Ewe lamb bleeding from vulva

[Tommy_T]

Checked on my ewes and noticed a ewe lamb bleeding from her vulva. She’s had a jippy tummy recently and thought it was coming from her bottom at first but on closer inspection it’s definitely from her vulva. I wiped it clean with a bit of dilute hibi - no little cuts or scrapes evident, so definitely coming from inside. It’s not pouring out, if I wiped it it “refilled” if that makes sense. Not like mucus or gammy, just like a normal blood colour/consistency. Any ideas on what this is or what I should do? I have eight ewe lambs and from the other couple of tails I managed to look under this is an isolated issue.
She’s approx 10 months, seems well in every other way, her poops seen to have dried up, and she hasn’t been put to the ram. I rang the vet for advice but haven’t had a call back.

 

[Nithsdale]

She has reached sexual maturity

 

[Mc115reed]

Checked on my ewes and noticed a ewe lamb bleeding from her vulva. She’s had a jippy tummy recently and thought it was coming from her bottom at first but on closer inspection it’s definitely from her vulva. I wiped it clean with a bit of dilute hibi - no little cuts or scrapes evident, so definitely coming from inside. It’s not pouring out, if I wiped it it “refilled” if that makes sense. Not like mucus or gammy, just like a normal blood colour/consistency. Any ideas on what this is or what I should do? I have eight ewe lambs and from the other couple of tails I managed to look under this is an isolated issue.
She’s approx 10 months, seems well in every other way, her poops seen to have dried up, and she hasn’t been put to the ram. I rang the vet for advice but haven’t had a call back.

are you familiar with the female anatomy? Periods specifically....

 

[Tommy_T]

are you familiar with the female anatomy? Periods specifically....

Seeing as I have them myself yes, I am familiar What I’m not so familiar with is sheep’s reproductive processes, or whether they’re the same as a human’s, hence why I’m asking!
This is my first experience with ewe lambs. I thought ewes came into season once a year in the autumn, so I don’t think they have menstrual cycles like humans. I’ve never seen adult sheep bleeding like they’re having the equivalent of a human period.

 

[cheviot53]

Sheep and most other animals do not menstruate they re- absorb the egg . Only women , great apes some monkeys and a couple of animals menstruate

 

[Tommy_T]

What about a dog? They spot blood don’t they when they’re in season? Is that menstrual blood??

 

[primmiemoo]

Has she been tupped?

 

[cheviot53]

Had to look dogs up and no they don't menstruate

 

[Jerry]

Had to look dogs up and no they don't menstruate

they definitely spot blood. My bitch does it each time.

But maybe it’s not the same as menstruate?

 

[cheviot53]

It is an oestrus cycle and the blood appears before she is fertile

 

[Tommy_T]

Dogs definitely spot when in season. Remember FIL’s did it and they went round wiping it up
No, definitely not tupped. Had to put ewe lambs in with ewes but they were out for tupping and on totally different holdings. Haven’t shared fences with the tup lambs either. They were weaned mid June and split from their brothers mid July.

 

[Al R]

Dogs definitely spot when in season. Remember FIL’s did it and they went round wiping it up
No, definitely not tupped. Had to put ewe lambs in with ewes but they were out for tupping and on totally different holdings. Haven’t shared fences with the tup lambs either. They were weaned mid June and split from their brothers mid July.

So she would have lambed by now even though she is to young to have bred.

she’s spotting like a dog does, see it sometimes when a ewe goes into the combi clamp sometimes get some seepage although it’s sometimes clear or light brown which shows their in heat basically. Sheep will cycle for 5-6 months of the year usually, most will be september-January, no idea if their in season after that as never had a non pregnant ewe on the farm after January

 

[primmiemoo]

It's only a dab of blood when a bitch is in season. They often tidy up after themselves, too.

So, not tupped, has had a scour. Could have strained on scouring, and broken hymen? That might not be more than a v short bleed, though.

Dried dags from scour, discomfort, and rubbed herself?

Edit: What @Al R said is most likely. Just occasionally notice that. It can be confused with poor fertility (there's a staining sometimes where a ewe is freemartin), the difference being the cycling ewe hogget isn't stained all the time.

 

[Tommy_T]

Here’s a pic. Not very flattering I know!
She was scouring quite bad but mostly dried up now. She’s off on tack at the moment so only seen them every other day so this is the first day I noticed. And only because I was seeing how the scours were. If I hadn’t lifted her tail I wouldn’t even know about it. Will check her tomorrow and see how she is. If it’s just something to do with coming into heat I’ll be happy.
Primmie - what is freemartin?

 

[Al R]

“A freemartin or free-martin is an infertile female mammal with masculinized behavior and non-functioning ovaries. Genetically the animal is chimeric: Karyotyping of a sample of cells shows XX/XY chromosomes.”

Basically they’ll never breed. You can’t keep a female twin off a cow if it’s 1 male 1 female, somehow twin heifers are fine. I know that’s cows and not sheep but it happens with sheep to sometimes. You can also get haemaphrodite’s which is a female with balls basically, they don’t squat to wee or lift their tails so always covered in wee.

looks like cycling blood

 

[Kidds]

I am not currently a livestock farmer and probably too squeamish to be a proper one anyway but fair play to you guys (and girls) that are. You are good people.

 

[Agrivator]

Here’s a pic. Not very flattering I know!
She was scouring quite bad but mostly dried up now. She’s off on tack at the moment so only seen them every other day so this is the first day I noticed. And only because I was seeing how the scours were. If I hadn’t lifted her tail I wouldn’t even know about it. Will check her tomorrow and see how she is. If it’s just something to do with coming into heat I’ll be happy.
Primmie - what is freemartin?

That looks more like physical damage or the result of straining because of a urinary infection.

 

[Tommy_T]

Checked her today and still the same. Not pouring out, not stained her wool. It’s a bright blood so fresh. I thought it had stopped but when I wiped it to check it started again so maybe should’ve left alone. Again she is well in herself, eating, alert, doesn’t look uncomfortable at all. Vet didn’t come back to me so will have to try them again.

 

[Christoph1945]

“A freemartin or free-martin is an infertile female mammal with masculinized behavior and non-functioning ovaries. Genetically the animal is chimeric: Karyotyping of a sample of cells shows XX/XY chromosomes.”

Basically they’ll never breed. You can’t keep a female twin off a cow if it’s 1 male 1 female, somehow twin heifers are fine. I know that’s cows and not sheep but it happens with sheep to sometimes. You can also get haemaphrodite’s which is a female with balls basically, they don’t squat to wee or lift their tails so always covered in wee.

looks like cycling blood

Female with balls; jeez, that sounds like Maggy Thatcher!

 

[Nithsdale]

Female with balls; jeez, that sounds like Maggy Thatcher!

Didn't realise she was from Thailand...