hard to find
when did you dose with copper? it binds Mn too
immediate solution, get some kind of mineral, dose lick or powder thats high in Mn
But if they're close to lambing it'll be too late to fix the damage

Just watch out its not magnesium its manganese you need

kk.man

ganmo wrote: »

pure manganese supplements are hard to find
when did you dose with copper? it binds Mn too
immediate solution, get some kind of mineral, dose lick or powder thats high in Mn
But if they're close to lambing it'll be too late to fix the damage

Just watch out its not magnesium its manganese you need

They got copper in January and multivitamin a few weeks before they were put to the ram.

wrangler

kk.man wrote: »

I didn't vaccinate for either of the above but what worries me is that I saw a cat in the haybarn a few weeks back. We haven't had cats in years.

The big lambs are normal but the small ones are just about surviving.

The ones that aborted had one normal size and one ''blob'' just that you'd make out it was a lamb

kk.man

wrangler wrote: »

The ones that aborted had one normal size and one ''blob'' just that you'd make out it was a lamb

Yes that happened this morning. The other one was a few days ago and the little lad survived(obviously bigger than the blob)

wrangler

kk.man wrote: »

They got copper in January and multivitamin a few weeks before they were put to the ram.

Would you get many in previous years

wrangler

kk.man wrote: »

Yes that happened this morning. The other one was a few days ago and the little lad survived(obviously bigger than the blob)

Are the two dead this morning, mine were coming all dead

kk.man

wrangler wrote: »

Would you get many in previous years

Just one last year near the end of lambing ferce smell of her when lambing ( 2 blobs).

kk.man

wrangler wrote: »

Are the two dead this morning, mine were coming all dead

No, one fine big lamb and a blob.

wrangler

kk.man wrote: »

No, one fine big lamb and a blob.

There's something going on there alright, is that included in the two or the third one to have a big and small,

kk.man

wrangler wrote: »

There's something going on there alright, is that included in the two or the third one to have a big and small,

Ewe 1...2 fairly small lambs, 1 surrived.

Ewe 2 ... 1 big lamb and 1 small lamb both survive but a noticeable difference in size.

Ewe 3.. 1 v big lamb and 1 blob.

Ewe 1 was the very 1st to lamb at 140 days so I didn't mind much there. There have been normal births between ewe 1 and ewe 3.

wrangler

kk.man wrote: »

Ewe 1...2 fairly small lambs, 1 surrived.

Ewe 2 ... 1 big lamb and 1 small lamb both survive but a noticeable difference in size.

Ewe 3.. 1 v big lamb and 1 blob.

Ewe 1 was the very 1st to lamb at 140 days so I didn't mind much there. There have been normal births between ewe 1 and ewe 3.

The reason I'm concerned is ENZO affects the placenta and some lambs supply from the ewe could be affected and stunt their growth in the womb.
Fluids from an affected ewe is very infectious and if other ewes come in contact with it they will abort next year .
Might be worth your while blood testing the offending ewes. if you get another one like number 3 you should collect the blob and the cleanings and bring them to a lab, sounds like some bug is affecting them in the womb

Buford T. Justice XIX

kk.man wrote: »

Question;
I have a few doubles born where I have one big lamb and one small lamb?
They are on the best of hay ad lib, top quality ration and had restricted access to life line buckets. The ewes would have been dosed with cobalt and copper etc at various stages.

We would have been told the difference in size was due to the placement of the embryos in the womb. If both get roughly equal spots on each side, they should be more or less the same size because their placentas would have equal areas to extend over to get nutrients.

If one in closer to the opposite side, their placenta can take some of the others available area and will be bigger than the lamb with less available area.

It's very noticible in triplets, one big and two smaller and equal lambs would be sharing one side between them while the bigger would have most of one side to themselves.

wrangler

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

We would have been told the difference in size was due to the placement of the embryos in the womb. If both get roughly equal spots on each side, they should be more or less the same size because their placentas would have equal areas to extend over to get nutrients.

If one in closer to the opposite side, their placenta can take some of the others available area and will be bigger than the lamb with less available area.

It's very noticible in triplets, one big and two smaller and equal lambs would be sharing one side between them while the bigger would have most of one side to themselves.

They sound very extreme and three of them so extreme would be a high percentage.
I've also two in the same batch as the abortions that had two healthy lambs in them at scanning and only lambed one at lambing......

wrangler

wrangler wrote: »

We'd 3 abortions this year, first two were at weekends so didn't get to lab, last one did, result came back positive for Enzo and Toxo.
They're all 2017 born ewes, so they were all vaccinated the same day with the same vaccine so the vets getting on to MSD.
That was 3 abortions from 25 ewes that were vaccinated in 2017
i'd be interested to know did anyone have a similar experience

MSD phoned us this morning to say they'd look after us, so fair dues

ganmo

wrangler wrote: »

MSD phoned us this morning to say they'd look after us, so fair dues

i wonder how many other ppl got the same batch

wrangler

ganmo wrote: »

i wonder how many other ppl got the same batch

I think I 'd be blood testing a few of the sheepvaccinated in 2017 to check their immunity. A storm of toxo or enzo is not nice, we'll probably vaccinate that batch of ewes again

MD1983

I am sending off a few bought in store lambs, bought last September. a few have lost tags, i have a few slaughter tags left over from last year, can i still use the slaughter tags for them this year since the new tagging regulations?

TIA

Siamsa Sessions

MD1983 wrote: »

I am sending off a few bought in store lambs, bought last September. a few have lost tags, i have a few slaughter tags left over from last year, can i still use the slaughter tags for them this year since the new tagging regulations?

TIA

I think you’re grand to use them til 1-June this year.

After that anything leaving the farm needs an EID tag. Unless the Dept rows back on this, which is unlikely given the way they were so headstrong in bringing it in.

Green farmer

What’s the best thing for newborn lambs with sore eyes closed shut ? I’ve opened the eyes up but their abit sticky. Don’t know if the crows were at them

eire23

Green farmer wrote: »

What’s the best thing for newborn lambs with sore eyes closed shut ? I’ve opened the eyes up but their abit sticky. Don’t know if the crows were at them

Are their eyelids turned in? Could be entropian, normally just pulling the eyelids down and they should sorta pop into place. The odd one might need it done a second time. It's a bloody nuisance

Green farmer

eire23 wrote: »

Are their eyelids turned in? Could be entropian, normally just pulling the eyelids down and they should sorta pop into place. The odd one might need it done a second time. It's a bloody nuisance

Think so, just wouldn’t open his eyes. I held it open for 30seconds and same again a hour later. Seems to have passed now. Must have opened themselves after I manipulated them.

Dinzee Conlee

Green farmer wrote: »

Think so, just wouldn’t open his eyes. I held it open for 30seconds and same again a hour later. Seems to have passed now. Must have opened themselves after I manipulated them.

If it is that eyelid thing - isn’t that an inheritable thing from the ram?

charolais0153

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

If it is that eyelid thing - isn’t that an inheritable thing from the ram?

Or through the ewes. Daughters out of a particular texel ram here always had lambs like it. Hard to cull for such am insgnificamt thing but its a real pita