klcardella
Ridin' The Range
Hi everyone. I am a little stumped about a stillborn lamb that was born yesterday morning. I have not been able to reach my vet, and cannot find any information searching on my own.
I had a ewe that looked like she was going into labor day before yesterday. A little discharge, separating herself, but no active pushing or water bag. I kept an eye on her all evening until 2:30 am the next morning ( I had another ewe lambing, so was in the barn). She was laying around most of the time, but would get up to eat and drink. Still no water bag or pushing.
I went back to the barn at 4:30 and 6 am, and still no lambs. She was still not pushing, and I checked her briefly, but saw no evidence of a water bag or lambs. This is a veteran ewe, so I was not really worried. About 6:30, while doing chores, I heard her cry out, and she was pushing out what looked like a bag, but it did not look right.
I checked and it was a lamb, but there was no water bag; it was a dry birth. The lamb had both legs bent at the knee, but she was able to deliver it with a slight pull. It was dead. The placenta looked torn up and pale. The lamb was dehydrated and a little squishy, plus there were no eyeballs, like they just sunk in.
I checked her, and found another lamb backwards. I was sure it was dead after the condition of the placenta, but upon pulling it (she was now helping to push), it was born alive! He is doing well.
My confusion is whether the lamb had died before she started lambing, and that's why she did not push, or did it die because the water bag broke while I was inside and because of the knees bent, she could not deliver it, although she did not have much trouble pushing it out when I was there. How can you tell how long a lamb has been dead inside? The missing eyes makes me think it was several days, although there was no smell at all.
Does anyone know how long it takes a lamb to decompose inside after it has died, and is it possible to have decomposed to the point it was after just a few hours?
Any knowledge of this would be very much appreciated.
I had a ewe that looked like she was going into labor day before yesterday. A little discharge, separating herself, but no active pushing or water bag. I kept an eye on her all evening until 2:30 am the next morning ( I had another ewe lambing, so was in the barn). She was laying around most of the time, but would get up to eat and drink. Still no water bag or pushing.
I went back to the barn at 4:30 and 6 am, and still no lambs. She was still not pushing, and I checked her briefly, but saw no evidence of a water bag or lambs. This is a veteran ewe, so I was not really worried. About 6:30, while doing chores, I heard her cry out, and she was pushing out what looked like a bag, but it did not look right.
I checked and it was a lamb, but there was no water bag; it was a dry birth. The lamb had both legs bent at the knee, but she was able to deliver it with a slight pull. It was dead. The placenta looked torn up and pale. The lamb was dehydrated and a little squishy, plus there were no eyeballs, like they just sunk in.
I checked her, and found another lamb backwards. I was sure it was dead after the condition of the placenta, but upon pulling it (she was now helping to push), it was born alive! He is doing well.
My confusion is whether the lamb had died before she started lambing, and that's why she did not push, or did it die because the water bag broke while I was inside and because of the knees bent, she could not deliver it, although she did not have much trouble pushing it out when I was there. How can you tell how long a lamb has been dead inside? The missing eyes makes me think it was several days, although there was no smell at all.
Does anyone know how long it takes a lamb to decompose inside after it has died, and is it possible to have decomposed to the point it was after just a few hours?
Any knowledge of this would be very much appreciated.
I'm not a sheep person myself so I can't help you there. Hope you get some answers soon!
Congrats on the one that survived.
