Lambs going off their legs.

[hubbahubba]

This is a long shot but the frustration is taking over. Ive been having 5 day to 14 day lambs go off there feet and become lifeless very fast. Thought at first it was 1 or 2 but now we are at nearly 20 and i havnt got one back up. All been put down and skinned. Tried selenium jag, synulux, zaleris, steriods but no improvement. Vet thought at first it was joint ill in spine so they pm'd 5 and dont think it is as they cant see abscess's on there spine. Few lambs have had extremely full bladders which is linked to low copper and swayback? Although 2 years ago we blood tested ewes for trace element levels and copper was high. Anyone had anything similar?

 

[Chae1]

Was speaking to a friend tonight and he had been losing young previously healthy lambs too.

We've had problems with spring born calves newly put out to grass. Had one pm'd and inconclusive as usual. Wonder if its something to do with current dry weather?

 

[neilo]

I’ve had a small handful of lambs gone similar too. I’ve treated as for joint-ill/spinal abscess but no great response, or certainly not enough.
I’m putting it down to fallout from the horrendous winter the ewes endured.

 

[hubbahubba]

I’ve had a small handful of lambs gone similar too. I’ve treated as for joint-ill/spinal abscess but no great response, or certainly not enough.
I’m putting it down to fallout from the horrendous winter the ewes endured.

I thought that too. I was worried about lambing after jan and feb horrendously wet conditions, although it went surprisingly well intill these issues. Vet never agreed as they apparently wouldn't be making colostrum till after i had them inside.

 

[neilo]

I thought that too. I was worried about lambing after jan and feb horrendously wet conditions, although it went surprisingly well intill these issues. Vet never agreed as they apparently wouldn't be making colostrum till after i had them inside.

Ours were out right through, and I have never seen ewe condition drop so far, and so fast, as it did during Feb/March, when storm after storm rolled in on a weekly basis.

 

[hubbahubba]

Ours were out right through, and I have never seen ewe condition drop so far, and so fast, as it did during Feb/March, when storm after storm rolled in on a weekly basis.

Theres always something. I have a couple away for testing at the uni. Expecting inconclusive results at my expense as usual though.

 

[TheRock]

Having the same here too today. Just one so far, hopefully that’s it. Never have bother with swayback either. And our ewes were in great nick and dropped condition very fast from feb. But they neve got a chance to dry out at all!

 

[AftonShepherd]

Lost a fortnight old one similar to that today. I thought it looked like he had pain in his gut but no scouring so hard to be sure. Tried Norodine and Metacam without success.

 

[hoff135]

Are the falling backwards by any chance?

 

[AftonShepherd]

Mine wasn't even standing when I found him but was trying to curl his back legs up under himself when I lifted him

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Last time we had a group do this we had spread muck then the lime spreader came 2 weeks after. The lime tied up the TE's for a period. But I'd be inclined to it being fallout from the winter. I've had more post lambing prolapses this year than I can ever remember. Nothing different except the poor buggers had it rough right up too housing in mid Feb.

 

[yellowbelly]

Got one here too.
Born 2nd April. Twin.
Noticed it lagging a bit behind mother and sibling 15th April.
Found collapsed on the evening shepherding on 16th. No use of back legs.
Otherwise a fat, stocky, smashing lamb.
Brought in, treated as for joint ill or spinal abscess (previous lambs we've ever had with with abscesses have been bigger/older).
Now very alert, drinks from a bottle but still has no use in back legs.
Today has been dragging itself round the pen on it's front legs.
In view of how perky it's been today, will keep treating as for spinal abscess and see what happens.

 

[Agrivator]

It sounds more like delayed swayback. This year we have fed a medium copper beef nut and found that the lambs are far more active and full-of-life at birth.

There have been two major setbacks in ewe nutrition during the last 30 or so years. One was the ban on feeding fishmeal, the other was the universal advice of not feeding copper supplements to sheep. And in a wet winter and soil conditions like we've just had, copper availability will have been much reduced.
And the tendency to include iron in sheep minerals, because the manufacturers think farmers will be more impressed if the mineral has a nice brown appearance, will further reduce copper availability.

 

[hubbahubba]

S

Are the falling backwards by any chance?

Some are well conditioned lambs and some have melted a bit by the time i see them and generally there mums are pretty hefted with milk. Makes me think is working in them a little before thdy go down.

 

[Woolless]

We have been getting a lot of joint ill. Some present as being off their legs, or very slow to rise, at 4/5 days but still full of milk. Others just as normal, very lame on a swollen joint and otherwise ok. I am assuming, as many of you are, that this is a hangover from the battering they took late winter. @hubbahubba your vet's comment about not making colostrum until they were housed and that stress removed makes a lot of sense.

On the plus side, even the lambs I am catching to jag are noticeably bigger each time.

 

[neilo]

It sounds more like delayed swayback. This year we have fed a medium copper beef nut and found that the lambs are far more active and full-of-life at birth.

There have been two major setbacks in ewe nutrition during the last 30 or so years. One was the ban on feeding fishmeal, the other was the universal advice of not feeding copper supplements to sheep. And in a wet winter and soil conditions like we've just had, copper availability will have been much reduced.
And the tendency to include iron in sheep minerals, because the manufacturers think farmers will be more impressed if the mineral has a nice brown appearance, will further reduce copper availability.

Mine aren't. Being aware of molybdenum tieing up copper here, the ewes are bolused twice a year with boluses that contain 4g of copper oxide rods.

Incidentally, we used to get swayback at home if we didn't inject with copper mid-pregnancy. That all stopped when we moved away from mules, even when we were daft enough to have Suffolk crosses for a time.

 

[Bob the beef]

We have been getting a lot of joint ill. Some present as being off their legs, or very slow to rise, at 4/5 days but still full of milk. Others just as normal, very lame on a swollen joint and otherwise ok. I am assuming, as many of you are, that this is a hangover from the battering they took late winter. @hubbahubba your vet's comment about not making colostrum until they were housed and that stress removed makes a lot of sense.

On the plus side, even the lambs I am catching to jag are noticeably bigger each time.

Having exact same problem here. 4/5 days old and and I find them just lying around with a severely swollen joint. Treating with nuflor and metacam, seems to be working. Although the weather has been very kind , we are seeing a lot of assorted issues at the moment. 70% through but ready for it to finish. The various styles of prolapse have been an eye opener

 

[Al R]

Vitamin E/selenium maybe? I had 2-3 lambs born with no back leg mobility and then a month old single has suddenly gone off his legs in the last few days.

 

[Woolless]

Having exact same problem here. 4/5 days old and and I find them just lying around with a severely swollen joint. Treating with nuflor and metacam, seems to be working. Although the weather has been very kind , we are seeing a lot of assorted issues at the moment. 70% through but ready for it to finish. The various styles of prolapse have been an eye opener

Yes, we've had a few prolapses too. Had to shoot one that had put the lot out yesterday morning. I think the continuing decent lambing weather is really helping and hopefully the last 15% or so will be trouble free!

What's the treatment protocol with the Nuflor? I have been using Betamox LA, 1ml repeated two days later along with metacam and it clears up most but a few are relapsing or not coming sound at all.

 

[Bob the beef]

Doing much the same with the nuflor. 1 ml then repeat 2-3 days as necessary