PM own calves/sheep

[SLA]

Does anyone do this? Would like to be able to do this as a general with calves and maybe sheep, obviously only if found fresh but think it would help get a head of any underlying obvious problems. Just don’t really know what I’m looking at and what is abnormal/normal. Vets have gone through it a couple of times but just wondering if it’s a case of keep looking till you get the idea or if there’s any reference material about? Husband is a gamekeeper so has a vague idea what would be odd in a deer but he’s not always about. I’ve got a sharp knife to open them up and vet recommended a pair of loppers for going through ribs, any other tips? Cheers

 

[unlacedgecko]

Does anyone do this? Would like to be able to do this as a general with calves and maybe sheep, obviously only if found fresh but think it would help get a head of any underlying obvious problems. Just don’t really know what I’m looking at and what is abnormal/normal. Vets have gone through it a couple of times but just wondering if it’s a case of keep looking till you get the idea or if there’s any reference material about? Husband is a gamekeeper so has a vague idea what would be odd in a deer but he’s not always about. I’ve got a sharp knife to open them up and vet recommended a pair of loppers for going through ribs, any other tips? Cheers

Yes I do it.

I have plenty of deer experience (DSC1&2) and also attended an AHDB post mortem day. It was very useful.


Generally, check lungs for pneumonia and liver for fluke. Check digestive tract for fullness/worms. Check trachea for worms.

Speak to your vet and have them show you a couple.

A knife will go ribs just fine as long as it's sharp.

Check lambs at living as well. Bruising on ribs may indicate difficult birth. If lung sinks then lamb never took a breath ie dead at birth or drown in bag etc.

 

[CollCrofter]

I do a few sheep to check for fluke and worms. Never done a calf

 

[SteveHants]

I've done sheep to check for pneumonia/fluke etc - best to do as soon post mortem as you can.

Even better if you have a moribund animal and shoot it, then dissect.

 

[Cvx1170]

@Blaithin has done cattle

 

[Blaithin]

Main areas on cattle they had us look was heart, lungs, intestine, liver, stifle, and trachea. Usually if you find something wrong you know it, even if you aren’t sure what it is.

If you do a few that didn’t have issues - home butcher, broken leg sort of deals then you’ll have a better baseline for what normal is like.

We used an ax or jigsaw for the ribs but we did bigger animals. Small ones usually you can cut through the cartilage at the bottom of the rib cage and just snap them back.

Knife, sharpener, gloves and camera are about all else you’d need.

 

[Tim W]

There are AHDB post mortem days and my vet does days at the local deadstock collection center
Both are excellent

I also make the most of modern technology ---send a pic on your phone to a knowledgeable vet & get a reply/conversation within minutes , all makes DIY PM much easier

Key is experience & there's only one way to get that (make sure you have a good scalpel/knife)

 

[SLA]

Thanks everyone,
Will give vets a ring and see if any are happy to look at some photos and give advice, definitely think it’s something worth doing and they may have a course coming up or know of one.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Lambs tend to be a good starter due to the general number of cases you will get. Calves are much harder as you may struggle to do enough to get good and are more likely to miss infectious causes that the vet labs will work up. Taking pictures and sending to vet are also a good start.

 

[debe]

Do sheep here, as @Tim W said whatsapp anything abnormal to your vet, there's few things farm vets like more than a pm

 

[Pistonbroke]

Sorry,read the title and thought Boris had bought a farm

 

[Treecreeper]

If you know what " normal " is anything unusual is then easy to spot. Go out with your local deerstalker, the vast majority of culled deer are healthy, their anatomical features are not fundamentally different to livestock.
Don't cut into any lumps bumps or tumours, just remember that there may be an underlying reason why the animal has died secondary infection has just tipped the scale.

A gut hook is handy to have and long handled garden loppers are great for doing the breast bone.

 

[unlacedgecko]

If you know what " normal " is anything unusual is then easy to spot. Go out with your local deerstalker, the vast majority of culled deer are healthy, their anatomical features are not fundamentally different to livestock.
Don't cut into any lumps bumps or tumours, just remember that there may be an underlying reason why the animal has died secondary infection has just tipped the scale.

A gut hook is handy to have and long handled garden loppers are great for doing the breast bone.

A sharp knife will separate the ribs from the sternum. For opening the abdominal muscles all I just put my finger over the tip on the blade. Not punctured a gut yet! ?

 

[Enfoff]

I've not done one myself but I attended a seminar at the Melton Market NSA winter fair a few years ago in which the local vets did a demo PM. They said if you called them when you did it they could do a video call or photograph the organs for later analysis.

 

[Nithsdale]

Haven't done any in a few years (haven't needed to), but will happily open a ewe to check why she died - especially if I get a run of ewes...
Lungs and liver (pneumonia and fluke) are all I've ever checked for. (it's really interesting opening up a liver and seeing adult fluke in the fluid).


Buy a cheap craft scalpel set for opening up and removing organs and yes, loppers or a hand saw to cut through the ribs and breast plate.

Google is your friend - there's loads of pictures online showing healthy and diseased sheep organs for basic diagnosis.