Help/ advice an ill sheep

Jdunn55

Member
Bit of a weird one, before I start this is my first ever lambing, we bought 52 pet lambs last spring and reared them all sold the Wethers, kept the ewe lambs and bought 44 more ewes to put in lamb to end up with 60. They could be due from tomorrow but we couldn't get anytime to scan them.

This ewe is a scotch mule and I'm fairly sure I've never touched her except from when she's been worked, fluked or drenched. Yet this morning I've managed to stroke her? She's acting odd, away from the group on her own and keeps wondering to the same spot? I thought she was blind at first (her eyes are clear and not cloudy so look normal to me) as she wasnt blinking when I put my hand next to them but appears to be following where the dog is running with her face/eyes. I've spoken to the vet who said to give her the sheep calciject with glucose in, so dad has gone to get some of that along with some recocam and to bring her in.

I've searched the entire field for lambs atleast twice, looked down the lane and can't find anything. She doesn't appear to have lambed and hasn't bagged up or anything. Any ideas? They are coming into the shed either today if I get it cleaned out before milking or else tomorrow.
They ran out of mineral block the day before yesterday but I have just put a new one out for them.

Thanks
 

Jdunn55

Member
This is a video I took of her this morning. I say I say if I got this close to get she would normally run off at the speed of light away from me, yet today she doesn't? I had to upload it to YouTube as it was too large for this site apparently
 

Jdunn55

Member
855966

Hopefully this will shed some light to those with more experience, got her in, she walked most of the way with me pushing her but collapsed in the gateway and again when in the shed. Once in she was shaking quite a bit and her ear was twitching. She has had 100ml of calciject and 4ml of meloxidyl (recocam/metacam). On closer inspection she does actually have a bit of an udder coming along too.
 

Jdunn55

Member

Jdunn55

Member
She's nibbled a bit of cake and is looking a little brighter.
Just on a side note, apologies to all the long time sheep farmers who probably think I'm being way ott! I detest losing stock, especially to something which sounds like my own fault :(
 

primmiemoo

Member
Location
Devon
Is it just twin lamb drench? I've given her 50ml of that which contains the propylene glycol

If 50ml is the recommended dose for her weight, then monitor and repeat as the label advises. Would be worth a chat to the Vet, because there might be something else as well.

If you can, bring her under cover and administer peace and quiet, and TLC.

Others are looking bright enough at the gate, there.

(Autokrekt has changed CCN to another set of initials in my earlier post, sorry. I don't think your ewe has cerebrocortical necrosis from what the video shows.)
 

primmiemoo

Member
Location
Devon
She's nibbled a bit of cake and is looking a little brighter.
Just on a side note, apologies to all the long time sheep farmers who probably think I'm being way ott! I detest losing stock, especially to something which sounds like my own fault :(

That's good news! Caught her early - and had the remedy to hand ? ?

No apologies needed at all. It isn't always easy to spot :) She might be an indicator of a shortage of energy in the grass, and maybe the pre-lambing lick, though, so that's to talk to the Vet or good agricultural merchant's rep, too, if you think belt and braces is needed.
 

Jdunn55

Member
If 50ml is the recommended dose for her weight, then monitor and repeat as the label advises. Would be worth a chat to the Vet, because there might be something else as well.

If you can, bring her under cover and administer peace and quiet, and TLC.

Others are looking bright enough at the gate, there.

(Autokrekt has changed CCN to another set of initials in my earlier post, sorry. I don't think your ewe has cerebrocortical necrosis from what the video shows.)
Thankyou, been chatting to the vet back and forth shes phoning in a second to see how shes getting on. The other are still looking good but so was she yesterday :/ going to try desperately to get them in today but I'm running behind on all my other jobs now (story of my life!). Going to start flat rate feeding some cake to them as well, not sure how much but the vet is going to find out for me and let me know.
 

Jdunn55

Member
That's good news! Caught her early - and had the remedy to hand ??

No apologies needed at all. It isn't always easy to spot :) She might be an indicator of a shortage of energy in the grass, and maybe the pre-lambing lick, though, so that's to talk to the Vet or good agricultural merchant's rep, too, if you think belt and braces is needed.
Thanks, just feel like I should have got them in earlier, scanned them and fed cake to the ones who needed it and I might have avoided this. Will get the rest in on haylage and some cake and hopefully will call this a learning curve!
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
first thing when found...for a good size ewe100 ml of calciject 6 under the skin , injected in both sides over the ribs. using a 20ml syringe. warm in your pocket on the way there.

and a second dose very late that evening, keep an eye on her with a big mark on her back to watch for further symptoms, the next day or days...at which point if showing give her some more.
 
Last edited:

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 65 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.1%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,287
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top