Is a lumpy bag a reason to Cull?

[crazy_bull]

I’m not talking about the udders that are like a bag of spanner’s, they are an obvious red stripe (red means dead).

what about the young ewes with the odd ping pong ball sized lump in the bag or one ‘tenticle’ feeling hard in the bag.
Not really sure what to do with those.

seem to have a lot in the above category this year for some reason.

Thoughts?

C B

 

[ShooTa]

i tend to leave tenticles..
depends on when i feel them -
post weaning - keep and eye -
after mid sept - look to cull if still present or black mark for watching and cull next year if issue.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

If it is between the quarters then no problem.
If it is inside the quarter then it may be an issue.
Probably best to have another check in a months time.

 

[Tim W]

Good cull price ---why risk a dud in the flock next spring?

 

[johnrob96]

personaly i would cull any lumps in bags, not worth the hassle of no milk or very little milk and having to set lambs onto other ewes or pets especialy with cull prices so high not worth the risk as far as i can see

 

[Ysgythan]

Yes, one way ticket I think.

 

[Yale]

Anything with any lump of any size,red to the head.

Is red to the head the universal cull mark?

 

[roscoe erf]

sorry wandered in by mistake thought this was a relation ship advice thread

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Culling cures all ills, the alternate way to look at it is "do I need to keep sheep with lumpy bags" ie look for a valid reason to keep them.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Good cull price ---why risk a dud in the flock next spring?

Exactly….

 

[Pistonbroke]

One of the kid's pet pure texels was lumpy but I was banned from selling her."No!!! Not Doughnut!!!!" Lambed a pair of twins,milk both sides,all fine for a week then one looked hollow. Took him off, then the other started suffering. She should have been called Kebab. Lesson learned.

 

[Ysgythan]

One of the kid's pet pure texels was lumpy but I was banned from selling her."No!!! Not Doughnut!!!!" Lambed a pair of twins,milk both sides,all fine for a week then one looked hollow. Took him off, then the other started suffering. She should have been called Kebab. Lesson learned.

Logically a lump is a blocked milk duct. So even if it isn’t mastitis which caused it, and it isn’t the source of infection for next time, she still won’t be firing on all cylinders.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Out of interest when do people check bags for culling? At weaning or 3 weeks after? I always wait until they have dried off then go through them. Always think it makes it easier too feel problems then? Plus anything that’s saggy won’t have dried up properly and away they go!

 

[Pistonbroke]

Out of interest when do people check bags for culling? At weaning or 3 weeks after? I always wait until they have dried off then go through them. Always think it makes it easier too feel problems then? Plus anything that’s saggy won’t have dried up properly and away they go!

If a ewe has reared a single they can be uneven and cause a bit more doubt. Due to other jobs,we end up checking them when the tups are going in. Maybe we're missing a few then

 

[Ysgythan]

Out of interest when do people check bags for culling? At weaning or 3 weeks after? I always wait until they have dried off then go through them. Always think it makes it easier too feel problems then? Plus anything that’s saggy won’t have dried up properly and away they go!

After they’ve dried off and again at pre tup drench etc.

 

[Kernowkid]

Good thread. Important to get it right. I always question myself for picking them out with small lumps but nothing worse than a 1 titter with couple hungry lambs lambs come February. Go through them at weening then will re check the culls again before carting off to market to be sure

 

[idgni]

same here,
Sparkles in my profile pic!!
One year blind one teat, " we'll keep her at least she can rear one"
next year blind both teats and had triplets, sold as pet lambs " we'll keep her as shes paid her keep from pet lamb sale, and make sure she doesn't see the tup again."
She was like @Gator Houdini !, found the tup somehow
Ended up in lamb with 3!, took twin lamb, nursed for two weeks, Ringwombed & three watery lambs all died within 24hrs, a she died 2 days later
NEVER AGAIN!!!!

 

[Ysgythan]

same here,
Sparkles in my profile pic!!
One year blind one teat, " we'll keep her at least she can rear one"
next year blind both teats and had triplets, sold as pet lambs " we'll keep her as shes paid her keep from pet lamb sale, and make sure she doesn't see the tup again."
She was like @Gator Houdini !, found the tup somehow
Ended up in lamb with 3!, took twin lamb, nursed for two weeks, Ringwombed & three watery lambs all died within 24hrs, a she died 2 days later
NEVER AGAIN!!!!

And, have you?

 

[neilo]

If a ewe has reared a single they can be uneven and cause a bit more doubt. Due to other jobs,we end up checking them when the tups are going in. Maybe we're missing a few then

I take the end off the ear of anything that I treat for mastitis, has a prolapse, etc. There’s no going back from the shortened ear!

Everything is gone through a month pre-tupping, checking teeth (in the older groups) and bags on everything. Anything with any type of lump is out at that stage.

Lumps in the udder aren’t just down to mastitis, but can also be walled up infection or CLA. Either way, they are a problem waiting to happen, so get them shipped out.

 

[Mc115reed]

Out of interest when do people check bags for culling? At weaning or 3 weeks after? I always wait until they have dried off then go through them. Always think it makes it easier too feel problems then? Plus anything that’s saggy won’t have dried up properly and away they go!

I did all mine at weaning… then again at pre tupping … was 5 more bad bags out of 300 at pre Tupping… normally I just do them at weaning but last year was loads of bad bags at lambing Lesson learned I guess