Pregnant ewe Losing Colostrum

[Sheepshape]

Just some thoughts: maybe you could feed Myrtle a higher energy, lower protein feed? That will slow down her milk production a little, but still allow her to maintain her weight. Then you can up the protein again once she's lactating. Our standard "sweet feed" (processed grains) maintenance ration for lambs and dry ewes is 12-14% protein and the one for lactating ewes is 16%, so that is why 18% seems high to me. You could even keep the same feed but replace it partially with cracked corn or another high energy feed.

Good point,mysunwolf. She probably is reducing the protein content of her intake already as she is taking grain, bread and biscuits. Her appetite has suddenly become huge, presumably down to her metabolic needs. I took some milk off her again this morning and plan to take a little off her again tonight (just enough to stop her leaking). I've collected all the milk in a clean jug and have frozen them down. The way we're going my freezer will be nothing but jars of frozen milk....I'll start labelling them up to make sure that I can separate the early stuff from the later.

 

[sonorabitandspur]

Thanks for sharing, when we were into raising sheep there were not alot of products around like you are talking about. I am learning a few things from this tread. Thank you all so much. We fed hay and sometimes when needed a ration of grain. There were not alot of pelleted feeds.

 

[Latestarter]

Good luck with your ewe! Hope it all works out in the end.

 

[Sheepshape]

Thank you,Latestarter.

I took about 400mls from her yesterday (just enough to prevent her leaking). She was not herself at all yesterday, lying down for much of the day. I felt her belly, but wasn't convinced of contractions and her vulva wasn't red or puffy. It's very early morning here and I'm just about to check her again.

Meanwhile the 'tail end' of lambing has definitely kicked off with another ewe who was scanned and showed an abnormal pregnancy plus a relatively normal foetus lost her normal looking foetus yesterday and is now trailing a weird black lump. Sharon (the ewe in question) has been indoors with Myrtle for the last 5 weeks as she has been generally unwell and feeding poorly.

I look forward to seeing (hopefully) some good,healthy lambs soon.

 

[mysunwolf]

Hope you get some healthy lambs soon too! And hope Myrtle recovers, she has us all worried.

 

[Latestarter]

I believe @purplequeenvt started off her lambing season with several losses that seemed rather abnormal to me. So sorry you're having multiple issues as well. I sure hope you find the two you have now to be the only ones and the rest are all healthy births.

 

[Sheepshape]

It's pretty usual (though sad) to have abnormal pregnancies both at the start and at the end of lambing. At least it had been recognised that there were problems with these girls. The outcome probably hasn't changed, but they have had all possible care.

Currently Myrtle is still producing copious amounts of milk and seems 'out of sorts', but hasn't lambed. I am not very optimistic for the outcome off the lambing. In reality I should probably have not kept Myrtle, but she is something of an enduring favourite.Last year she had twin lamb disease due to her inability to digest silage and her retiring nature around the feeding areas.After placing her in the shed last year and making sure she ate, she successfully produced two good sized lambs and fed one of them (the other was bottle fed). throughout the summer she thrived and is now scanned as for carrying twins, though goodness knows if they are dead or alive. Experienced sheep farmers and the vet all say that producing milk in these amounts prior to lamb is very odd, but no other course of action apart from making sure she has constant access to food and keeping her warm and dry have been suggested. One neighbour,a 70 something lifelong sheep farmer, said not to milk her, but this only led to very large puddles of her precious milk on the floor).

So, we continue, though I think getting Myrtle through this pregnancy and having live lambs seems an outside possibility. if this minor miracle happens, I'll probably still keep her until she shows signs of not being able to maintain her own nutrition but keep her along with my 'retired' teenager, Longface.

 

[Sheepshape]

Just an update. Myrtle is still producing large amounts of milk and still hasn't lambed. Some of her milk is being used on a triplet birth bottle baby.

My freezer was full, so I made cheese with some of it......yes,a sort of feta, I guess.

I'll be glad, though, when she does get rid of the contents of her womb.