Ewes not letting milk down

[will6910]

There getting silage but wouldn't be classed as ad Lib. Wasn't able to get it tested. Had fluke issue when Rams went in. Dosed with a certain dose that was told would mix dosing up so not to get resistant to other one. But turned out the stuff I was sold had the resistant ingredient in it so was waste time. 14 ewes died in just under 3 weeks at tupping then when scanned had another 30 empty as result of it. Sent ewe off to lab when I could and came back with bad liver fluke

 

[RushesToo]

@will6910 Use the SCOPS site, @bovine always refers to it. It is better that what folk say and sometimes better than advice given from professionals.http://www.scops.org.uk/taking-the-first-steps.html

 

[will6910]

Thanks [emoji106]

 

[Marennydd]

There getting silage but wouldn't be classed as ad Lib. Wasn't able to get it tested. Had fluke issue when Rams went in. Dosed with a certain dose that was told would mix dosing up so not to get resistant to other one. But turned out the stuff I was sold had the resistant ingredient in it so was waste time. 14 ewes died in just under 3 weeks at tupping then when scanned had another 30 empty as result of it. Sent ewe off to lab when I could and came back with bad liver fluke

How are things by now? Did you get any soya?
Out of interest, what type of 'profesional' gave you the fluke product advice. Was it an SQP at a merchants by any chance?

 

[will6910]

Seems last sheep that's been lambing have been ok milk wise.maybe just getting less in pens now and might be getting ore meal a head than they were. Yeah it was worker at Agri store sold me the orginal fluke stuff. Vet told me after they don't know it's resistance but if bought from vet they wouldn't have sold it to me

 

[mossy]

Hi Willy6910 just wondering are you having any of this problem this year or did increasing the soya % fix it I'm asking because have been suffering similar issues.

 

[will6910]

Hi, Iv had 3 this year do similar so far out of 20 lambed. 1 came to her milk after a day or so but other two have had to have least 1 lamb taken off. They have improved but only enohhh for 1 lamb. Big huge udders, nothing worth talking about. On the whole so far milk has been very good on the rest. Feeding same nuts as last year and average at best silage. Only change was I have given them all lifeline buckets alongside meal. Probably be shot down for feeding meal and the lifeline but I believe it's helped a lot so far

 

[Razor8]

Proves the theory that you have a underlying mineral issue

 

[will6910]

Not sure what I could do to ewes to help tho other that bolus that they get already

 

[Razor8]

IME Bolus’s only maintain levels so if they are low to start with they need drenching as well. Hense why the expensive buckets are helping the situation

 

[will6910]

I'd like to be able to test blood and soil but it's a losing battle still at moment

 

[Old Boar]

I have been having a think about this. In women, there are two main reasons for lack of milk assuming the breasts are OK. These are diabetes and thyroid issues. The ewe would be ill if it was diabetes, but if the thryroid issue was mild, it would affect the flow of milk. I would like @bovine take on this - could it be an iodine deficiency, is this a known thing and how would you test?

 

[Andy Morgan]

Hi lads and lassies just looking up these symptoms online and this thread came up , could anyone tell me what was the end result how did you cure this problem , I’m haveing the very same thing happen me this year never had this issue before and nobody seams to know what to do any advice/ help would be greatly appreciated as I’m loosening my marbles here feeding lambs and big ewes looking at me with hard udders

 

[will6910]

I never found out a cause really I’m sorry to say

 

[Andy Morgan]

I never found out a cause really I’m sorry to say

And so you still have cases of it

 

[will6910]

And so you still have cases of it

Occasionally yeah. Lambing at min and 2nd one to lamb had issues. Lambs on bottle now

 

[Andy Morgan]

Occasionally yeah. Lambing at min and 2nd one to lamb had issues. Lambs on bottle now

I never had this before nearly every second ewe it’s mad , did u ask a vet about it or anything???

 

[yellowbelly]

I’m loosening my marbles here feeding lambs and big ewes looking at me with hard udders

If they're hard there's nowt you can do about it now (only foster/bottle the lambs). Ewes with normal bags can be stimulated to let their milk down with Oxytocin S but it doesn't sound like this will be any use in your case.

Did they feed lambs OK last year?
If so, they've gone wrong over the summer and you've missed them when you checked their bags before tupping.
It's not unusual to get the odd one that's gone wrong since then but, IME, you shouldn't be getting as many as you are.

 

[Andy Morgan]

If they're hard there's nowt you can do about it now (only foster/bottle the lambs). Ewes with normal bags can be stimulated to let their milk down with Oxytocin S but it doesn't sound like this will be any use in your case.

Did they feed lambs OK last year?
If so, they've gone wrong over the summer and you've missed them when you checked their bags before tupping.
It's not unusual to get the odd one that's gone wrong since then but, IME, you shouldn't be getting as many as you are.

Yeah all reared lambs last year no hassle I taught it was just the 2 year olds that was giving me hassle but it’s not it’s every age group ewes in good order just not letting down milk havinggood size lambs and lambs are lively and mad to suck but they’ve nothing to get , ewes aren’t totally dry but not enough to feed a kitten

 

[Al R]

If they're hard there's nowt you can do about it now (only foster/bottle the lambs). Ewes with normal bags can be stimulated to let their milk down with Oxytocin S but it doesn't sound like this will be any use in your case.

Did they feed lambs OK last year?
If so, they've gone wrong over the summer and you've missed them when you checked their bags before tupping.
It's not unusual to get the odd one that's gone wrong since then but, IME, you shouldn't be getting as many as you are.

Like summer mastitis? I bag all of my ewes 7 days post weaning for culling, the odd one could get a problem after but saves carrying passengers through the summer. Not helpful to Andy mind.