Dry ewe with big bag

[Kasand02]

Hello! New to the forum. Hoping someone can help me.

I have a 2 1/2 year old ewe who I have had for a little more than a year. She had lambed the spring before I got her, but has not been near a ram since. The bags of the two other ewes who I got at the same time as her (also lambed the spring before) have dried up to nothing, but hers seems a bit big still. It is soft, except for a harder area about the size of a golf ball where her bag attaches to her stomach. Should I be concerned?

BTW, she is a Khatadin, and the other ewes are St. Croix and a couple of years older. They are all pets.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[ksalvagno]

Have you tried milking her to see if she still has milk?

 

[aggieterpkatie]

If she doesn't have a fever or a hot udder, I don't think I'd worry about it. You can try milking it out a tad, but at this point it might do more harm than good. If you do milk it out to see what's in there, I'd thoroughly wash her udder with warm soapy water first. Then I'd try to milk her out (into a cup, not onto the ground) and see what you have. If it's smelly or off colored you may want to treat her with a dry cow treatment. It might be a little clumpy, but I wouldn't really worry about that unless there's a fever or a hot udder. After you milk her, wash her udder again and ideally dip her teats in a good teat dip.

Honestly, if she's just going to be a pet I wouldn't worry about it (like I said, unless she has a fever or hot udder). Some ewes keep a bag when they go dry. If she's just going to be a pet, I'd let it be.

 

[Kasand02]

Thanks to both of you for your replies. Her udder is not hot. Her temp is 102.4 and I could not get any milk out of her. (In all fairness, I have never milked anything in my life, so I don't know if I would get milk if there was any!)

I'll just let her be and keep an eye on it.