Malformed Lamb

[primmiemoo]

Yet to see the extremes of conjoined lambs in the flock ~ only one with an extra tail on its neck! ~ and have searched the records to see if anything can be linked back to a ram or a maternal line, but there doesn't seem to be a bloodline connection. Unless it's latent in a breed?

Probably just very odd for this year, but I'd have thought the stage of development of jaws, entrances and exits would be at around the same time in gestation.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Not conjoined but last year we had a lot of deformed mutant lambs, Cindy doll legs and overshot jaw no nose it was horrible. Last one to lamb so hairy and shaking, got both lamb and ewe tested confirmed hairy shaky lamb syndrome - BVD in sheep. Its very common and not talked about enough. Its in a lot of flocks. We did a mass cull then blood tested every ewe on weaning. Zero left. Unfortunately we lost a lot of lambs to aliments and a devil to fatten.

This year so far excellent lambs fingers crossed its gone.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Could Schmallenberg still be hanging around? Had two with tiny/no lower jaw this year, and two without anus. They could be for totally different reasons, but over umpty thousand lambs across 40+ years, that's quite a few rarities in one month's lambing.

I would say that sounds like Border Disease. Its worth blood checking a few randoms. Its on the increase same disease as BVD. I did a mass cull last year as it was in our flock. Buying in - worries me as you can easily introduce this to the flock. The only way we could of go this was from neighbors or strapper sheep off the commons. Be tempted to blood test everything that enters the farm now.

 

[primmiemoo]

Not conjoined but last year we had a lot of deformed mutant lambs, Cindy doll legs and overshot jaw no nose it was horrible. Last one to lamb so hairy and shaking, got both lamb and ewe tested confirmed hairy shaky lamb syndrome - BVD in sheep. Its very common and not talked about enough. Its in a lot of flocks. We did a mass cull then blood tested every ewe on weaning. Zero left. Unfortunately we lost a lot of lambs to aliments and a devil to fatten.

This year so far excellent lambs fingers crossed its gone.

Sounds absolutely dire for you! That's something new to me. Thanks for mentioning it.
Does it get bought into the flock with a ram, then, or is it a crossover from cattle? Trying not to buy anything in other than a ram now and then, but we do now buy in cattle (no thanks whatsoever to bTB. Grrrrrr!)

 

[Chasingmytail]

Its caught and passed on when ewe is pregnant. It can also make the ewes barron. seeing we had an acceptable scan in % that year I can only assume it was caught from neighbours ewes which can sometimes cross our land. I am not 100% sure whether cattle can share it the last vet I spoke to said it doesnt cross species its just the same disease. I hadnt bought anything in for over 2 years but I was suspect the a ram was carrying it but after bloods on every animal is def wasnt and this year I have some cracking lambs. Saying that I would be also suspect that the disease can lie dormant and could of been brought in one of the last ewe lambs. The issue is so many are not aware to this disease and needs to be flagged up to a major loss to the farm. Blood test paid for via the farm stock improvement scheme glad we did it. Saying that like I said you could easily buy in a ram, keep isolated, blood test for everything under the sun should be sorted in a week.

 

[primmiemoo]

Its caught and passed on when ewe is pregnant. It can also make the ewes barron. seeing we had an acceptable scan in % that year I can only assume it was caught from neighbours ewes which can sometimes cross our land. I am not 100% sure whether cattle can share it the last vet I spoke to said it doesnt cross species its just the same disease. I hadnt bought anything in for over 2 years but I was suspect the a ram was carrying it but after bloods on every animal is def wasnt and this year I have some cracking lambs. Saying that I would be also suspect that the disease can lie dormant and could of been brought in one of the last ewe lambs. The issue is so many are not aware to this disease and needs to be flagged up to a major loss to the farm. Blood test paid for via the farm stock improvement scheme glad we did it. Saying that like I said you could easily buy in a ram, keep isolated, blood test for everything under the sun should be sorted in a week.

Thanks again. I have been lobbying for bloods to be taken more often, and this would add to the justification.