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SHEEP-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 145
1. Dental floss, a curved needle, and pliers will be needed. The pliers help to get a good grip on the needle and pull it through.
2. The safest approach is to use only 1 deep stitch at the top of the vaginal opening and 1 across the bottom.
3. Insert the needle from right to left at the top, then bring it down and insert it from left to right at the bottom.
4. Tie a knot with the two ends on the right side. The advantage of sewing this way, rather than crossing the stitches across the center of the opening is that you can tell when the lamb is coming. There is sufficient room for the feet and nose to show and this allows you time to cut the stitches.
If the ewe is beyond 143 days of gestation, you can ask your vet to prescribe or give a medication such as Dexamethasone or oxytocin that will trigger the onset of labor. Then after she has lambed the replacement and suturing can be done again.
Selenium is well known to be particularly important in preventing a prolapse. Selenium is also known to increase a lamb's survival and also to prevent white muscle disease in lambs.
A ewe that has had a selenium supplemented ration or a selenium – vitamin E injection will most likely have an adequate level of plasma selenium and will produce milk with sufficient selenium. However, too much selenium is very toxic, so do not give a ewe a selenium enriched ration, plus a mineral – salt mix with selenium, plus injections - because this is a dangerous combination. When in doubt ask your vet! Always read the labels thoroughly and follow the instructions. A new born lamb should never be injected with more than 1.0 mg of selenium. Run a soil test to see if your soil is selenium deficient, you can also ask you vet to do a blood test to see what is needed.
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH LAMBS
Lambs are highly vulnerable during the first 10 days of their lives to many disorders, and will be more fully discussed in further in the chapter dedicated to lambing.
Acidosis:
Acidosis is acute indigestion, the disease is also named "founder". The cause of this problem is excessive production of lactic acid that has been suddenly gorged upon or grain, or other feeds high in carbohydrates. It can also occur in lambs fed on high grain-low roughage diets.
The fermentation of high energy diets produces and excess of lactic acid and this causes toxicity. As the acidity increases in the rumen sever digestive upset or even death can occur.
2. The safest approach is to use only 1 deep stitch at the top of the vaginal opening and 1 across the bottom.
3. Insert the needle from right to left at the top, then bring it down and insert it from left to right at the bottom.
4. Tie a knot with the two ends on the right side. The advantage of sewing this way, rather than crossing the stitches across the center of the opening is that you can tell when the lamb is coming. There is sufficient room for the feet and nose to show and this allows you time to cut the stitches.
If the ewe is beyond 143 days of gestation, you can ask your vet to prescribe or give a medication such as Dexamethasone or oxytocin that will trigger the onset of labor. Then after she has lambed the replacement and suturing can be done again.
Selenium is well known to be particularly important in preventing a prolapse. Selenium is also known to increase a lamb's survival and also to prevent white muscle disease in lambs.
A ewe that has had a selenium supplemented ration or a selenium – vitamin E injection will most likely have an adequate level of plasma selenium and will produce milk with sufficient selenium. However, too much selenium is very toxic, so do not give a ewe a selenium enriched ration, plus a mineral – salt mix with selenium, plus injections - because this is a dangerous combination. When in doubt ask your vet! Always read the labels thoroughly and follow the instructions. A new born lamb should never be injected with more than 1.0 mg of selenium. Run a soil test to see if your soil is selenium deficient, you can also ask you vet to do a blood test to see what is needed.
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH LAMBS
Lambs are highly vulnerable during the first 10 days of their lives to many disorders, and will be more fully discussed in further in the chapter dedicated to lambing.
Acidosis:
Acidosis is acute indigestion, the disease is also named "founder". The cause of this problem is excessive production of lactic acid that has been suddenly gorged upon or grain, or other feeds high in carbohydrates. It can also occur in lambs fed on high grain-low roughage diets.
The fermentation of high energy diets produces and excess of lactic acid and this causes toxicity. As the acidity increases in the rumen sever digestive upset or even death can occur.