dead ewe - reason??

Farmer Dan

Morning all.
I had a dead ewe in the shed this morning.
4 year old reseller about three weeks from lambing. She wasn't prolapsed or anything& eat as usual yesterday evening. It was like her guts or stomach was out at the back. What would have caused this or has anyone else experienced anything like this before. Thanks in advance for any info.

rangler1

Farmer Dan wrote: »

Morning all.
I had a dead ewe in the shed this morning.
4 year old reseller about three weeks from lambing. She wasn't prolapsed or anything& eat as usual yesterday evening. It was like her guts or stomach was out at the back. What would have caused this or has anyone else experienced anything like this before. Thanks in advance for any info.

Yea, I'd have one every couple years, usually a texel, at least she wasn't alive when you came on her, I hate finding them alive, I don't think there's any thing that prevents it or ay reason for it. Murphy's law I suppose

Farmer Dan

Thanks rangler.

She was a pedigree texel aswell!! I've sheep a good few years & never seen this before. & I thought I had seen everything that can go wrong. I was just wondering what could have caused it or what ever. Thanks again for your reply

Username John

Dont think it has any answers, but has some feedback on the topic.
http://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/why-would-ewe-put-intestines-out.44402/

eire23

Had one do it a few weeks back, poor thing wasnt dead when i found her either.

Generally get one or two most years, always in the housed ones as well. whether that contributes to it of not.

greysides

It's an extreme form of a vaginal prolapse where the vaginal wall tears and allows the guts out.

razor8

Had first one ever last year in the middle of lambing. Checked shed for any lambing and came back 20mins later and blood all over pen and sheep lying dead in it. Very strange to say the least

farming93

Had my best ewe dead the other morning in the field Lleyn four year old with triplets in her checked them the night before and everything was grand. Guts were out from behind aswel unfortunately.

farming93

Another Lleyn ewe prolapsed this morning, I caught her in time and got the vet to stich her up. Will I be in trouble if she begins to lamb while im not with her while she has the stiches?

orm0nd

farming93 wrote: »

Another Lleyn ewe prolapsed this morning, I caught her in time and got the vet to stich her up. Will I be in trouble if she begins to lamb while im not with her while she has the stiches?

I use a home made harness, made from soft rope,

most ewes will lamb through it


yes you will need to watch her, at lambing

arctictree

farming93 wrote: »

Another Lleyn ewe prolapsed this morning, I caught her in time and got the vet to stich her up. Will I be in trouble if she begins to lamb while im not with her while she has the stiches?

Happened to me last year. I don't have the experience to do it myself so got the Vet out to stitch her. Brought her in with the rest of the flock as their lambing date arrived. Of course she was one of the last to lamb! A neighbour who I had asked to pop his head in a couple of times during the day while I was at work caught her starting to lamb and cut the stitches. She prolapsed again a few days after lambing and had to get the Vet out again. Feckin expensive ewe. Got rid of her in the Autumn. Two fine ewe lambs though. Some say I should get rid of them too.

Username John

arctictree wrote: »

Happened to me last year. I don't have the experience to do it myself so got the Vet out to stitch her. Brought her in with the rest of the flock as their lambing date arrived. Of course she was one of the last to lamb! A neighbour who I had asked to pop his head in a couple of times during the day while I was at work caught her starting to lamb and cut the stitches. She prolapsed again a few days after lambing and had to get the Vet out again. Feckin expensive ewe. Got rid of her in the Autumn. Two fine ewe lambs though. Some say I should get rid of them too.

You should.

farming93

Yet another ewe prolapsed this morning thats the third, a two year old ewe this time. We harnessed her up this morning its getting worrying now..

AntrimGlens

farming93 wrote: »

Yet another ewe prolapsed this morning thats the third, a two year old ewe this time. We harnessed her up this morning its getting worrying now..

Are they getting ad lib silage and is it chopped or not? I found that when ewes had access to silage ad lib they ate too much to try and satisfy their feed requirements and this led to an increase in prolapses. The groups that weren't fed ad lib and got precision chopped silage has no incidences of prolapse.
Make sure the supplementary feeding is sufficient especially energy levels as it usually happened me with twin bearing ewes, never saw it in a single yet. I had a bad run of it a few years back and absolutely hate the sight of a ewe straining. If the ewe continues to press and strain give her a shot of buscopan to ease the contractions.

farming93

I throw a bit of unchopped silage out to them everyday and they usually always leave a bit, they are also on super ewe nut from glanbia getting in or around .9 kg a day two thirds in the morning and a third in the evening. Its a horrible sight.

rangler1

farming93 wrote: »

I throw a bit of unchopped silage out to them everyday and they usually always leave a bit, they are also on super ewe nut from glanbia getting in or around .9 kg a day two thirds in the morning and a third in the evening. Its a horrible sight.

when did you buy these ewes, unreal to have that many

sea12

Username John wrote: »

You should.

I agree with john. I'd get rid of them

farming93

I bought 2 of these ewes in 2012 as hoggets and the third one is a daughter from one of them that I bred on my farm. Could this be a genetic thing or is it just coincidence, what would you think?
Itll be the end of the road for these ewes and theyre lambs if they live till the summer anyways.