Its started - lambing update

chunky monkey

chunky monkey

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May 2, 2007
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Well a bit earlier than planned. Well and truly caught out. I had the first one down to lamb on friday. Got home from work, went over to feed the sheep before dark. Looked across to see a ewe and lamb half way down the field. It was bone dry so born earlier today. It was a bit of a long trek to get her and baby back to the shed. Especially as shes a first lamber and not the most amenable.

Its a good job we had some good weather last Saturday and we managed to make a good start on the mucking out. Hopefully get the rest done before the main bunch in a couple of weeks.

Got another due on sunday. Will go and get her home first thing tomorrow.

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I'm always impressed you are so accurate with when they will be born, you've got to have a curve ball once in a while :)
 
No if i was accurate she would have lambed tomorrow as planned. Its now double work as i had to get her and lamb back and i still have to get the other one in thats due sunday. The main bunch will come back home in about 10 days. Really though it pays for me in the autumn to make a note when the ram marks each one. It means that i dont play guessing games. There are the odd one that gets marked and doesnt hold, then gets marked a couple of weeks later. If i dont spot that theres extra colour on the sheep i miss the date.
Of course we are in leap year but i thought id taken account of that in my calculations.
I was supposed to get the the two over that are due this week, from the far field last weekend but we spent Saturday mucking out and Sunday morning i was at a standstill as i was exhausted, could barely keep my eyes open. So i went back to bed till 1pm. Then we moved the cows in the afternoon so ran out of time for the sheep.
Its poured with ran this morning so i havent gone and got the other one yet. Will get her in this evening when i get home from work.
 
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Twiddling my thumbs. Popped down at 8.30 to feed and ewe was lambing. Just been down to check progress and no further forward. Ive got a massive headache which developed this afternoon when i was riding and i really need to go to bed to try to sleep it off. Will give it till midnight and pop down again. But i shall scrub up and take some warm water with me as i might have to go fishing.
 
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Yes feeling better this morning thanks. Took some ibruphen at 10.30, sat in the chair till 12.30. It had started to clear a bit. Went down to check. She had half popped one out but just laid there, thought she'd given up pushing as there was no movement from lamb. Pulled the lamb out and it came to. Stuck that infront of mum and she just laid licking it clean. Eventually she pushed a second one out so i stuck that in front of her to clean. Both lambs were up and looking for the udder. Mum was clearly wacked as she didnt bother getting up the whole time. So i made her get up in the end. I left her too it. Got to bed at 2am and was up again at 6am. All is well this morning lambs were up and about. They seem content so must have found the milk.
 
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Thats the problem and why i got her back. She was hanging back from the rest of the flock. At least now shes in i can monitor her more closely. Shes gone off her food in the last two days, grinding her teeth, can hardly get to her feet, is like a balloon and worse of all isnt actually due for a month according to the date i have down. So me thinks there is something drastically wrong in there. I can only wait and see how she progresses. She is a big worry and i have a feeling may be a vet job.
 
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Well went down to feed and give 118 an antibiotic. Shes been off her food for several days. Last night she was shifting the weight between her hinds. This morning she was down on her side and looked like she was straining and made no attempt to get up. So i coaxed and help her to her feet. She stop straining. I did notice that her body was large on one side. Thought lambs were all sitting over on one side.
Tonight she was completely down. Two of us struggled to get her two her feet. We massaged her hind legs to get some circulation going before getting her up. Once up omg never seen anything like it. Brother looks and says shes got an abcess. I said that was not there this morning. Then he notices the swelling which is partially infront of the udder is pouring fluid. Her hind leg is massive. Lord knows whats going on. Her bottom is so puffy its unbelievable, swollen more since this morning.
I really dont hold out much hope for her right now. We left her stood up with fluid just running like a tap. We are going to see if the fluid drains by morning and makes her more comfortable. We will ring the vet in the morning but i fear we may have to have her put down. I can only think this fluid is from the lamb fluid or something inside that may have burst. The only thing ive seen similar to this was my mums leg when that poured fluid. They feared sepsis at the time.
You can see the fluid running out in the picture. That whole left side has swollen since this morning and the bottom.

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I managed to get her to her feet this morning. She must have moved round the pen in the night as the bedding is wet in various places. Shes still draining fluid. But she has gone from looking massive to a bag of bones, pretty much overnight. All the fluid in her body is draining out underneath. I think its all the fluid from the lambs sacks inside. Her underbelly is still huge. Never come across this myself.
Her food trough was empty this morning and the hay i pulled down and put on the floor in various places has been eaten. Once i got her up, she started eating hay from the rack so i pulled her some more down in the pen.
Dont think theres a lot we can do for her. I think i just have to see what happens with this fluid. I suspect that the lambs will be dead inside now the fluid has gone. Im not going to ceaser her. Ive been down that road and its not worth it and is to traumatic on them. If she really starts going down hill i will ring the hunt. If shes eating hay theres still some hope at the moment.
 
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chunky monkey said:
I managed to get her to her feet this morning. She must have moved round the pen in the night as the bedding is wet in various places. Shes still draining fluid. But she has gone from looking massive to a bag of bones, pretty much overnight. All the fluid in her body is draining out underneath. I think its all the fluid from the lambs sacks inside. Her underbelly is still huge. Never come across this myself.
Her food trough was empty this morning and the hay i pulled down and put on the floor in various places has been eaten. Once i got her up, she started eating hay from the rack so i pulled her some more down in the pen.
Dont think theres a lot we can do for her. I think i just have to see what happens with this fluid. I suspect that the lambs will be dead inside now the fluid has gone. Im not going to ceaser her. Ive been down that road and its not worth it and is to traumatic on them. If she really starts going down hill i will ring the hunt. If shes eating hay theres still some hope at the moment.
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Poor girl, things like this must be quite devastating for you too chunky monkey.
 
Weve managed to get her to her feet a couple of times during the day. The foods been disappearing during the day and overnight so she was eating it at some point. She struggled round the pen laid down and managed to turn a full 360 on her own in the bedding this evening and then managed to get her hind feet under her and onto her front knees, with a bit of support from me once the circulation kicked in she stood completely and tonight she polished off the food straight away. Shes had another injection tonight but the huge swelling of fluid is still there and still dripping. After shed eaten she went to walk and fell down again.
 
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