Lambing workshop - SheepNetsheepnet.network/sites/default/files/2019-06... · • Good nutrition...
Transcript of Lambing workshop - SheepNetsheepnet.network/sites/default/files/2019-06... · • Good nutrition...
Lambing workshop
Kim Hamer VetMB CertAVP(SHEEP) MRCVS
December 2018
Purpose
• Avoid waste
– Most ewe and lamb deaths occur at lambing
• Productive ewes = Healthy ewes
• Productive lambs = Healthy lambs
• Good animal welfare
• ATTENTION TO DETAIL!
Kit
• Assisted lambings:
– Soap and clean warm water
– Gloves
– Lubricant
– Lambing snare/head loop
– Lambing ropes (not string)
– Long acting penicillin and anti-inflammatories
Kit
• Disease prevention:
– Navel dip – iodine 10% or ‘strong iodine’
– Colostrum – frozen or artificial
– Antiseptic handwash
Kit
• Medicines:
– Antibiotics: long and short acting penicillins
– Anti-inflammatories
– Calcium
– Twin lamb drench
– (Eye ointment and eye clips)
Kit
• Other essentials:
– New/sterile needles and syringes
– 60ml syringes and dosing syringes
– Lamb feeding tube
– Lamb bottle and teat
– Milk replacement powder
– Prolapse retainers (meat sheep)
Before lambing
• Abortion
– Hygiene
– Isolation
– Pregnant women
• Ewe diseases
– Twin lamb disease
– Hypocalcaemia
– Cervical prolapses
Environment
• Indoors or outdoors
• Shelter
• Preventing infection
– Lambing field
– Lambing shed
– Lamb pens
• Worming
Ewe care
• Feeding
– Timing
– Fresh water
– Forage: grass, hay, silage
– Concentrates
– Feed space
• Space
• Sick ewes/ mis-mothering
Lamb care
• Breathing
• Good hygiene
• Navels – dip 10% iodine
• Colostrum
– within first 2 hours
• Carrying lambs
Colostrum
• When: Within 2 hours
• How much: 50ml per kg
• Source:
– Best from lamb’s own mother
– Supplementary
• Another ewe– Can freeze (ice-cube bags, bottles …)
• Powdered – check fat and immunoglobulin content (www.icne.co.uk)
• Cow colostrum:– Need 1/3 more
– Diseases: TB, Johnes
– Vaccinations?
– Can be immune to sheep and kill lambs! So mix from several cows.
LAMBING
Signs of lambing
Preparation (can last hours)SeparateDon’t come to feedCircleVocaliseTry to steal lambsLie down and stand up again
Start of lambingWater bagLamb within 1.5 hours If fluid dark – intervene
Lambing
• Allow enough time for natural birth
Lambing
When to intervene
• After 1 hour – check, if normal wait
• After 2 hours – intervene
• Not nose and two feet!
• ½ hour unproductive straining
• Signs of discomfort
Assisted lambings
• Good hygiene! – Washed hands ± disposable gloves
– Clean lambing ropes/snare
– Use disinfectant
– Clean straw
• Be gentle!– Lubricant
– Ideally someone to hold ewe
– Do not hurry
Immediately after lambing
• Check lamb is breathing
• Take lamb to the front of the ewe
• Check for another lamb(s) … 2nd, 3rd, 4th …
• Meconium
• Check milk
Temperature 37-39°C<37°CMild
hypo-thermia
Severe hypo-
thermia
Dry lamb
Under
5 hours
old
Warm lamb
Feed lamb
Glucose injection
Feed –stomach tube
Needs energy
Feed –stomach tube
Hypothermic lambs
Hypothermic lambs
Glucose injection
• New needle – 19 guage, 1 inch
• New syringe (50ml)
• 4ml/kg 50% glucose – 20ml - 5kg lamb
• 6ml/kg hot boiled water – 30ml - 5kg lamb
• Mark the spot with antibiotic spray– 1 inch behind and ½ inch to side of navel
• Insert needle, pointing it toward the tail-head
When to get the vet
• Lambings: Unsuccessful in 10-15minutes
• Prolapses that won’t stay in
• Dead rotten lambs
• Uterine prolapse
• Ewes with smelly back ends
• Sick ewes
• Lambs with guts out
Thank you for your attentionAny questions?
Acknowledgements
• Colostrum assessment information: Fabien Corbière DMV PhD, École Nationale Vétérinaire, Toulouse, France
• Lambing presentation images: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food Economy© Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1999
• Photographs: Kerry Price, UK; Marilia Gallus, Agris, Sardinia; Phillipa Page, Flock Health Ltd, UK
• Photographs: nadis.org, farmacy.co.uk, alsco.com.au, evetdrug.co.uk, corriedhu.co.uk, teara.govt.nz
ADDITIONAL CONTENTSpecific diseases
Mastitis:
Symptoms:
• Abnormal gait
• Sick ewe
• Hungry lambs
• Udder:– Hot, swollen
– Or cold and hard
Prevention:
• Good hygiene
• Feeding/BCS
• Prevent cold exposure
• Orf prevention
• Cull/select ewe lambs
Treatment:
• Early
• Clean and milk out
• Antibiotics and anti-inflammatories
• Feed the lambs!
Vaginal prolapsesPrevention:
• Feed carefully– Avoid too fat or too thin.
• Cull.
• Don't keep daughters to breed.
Treatment:
• Wash the prolapse.
• Replace gently – flat parts of hands.
• Long acting antibiotic and anti-inflammatory.
• Call vet if:– Won't go in
– Won't stay in
– For whole uterine prolapses after lambing.
Vaginal prolapsesPrevention:
• Feed carefully– Avoid too fat or too thin.
• Cull.
• Don't keep daughters to breed.
Treatment:
• Wash the prolapse.
• Replace gently – flat parts of hands.
• Long acting antibiotic and anti-inflammatory.
• Call vet if:– Won't go in
– Won't stay in
– For whole uterine prolapses after lambing.
Twin lamb disease/Pregnancy toxaemia
Symptoms• Not eating
• Standing alone
• Dull, depressed
• Head pressing/mild head tremors
• Blindness
• Progresses to lying down
• Death
Prevention• Good nutrition
• Good body condition– Not too fat or too thin
• Avoid stress
Treatment (difficult!)• Antibiotics
• Propylene glycol/twin lamb drench
• Anti-inflammatory
• Palatable feed and clean water
• Check twice daily for lambing
• Calcium
• Rear lambs artificially
HypocalcaemiaSymptoms
• Weakness
• Bloated abdomen
• Green fluid at nostrils and lower jaw
• Difficult to distinguish from pregnancy toxaemia
Prevention
• Avoid stress in late pregnancy.
• Include calcium, phosphorus and magnesium in cereal based diets
Treatment
• Calcium injection, once or twice daily for 3 days
– 60-80ml per ewe under the skin, spread over 3 injection sites
Lamb treatments:
Watery mouth:
• Fluids
– 50ml my mouth every 3 hours
• Warm
• Keep with mother
• Antibiotics
• Anti-inflammatories
• TLC
Joint ill:
• Penicillin, 10-14days every day!
• Anti-inflammatories
• Keep restricted