Legless lambs.

[CopperBeech]

Been going round the one lot of mules and their lambs today, and noticed a couple of lambs off their legs. . . .
Seen it last year with same group of ewes, and some of the same tups. Lambs would be a week or so old, up to three weeks maybe, and seem to suddenly lose the ability to walk, mainly go off their back legs, but sometimes all four.

No obvious swelling etc, and lambs are bright, and often feeding fine off the ewes, who return to feed them.

Over the last two seasons, have tried, metacam, ab's, vits etc, with no real joy.

Only probably 10 lambs out of 1800.

Got another mob on same farm, maybe 700 mixed breed hoggs, have grazed same ground and lambing within a few hundred yards. Not had the same there, but different ram team. . . . .

Reckon its down to one ram?

 

[bovine]

Have you shown any to your vet? PM? Neurological examination etc...

 

[Bob c]

could it be swayback

 

[GTB]

Are you sure it's not pasturella ? Might be worth dropping one or two off at the lab.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Had two last week. Wobbly on their back legs but could walk fine and trot off if we tried to catch them. One collapsed so we carried her in but was stood 5 minutes later. They even tried to jump out of the pen, bright and alert.

Presumed a deficiency of some sort. It was Sunday so drenched with a vitamin solution. Called vet Monday am he said Vitamin E. gave them a 4ml shot each, good as new now.

Bit strange.

 

[Wooly]

Sounds like possibly either swayback or paralyzed through ticks.

On Marsh grazing it could also be Migrams, which is occasionally seen around here if very dry.

 

[MF 135 Man]

Not sure it completely applies as these lambs are younger but i had a DE-hydrated lamb a couple days ago. Found him stood up in a field on his own with eyes closed, walked up to him and picked him up. Took him to the yard and stood him by a bucket of water and he lapped it up was still sipping 15 minutes later, give him a drench and put him back in field with the bucket of water. hes fine now.

Brother had a PM on a lamb that dies and de-hydration was suspected, that was in a field with a water tank but maybe not an easy access tank, something to bear in mind just because the ewes can drink it doesn't mean the lambs can.

 

[Wink]

Sounds like possibly either swayback or paralyzed through ticks.

On Marsh grazing it could also be Migrams, which is occasionally seen around here if very dry.

Hi. If paralyzed by ticks what can you do to treat? I have one off one leg with back leg swollen. Caught it up and had 5 massive ticks on it which pulled off and give it antibiotics and metacam but little improvement? Did have a slight open wound also which could have bought in infection?

 

[Spuddler]

Lack of copper

 

[bovine]

we could actually find out..............

Maybe?