My neighbour called this am,one of her ewes was looking like she was labouring,maybe early.She asked if I would stop in about 1pm.She called me on my cell at 2 and said the ewe was down and flat,straining occasionally and had not eaten or drank anything.When I got there and went ""in"" there was already meconium in the discharge.The lamb was HUGE,and in way up.The ewe was very tight high up too like she hadn't dialted or something??.I struggled to get a second leg and it took nearly 35 minutes to pull the lamb out,it was dead.The question is if there was meconium all over the ewe and on first exam was the lamb already dead?.And here is a real dumb question but I have to ask somebody....when we used to sponge our does,I know I was not allowed to be in the barn because of the hormone in the sponge(could cause labour or miscarriage)is it the same with real hormones.??..I was in there a long time:) thanks, hey no giggling...

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2002

Answers

I can spell,... that was dilated.Anyway the vet came out cuz the ewe was dragging her hind end ,like she had no use of her legs .He said it was probably nerve damage,and that yes the kid was HUGE.SHe was bred in her first year by accident.He said she was really small inside,so I feel better,at least my hands are smaller than his.He gave her a shot of an anti-inflamatory with a pain and fever reducer and said that it was 50/50. that the ewe would live/die.I just checked her and she is up eating and drinking.WHEW!

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2002

Terri, sorry to hear about the situation. I don't really know how to answer your question. Did the lamb ever have his head out ? Sometimes with big ram lambs, there's trouble getting them out. We lost our very first lamb in a similar fashion (sounds like). Did you feel another lamb in there, after the first one?

How is the ewe doing?

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2002

No nothing came out or even down on its own.There was like a ring,really small way up that I had to get him through.I have never felt that before.I hope nobody's getting grossed out here!!!He was in great position he just wasn't budging at all.I was up to my the middle of my forearm before I could touch his nose.

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2002

Sorry sheepish ,I'm turning this into a novel!,No just one kid,I did check.

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2002

Interesting novel, though...

Tough on a young ewe to have to go through that (not to mention all the people involved, and certainly the lamb).

I'm sure you did the very best that you could. Sounds nasty. Our first lambing several years ago started out poorly... Early barn check, Mr. S. found a dead lamb out and the poor ewe was too tired from that (huge ram lamb). I had to pull his twin out (and fishing around looking for legs was not fun). I had no experience, just the Raising Sheep The Modern Way book on the barn bedding beside me. Fortunately, the second lamb (also ram) came out quite hale and hearty. Since he got to drink all the milk for two, he got big fast. I still have him. Had the ewe for a long while, too, but had to put her down a couple of years ago. She was a sweetie, though.

Guess I'm writing a novel now!

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2002