Ewe ready to blow

[hoff135]

Between louping ill and a dead bull, spring 2024 is the gift that keeps on giving.

I have a gimmer scanned about Feb 15th as having a single. The last gimmer to lamb was a month ago and even then I was saying this one was big and wouldn't be long. In the last 4 weeks she has continued getting wider and wider, was convinced 2 weeks ago she would lamb imminently. At this stage she has until Friday when the tups were pulled and that's it. Udder has been big since a month, but could only get a little thick stuff off one side tonight.

I don't think she tried to lamb and failed which I've heard of, not sick in any way. She's either got numerous lambs inside, or father reckons deformed lamb which he has seen accompanied by masses of fluid. My theory was she was meant to lamb but never and the lamb has continued to grow but I dont even know if that's possible?

Today things got bad enough that she prolapsed, no pressing but just forced out under pressure.

I could call a vet and try for a cesarean but likely cost more than the sheep is worth or leave and see if she produces something this week?

Anyone got ant theories?

Pic doesn't really do it justice

 

[Devil's advocate]

Bet she is full of fluid could well be a normal lambing, give her time & not over feed her, We had a Jan lamber, lamb in April once, was like a dam bursting with two very small but healthy lambs.

It looks like she is bedded on sweeping up from a hair dressers. Are things that bad?

 

[hoff135]

Bet she is full of fluid could well be a normal lambing, give her time & not over feed her,

It looks like she is bedded on sweeping up from a hair dressers. Are things that bad?

Its grim up north

I only took her back in to fit the harness I'll get new straw tomorrow, not as bad as it looks in the picture.

You reckon she will lamb then? She only has till Friday plus maybe a couple of days

 

[Devil's advocate]

Its grim up north

I only took her back in to fit the harness I'll get new straw tomorrow, not as bad as it looks in the picture.

You reckon she will lamb then? She only has till Friday plus maybe a couple of days

Well anything could happen, but what are your options?

Keep an eye on her but I think healthy lambs & lots of fluid. Could be a very big lamb, your decision zipper or risk it & pull very hard. I've broke the odd hock pulling so hard (charollais fine bones) but never had a zipper. Took lamb to the vet after a couple of days for a splint & was fine after a month.

 

[Nearly]

Goats used to get phantom pregnancies where they would retain fluid.
'Cloudburst' pregnancy.

 

[Devil's advocate]

She can have ab cover because of the prolapse, which is a good precaution in case anything is rotten in there.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Goats used to get phantom or real pregnancies where they would retain fluid.
'Cloudburst' pregnancy.

What was the outcome?

Lovely interesting animals, goats.

 

[Nearly]

Just edited to say they were phantom pregnancies.
Puddle of water and thin goat.

When they scanned -ve or were too big to get into the parlour they got a jab of estrumate etc.

We were milking 1000 so it wasn't unusual.
We'd scan and jab before we started out of season breeding (end Feb) hoping the jabbed cloudbursts (and the lights) would help to bring others into season too.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Bet she is full of fluid could well be a normal lambing, give her time & not over feed her, We had a Jan lamber, lamb in April once, was like a dam bursting with two very small but healthy lambs.

It looks like she is bedded on sweeping up from a hair dressers. Are things that bad?

Had one as wide as the one in the pic last year….was convinced it would have 5 lambs….when it started lambing it had 2 shitty lambs and a bathtub of water in it

 

[Nearly]

What was the outcome?

Lovely interesting animals, goats.

we did get a bit carried away for a while.

 

[Guleesh]

Have euthanised a few older ewes over the past few years that filled up to bursting point with fluid, they fill up quite fast, getting so heavy as to be near immobile, and had one prolapsed with it one autumn.
Not related to pregnancy, I understand it's because of fluke damage.
Yours looks too bright and healthy for it to be that though.

 

[hoff135]

Have euthanised a few older ewes over the past few years that filled up to bursting point with fluid, they fill up quite fast, getting so heavy as to be near immobile, and had one prolapsed with it one autumn.
Not related to pregnancy, I understand it's because of fluke damage.
Yours looks too bright and healthy for it to be that though.

She's very healthy. Still nothing happening

 

[jandl]

She's very healthy. Still nothing happening

 

[Devil's advocate]

Keep us posted, fingers crossed for you.

The late lambs remind us just how quick lambs grow.

 

[ladycrofter]

I had one with both sides aides yearly touching the ground. I thought like you it was some sort of weird tumor or fluid or something.
Eventually she had two healthy lambs. I think it was a case of the ligaments being stretched and everything just sagging.

 

[Skintagain]

Them real old cheviots look like the photo all year around

 

[yoki]

If nothing has happened by the middle of next week then start thinking about a plan "B".

 

[hoff135]

Them real old cheviots look like the photo all year around

It's a gimmer, never seen one this big before, apart from the odd old ewe scanned with 3, even then this one is bigger

 

[hoff135]

If nothing has happened by the middle of next week then start thinking about a plan "B".

Phoning the vet on Monday if nothing happens. I've honestly never seen anything like this before, she had an udder on her 4 weeks ago that you would have said is close to lambing, it's still the same. Its bizzare

 

[yoki]

Phoning the vet on Monday if nothing happens. I've honestly never seen anything like this before, she had an udder on her 4 weeks ago that you would have said is close to lambing, it's still the same. Its bizzare

I've had one or two cases similar and it is a torture.

You want to do something, but if there's nothing wrong and you go blaring in you'll most likely cause a problem.

I don't want to put a scud on you, but they've always turned out OK.