Ewes not letting milk down

will6910

Member
Location
N.i
Certainly in decent condition. Twins and triplets getting well over s kilo of nuts before and after lambing. Also noticed that noticed that getting that getting lamb sets of maybe one big strong lamb and it's twin or triplets mates small and fine. Not seen it before. Always get the odd full set of smaller lambs but never one good and one bad
 

will6910

Member
Location
N.i
Spoke to vet briefly there. And he says that because they had a fluke issue over tupping and winter it could be affecting there liver and making them not able to produce enough energy. So will give them high energy buckets and see how it goes. Was no mention of blood tests or anything else
 

Razor8

Member
Location
Ireland
Spoke to vet briefly there. And he says that because they had a fluke issue over tupping and winter it could be affecting there liver and making them not able to produce enough energy. So will give them high energy buckets and see how it goes. Was no mention of blood tests or anything else

Insist he gets bloods done.
 

will6910

Member
Location
N.i
We suggested that but didn't seem to make much difference. Will ring again tomorrow. Took a twin off two hoggets today and tonight the two lambs left on each are hungry looking.
Shouldn't be struggling to fed a single lamb each
 

daithi

Member
What nuts are you feeding? Ask the rep what % of soya bean is included .Not all18% ewe nuts are the same . I would like at least 15 -20% soya included.
 

tepapa

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Wales
You may have something going on but by the sounds of it the nutrition might not quite be right either and could be adding to the problem.
Milk/colostrum will be the last thing the ewe will put energy into after maintenance and fetal/lamb growth.
You say its good haylage with a 19% CP conc. Could be a massive over supply of RDP with little DUP, Which could be leading to a lack of energy in the ration and lack of protein even though your feeding well.
As an example, this years premium 18% conc with my local supplier has soya as the last item on the list so presumably 1 or 2% inclusion so will mainly be supplying RDP from rapemeal and very little DUP.
 

will6910

Member
Location
N.i
Silage wouldn't be the best really. Wasn't let get it sampled but should have done it anyway. Have another older ewe now with twins and lambs needed fed tonihjt as none coming out of her teats. Will speak to vets again tomorrow and get them over to look and check. Iv had sheep myself for 11 years now. No one else in family wants them but I do. But from tupping time fluke, tillall the empties at scannif to now this at lambing I can safely say it's first time ever Iv had serious thoughts of giving up on them and selling them
 
We were mid lambing a couple months ago and kept getting hard udders which was presumed mastitis and just marked to cull or one side fully hard right through the teat which is completely unusual as they were all perfectly fine before tupping so could it have not been mastitis?
 

reverand

Member
Location
East lancs hills
Silage wouldn't be the best really. Wasn't let get it sampled but should have done it anyway. Have another older ewe now with twins and lambs needed fed tonihjt as none coming out of her teats. Will speak to vets again tomorrow and get them over to look and check. Iv had sheep myself for 11 years now. No one else in family wants them but I do. But from tupping time fluke, tillall the empties at scannif to now this at lambing I can safely say it's first time ever Iv had serious thoughts of giving up on them and selling them
Don't do anything to rash. Sheep can push you to the limits, I've had a bad time with fluke this year but I seem to have got on top of it.
A tweek in their diet might be all they need. I know it's obvious but can you not turn them out on to some green grass
 

will6910

Member
Location
N.i
IMG_1490349508.173183.jpg
this is sheet comes with meal
Could put out to grass but way weather been up till now If I put them out worh dodgy lambs they wouldn't have lasted. But weather improved now
 

will6910

Member
Location
N.i
Another thing Iv noticed but it matches in with lacking milk, when u pull teat after lambing Instesd of thick creamy colostrum some just comes out like normal white milk
 

Marennydd

Member
Location
Mid Wales
Another thing Iv noticed but it matches in with lacking milk, when u pull teat after lambing Instesd of thick creamy colostrum some just comes out like normal white milk

I'd be even more inclined to say that's its a nutritional issue from what you've stated. I presume you've checked for fluke? A bit of both factors could cause a lot of hassle.

Get some soya in.
 

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