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