Uterine prolapse - Sheep

[cpsf]

Just wondering does anyone have any advice please, what causes sheep to blow all their their guts out (uterine prolapse) couple of weeks before lambing? Had a few cases over the last couple of years but didn't in previous years. Have been rationing hay last couple of years too which we thought would help, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything to stop this...if anything it's making matters worse or that may be a coincidence. Thanks in advance for advice.

 

[Al R]

Historically we fed hay and a mix of cereals outside on grass pre lambing, prolapses could be anywhere between 5-8%.
Since I’ve moved to wetter haylage/silage and putting a majority of my twins on green crop with a bale and no sudden rush for cereals every day Effecting their stomachs pH balance etc every day, last year I had 7/8 prolapses of varying degrees out of 1200 ewes. Every ewe made it and reared at least 1 lamb.
What is your diet?

 

[Lili]

Are they prolapsing the vagina or the uterus or do really mean guts as in intestines?

 

[cpsf]

Historically we fed hay and a mix of cereals outside on grass pre lambing, prolapses could be anywhere between 5-8%.
Since I’ve moved to wetter haylage/silage and putting a majority of my twins on green crop with a bale and no sudden rush for cereals every day Effecting their stomachs pH balance etc every day, last year I had 7/8 prolapses of varying degrees out of 1200 ewes. Every ewe made it and reared at least 1 lamb.
What is your diet?

 

[cpsf]

They get rationed hay and 20% concentrates. They are on 1 and quarter pound a day now of concentrates. We start feeding concentrates 8 weeks before lambing starting at quarter pound per head and increasing slowly by reaching 2 lbs a day by their laming date

 

[cpsf]

Are they prolapsing the vagina or the uterus or do really mean guts as in intestines?

Guts as well - the whole show. There is just no hope for them when its this bad.

 

[farmerm]

I put our relatively high prolapse rate down to having a "lambing shed" with a lot of slopes. Sheep always sit uphill and that pushes weight to the rear... but the hay and cereals diet as per post above probably contributes too.

 

[Al R]

They get rationed hay and 20% concentrates. They are on 1 and quarter pound a day now of concentrates. We start feeding concentrates 8 weeks before lambing starting at quarter pound per head and increasing slowly by reaching 2 lbs a day by their laming date

Holy moly! And I’m whinging about straight cereals being fed to triplets at 1.3lb/ day 5 weeks from lambing. Mine are outside on grass and ad lib silage mind.
I’ve only ever had the odd case of full sausage fest (intestines) over the years, usually just a small melon pops out luckily.

Are they inside or out? They could be being fed too much but because they like the taste they won’t stop eating?

 

[Lili]

Guts as well - the whole show. There is just no hope for them when its this bad.

Do you feed the cake in 2 feeds and if not is it possible/practical?

 

[farmerm]

The other question is the heritage of the ewes... if a ewe prolapsed lasts year she will almost certainly prolapse this year and probably much quicker and much worse... Anything that gets a harness on does not see another ram...

 

[cpsf]

The other question is the heritage of the ewes... if a ewe prolapsed lasts year she will almost certainly prolapse this year and probably much quicker and much worse... Anything that gets a harness on does not see another ram...

Yes we are careful to cull every year anything that prolapses...so I dont think its that in your case. Its a mystery...oh the joys of sheep!

 

[TL100]

Just wondering does anyone have any advice please, what causes sheep to blow all their their guts out (uterine prolapse) couple of weeks before lambing? Had a few cases over the last couple of years but didn't in previous years. Have been rationing hay last couple of years too which we thought would help, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything to stop this...if anything it's making matters worse or that may be a coincidence. Thanks in advance for advice.

Do you mean a rectal prolapse with a big pile of sausages and a dead ewe? A uterine prolapse normally happens just after they have lambed.

 

[cpsf]

Do you feed the cake in 2 feeds and if not is it possible/practical?

Once they get to 1lb then the next quarter pound and upwards is fed at a different time of day. We dont feed more than 1lb in one go

 

[cpsf]

Do you mean a rectal prolapse with a big pile of sausages and a dead ewe? A uterine prolapse normally happens just after they have lambed.

Yes that's right..the big pile of sausages

 

[cpsf]

Holy moly! And I’m whinging about straight cereals being fed to triplets at 1.3lb/ day 5 weeks from lambing. Mine are outside on grass and ad lib silage mind.
I’ve only ever had the odd case of full sausage fest (intestines) over the years, usually just a small melon pops out luckily.

Are they inside or out? They could be being fed too much but because they like the taste they won’t stop eating?

They have been housed since a week

 

[cpsf]

I put our relatively high prolapse rate down to having a "lambing shed" with a lot of slopes. Sheep always sit uphill and that pushes weight to the rear... but the hay and cereals diet as per post above probably contributes too.

Ours never prolapse when outside...it always happens when they are housed which is about 3 weeks before lambing

 

[Old Shep]

Just a theory but although we dont get many prolapses they tend to be due to gorging themselves on silage (learnt from that one) or lack of exercise down to lameness or any other reason for laying around.

 

[yellowbelly]

Just wondering does anyone have any advice please, what causes sheep to blow all their their guts out a couple of weeks before lambing?

IMHO, it's just another one of those things that sheep find to die of. Never seen it in a first time lamber so I assume it could be caused by a difficult lambing the previous year 'weakening' something - trouble is, unless it's one you've had to assist, you don't know.

If it happens very close to lambing (and you see it in time) it's possible to shoot the ewe and do a 'farmer's caesarean' and get the lambs out alive.

Had a triplet carrying ewe (5 weeks off) do it last week Kicked myself when I looked her up in the records - she had a bad vaginal prolapse last year and written by her number it said, "CULL"...............that's one that slipped through the net

 

[cpsf]

Are they prolapsing the vagina or the uterus or do really mean guts as in intestines?

Guts and intestines

 

[Global ovine]

Prolapsed vagina can lead to some ewes pushing more due to the swelling obstruction in their reproductive tract causing that reflex and desire leading to prolapsed uterus. If this continues the intestines can follow if a rupture occurs, then very fast death.
The precursor of all this is cation/anion imbalance. Where a prolapse has occurred, administer magnesium supplements such as causmag to the diet by dusting (onto silage or grass breaks) to counter the high potassium levels in the feed. This restores muscle action/control.
Next year DON'T put on ferts containing K before harvesting silage/hay until the crop is harvested. High levels of N in spring can also induce high K uptakes when soil temps are low. In these conditions grasses take up K but not much Mg. Then the farmer harvests and stores this feed to give it to the ewes in their most vulnerable stage of the year. Ewes need Mg to mobilise Ca from their bones for the rapidly growing foetuses and colostrum in late pregnancy. Calcium supplements aren't as effective as Mg supplements. Increased levels of Sulphur in the pasture (saved or fresh) can also greatly restore ion balances. Most grain has high K levels.

All other things like slope, how full their ever filling bladder is, shape of ewe etc, etc are just triggers to this problem, they are not the underlying cause.