dead rotten lambs in ewe

Zaphod · Apr 16, 2016

First lambing of the season yesterday, ewe not looking right, ended up pulling dead rotten lamb out in pieces. Gave her antibiotics etc. Checked and thought she only had a single. Today I saw second head hanging out, carefully tried to remove but only got head and neck out. The rest is soup. I've tried everything to get the rest out. Gave more antibios. Will the rest come out naturally or is it shoot or vet? She's pretty bright in herself. Any ideas, not had this before. TIA

bovine · Apr 16, 2016

Either shoot or vet. It's not 'right' leaving her.

Zaphod · Apr 16, 2016

Thank, no way am I leaving her, last dead lamb turned to mush not sure how to get it out. Will get vet on case! Thx.

Sheep · Apr 16, 2016

Can you 'flush' a ewe like a cow?

bovine · Apr 16, 2016

I have for rotten metritis and will sometimes do so after a really rotten lambing, but I don't think it would be successful in getting the remains of a lamb out.

Zaphod · Apr 16, 2016

Wondered if there was anything i could use to make her give birth to it? oxytocin? Short of baling her out with a scoop I'd love to know how vet gets the soup out.

bovine · Apr 16, 2016

if the lambs are rotten then the uterus will no longer be responsive to oxytocin. The receptors are only present for a very short period.

Man_in_black · Apr 16, 2016

What causes this?

Sheep · Apr 16, 2016

Man_in_black said:
What causes this?

Of rotten lambs? Dead lambs inside which have been dead more than a week, enzo or toxo abortion or high stress/a knock on the ewe. Ewe won't give birth to it as there is little/no activity to induce lambing, especially before full term (we find about 50% of abortions don't 'lamb' themselves).

JD-Kid · Apr 16, 2016

what ever yer do wear gloves and wash the hell out of yer hands before smokeing eating touching the kid's hugging the wife etc etc if your realy going down that road
got sick one lambing from dead lambs and belive me it put me on my arse for a long time
yer don't know whats been brewing away in there
if i can get the lamb out in one bit get it out jab the ewe and things all good

when it's a rotten kitset i put the ewe down . she's going to suck up quite a bit of money in meds etc and if you get infected i can tell yer now you will not be doing much lambing for a few weeks and be on light work for a few weeks after that along with quite a large doctors bill

shearerlad · Apr 16, 2016

What are the thoughts on the timescale from the lamb dying to discolouring and then to rotting down.

My thoughts are 12 hours to turn black and the tongue to go white but with no smell, another 12 hours to rot so that it will come apart when pulled.

It's an ideal environment for the dead lamb to decompose.

Zaphod · Apr 16, 2016

Well vet has been, ewe's cervix now closed, rather than put a hole in her side she has been given strong antibiotics and prostaglandins to see if she'll open up again. 24 to 36 hours to see what's what. Pedigree ewe so don't want to give up just yet.

exmoor dave · Apr 16, 2016

Zaphod said:
Well vet has been, ewe's cervix now closed, rather than put a hole in her side she has been given strong antibiotics and prostaglandins to see if she'll open up again. 24 to 36 hours to see what's what. Pedigree ewe so don't want to give up just yet.

But even if pedigree and even if she lives, she won't be much use next year surely?

So is only worth cull value not pedigree value?

I'm all for trying if your wallet allows, but IMO I'd have just got the gun.
Sorry to be blunt.

bovine · Apr 16, 2016

Zaphod said:
Well vet has been, ewe's cervix now closed, rather than put a hole in her side she has been given strong antibiotics and prostaglandins to see if she'll open up again. 24 to 36 hours to see what's what. Pedigree ewe so don't want to give up just yet.

It worries me when vets don't understand the physiology. Prostaglandins will do nothing whatsoever.

Zaphod · Apr 16, 2016

Well I can only do as I'm told. if nothing good comes of it then I'll get rid she won't suffer. Interesting about the prostaglandins though, Its been a long time since i did biology, but aren't prostaglandins part of male donation to sex act and aren't they supposed to bring on birth? Something to think about while it p1zzes down!

Warbster · Mar 23, 2019

Our fourth week of lambing and noticed one of the ewe’s off her food and being pushed off. Single penned her in the shed even though she’s not due for another 3 weeks, shot of penicillin (Betamox) but gradually got worse over the day, gave her twin lamb drench for 2 days but still not looking good! She started to abort but struggling to push them out. Vet time!! Dead lambs inside and started going septicaemia so no option to cull her.
Live stock # deadstock

rancher · Mar 23, 2019

Warbster said:
Our fourth week of lambing and noticed one of the ewe’s off her food and being pushed off. Single penned her in the shed even though she’s not due for another 3 weeks, shot of penicillin (Betamox) but gradually got worse over the day, gave her twin lamb drench for 2 days but still not looking good! She started to abort but struggling to push them out. Vet time!! Dead lambs inside and started going septicaemia so no option to cull her.
Live stock # deadstock

I know I shouldn't be prescribing but a shot of cortisone has expelled them here......after all they advise not to give cortisone to pregnant sheep for that reason

Warbster · Mar 24, 2019

rancher said:
I know I shouldn't be prescribing but a shot of cortisone has expelled them here......after all they advise not to give cortisone to pregnant sheep for that reason

Yes maybe could’ve saved the ewe but are you just delaying the inevitable anyway? Probably just have the same trouble 12 months on!

ND66ZJ74 · Apr 3, 2024

We are first time lamb’ers here. We have two ewes who we thought should have dropped by now. Is there any way of knowing if something is wrong? They both seem bright enough, if tired and are both eating. Our other ewes gave birth between 5-10 days ago and our observations suggested they would follow within a couple of days.

andybk · Apr 3, 2024

ND66ZJ74 said:
We are first time lamb’ers here. We have two ewes who we thought should have dropped by now. Is there any way of knowing if something is wrong? They both seem bright enough, if tired and are both eating. Our other ewes gave birth between 5-10 days ago and our observations suggested they would follow within a couple of days.

patience , prob be 17-20 days after first ones lambed , they caught second cycle i expect , do they have udders , if eating and look bright leave them alone and wait

dead rotten lambs in ewe

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