appropriate management of the ewe and neonatal lamb ◦ vaccinations ◦ drenches preparation and...
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Appropriate management of the ewe and neonatal lamb ◦ Vaccinations◦ Drenches
Preparation and planning for lambing Equipment Housing
A successful lambing depends on good preparation and management
◦ Suitable breeding strategy to match resources◦ Correct nutrition/condition scoring◦ Scanning and acting on the information◦ Having all equipment/medicines in place◦ Good hygiene and ventilation◦ Good housing/lambing pen layout◦ Efficient labour/time management
Well planned housing is an essential part of any indoor lambing system
Sheep may be:
◦Housed for lambing period only
◦Housed 6 – 12 weeks before lambing
◦Temporarily housed due to weather
Floor type?◦Straw◦Slats – concrete/wooden/mesh/plastic?
Pros – cons for all flooring types?
Essentials◦Good Ventilation – critical◦Clean hygienic conditions◦Adequate clean water
Lower mortality◦ Lower contact with disease◦ Avoid lambing on same areas each year to reduced disease
build up
Utilises grass growth/reduces concentrate feeding
May need to provide sheltered areas/use of hedges, stone walls, tree shelter
Main option - Set stock lambing
◦ Specific number of ewes in each paddock prior to lambing◦ Number is determined by feed available for the next 30-50
days
Hospital / isolation area / heat bulbs
Warm water
Separate area for orphan / pet lambs
Lambing pens / shelter
Lighting
Heat
Anthelmintics (Doses)
Prolapse retainers/ harness
Twin lamb treatments
Materials for marking and recording
Elastrator
Ear notchers
Lubricant
Buckets
Footrot spray
Lambing aids /ropes
Antibiotic
Syringes and needles
Gloves
Warming box
Iodine
Colostrum replacer
Milk replacer
Stomach tubes
Thermometer
Electrolyte
Glucose
Oral antibiotics
Infrared lamps
Spectam scour halt
Lamb adopter
Pregnant women who come into close
contact with sheep during lambing may risk
their own health and that of their unborn
child, from infections which can occur in
some ewes
Suspected abortions – consult with your Vet
- send aborted lambs/Placenta for diagnosis
Isolate aborted ewe(s) – until post lambing
Clean/Disinfect affected lambing area
Cull aborted ewes! (Take Vet. Advice)
Do not sell as breeding stock!
Ewe straining for 1 hour but no sign of a lamb at the vulva
Part of the lamb is visible at the vulva but the ewe is making no progress
The ewe is wet behind or bloodstained and straining but making no progress
Ewe has lambed one lamb but is still straining and making no progress with second
Restrain the ewe Clean / wash hands / gloves Use copious amounts of lubrication Be gentle Manipulate lamb in the womb not in the birth canal If no progress is made within 5 -10 minutes get
veterinary assistance Difficult lambings can result in lambs being more
likely to suffer from hypothermia Give ewe antibiotic, watch for her cleaning and ensure
she licks her lambs Check teats for milk Don't rush/force lamb, allow lamb to rest for a short
time after lambing while attached to placenta
If inexperienced – get advice/help◦ You need to know the lambs feet and lamb
presentations
Use rubber gloves/lubricant
Clean/hygienic lambing pens
(Veterinary session – focus on lambing the ewe)
As for calves….
Natural lambinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO9NZOtJaEU
Joint/navel ill (Infection/dirty conditions) Watery mouth (Lack of quality colostrum) Scour (E.coli, Cryptospiridia) Broken ribs/limbs (Damaged or hurt in
lambing or by the ewe) Swayback (Mineral deficiency) Hypothermia/exposure (Usually low birth
weight, lack of milk and cold/wet conditions)
Clostridial diseases… White muscle disease (Selenium
deficiency) Entropion (Genetic eye condition)
Size of lambColostrum
Requirement
Large single lamb (5kg) 250 ml/feed 4 X daily
Medium lamb (4kg) 200 ml/feed 4 X daily
Small lamb (3kg) 100 ml/feed 4 X daily
Lamb down in clean environment Treat navel with 10% iodine immediately
after birth Ensure colostrum within 1st 6 hours
◦ Colostrum quality◦ Check udder, give additional if required
Place in clean lambing pen Check bonding Tail / rubber ring lambs within 7 days Dose ewes Tag / record lambs
“Clostridial diseases & pneumonia”
Clostridial diseases cause rapid death and can cause huge losses in unprotected flocks
As these diseases are an ever present risk, they should be controlled by vaccination (e.g. Covexin 8, Bravoxin 10, Heptavac P Plus)
Disease Age of Onset ClostridiaLamb Dysentry 1-10 days PerfringensPulpy Kidney 1-6 mths PerfringensStruck 1 yr PerfringensTetanus Lambs/ adults TetaniBraxy First winter SepticumBlackleg Lambs/ adults ChauveiBlack Disease Adults winter OedematiensGas Gangrene Adults Chauvei
Vaccination
An effective clostridial vaccination schedule for:
Ewes: (i) Primary course–Two doses 4-6 weeks
apart (ii) Booster– 4-6 weeks before lambing (iii) repeat booster annually
An effective clostridial vaccination schedule for:
Lambs for vaccinated ewesWhich will be kept over 12 weeks either for slaughter or breeding
(i) Primary course-at 8 weeks and again at 14 weeks of age
(ii) Booster (for breeding lambs only) with the adult ewes and rams pre-lambing time
An effective clostridial vaccination schedule for:
Lambs out of unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated ewes
(i) Primary course– at 2 week and then again at 6 weeks
Or rely on 200ml of fresh or frozen colostrum from a vaccinated ewe at birth
Septicaemia in young lambs Pneumonia in older sheep Mastitis in ewes Pneumonia caused by pasteurellosis is the
biggest killer of growing and adult sheep in the UK
Found in 95% healthy sheep, but can cause disease when the animal is under stress
Twin Lamb DiseaseGrass tetany (Magnesium deficiency)Milk fever (Hypocalcaemia)
A metabolic disorder occurs last 4-6 weeks of pregnancy, mainly ewes carrying multiples
It occurs due to a lack of energy
Signs◦ Ewe isolates herself◦ Looks dull, will not eat◦ Might appear blind, stands motionless or lies down◦ Easy to catch, fine tremors on handling
Prevention:
Good Body scores 2.5 - 3 (6 -8 wks) pre-lambing
Scan ewes and feed according
Remove older thinner ewes/broken mouths which are more susceptible
If ewes go untreated they are likely to die or have poor weak lambs at birth
Treatment: Twin lamb drench (propylene glycol) and offer good quality concentrate and forage. If ewe fails to respond, she requires intravenous glucose (+/- calcium)
Be prepared …
Ensure correct feeding/condition scoring◦ Act on scanning/body score information
Clean hygienic conditions/Keep sheep clean and well bedded
Clean water supply
Ensure lambs receive adequate good quality colostrum
Monitor closely at lambing but give sufficient time
Timely veterinary treatments (Read instructions)
Problems - Get veterinary diagnosis Inexperienced – get advice/call the vet