how much colostrum do lambs need
need 10% body weight in first 6 hours and 10% in next 12 hours
how do you treat a lamb that is hypothermis with a temp between 37 and 39
- dry
- stomach tube colostrum (2/3 down esophagus)
- return to ewe
- monitor
how do you treat a hypothermic lamb if temp is under 37 and under 6 hours old? why
- dry lamb
- warm lamb
- stomach tube colostrum
- return to ewe
- monitor
lambs under 6 hours old still have brown fat tissue as source of energy so warming is most important
how do you treat a hypothermic lamb over 6 hours old
- dry lamb
- stomach tube colostrum
- warm up
- return to ewe
- monitor
if lamb cant hold up head, suggests GI tract not working:
- dry
- glucose
- warm up
- feed
- return to ewe
- monitor
what is the dose of glucose in hyporthermic lambs
10 ml per kg
20% solution, needs diluting to 50%: 50% freshly boiled water 50% solution
what causes hypoglycemia in newborn lambs
starvation (rejection, mastitis, weakness etc), exposure, congenital abnormalities
what is watery mouth and what does it cause
bacterial infection of E.coli, can increase risk if poor hygeine and inadequate colostrum
clinical signs of watery mouth
- normal at birth
- dull
- absent suck reflex
- salivation
- abomasal distension
- GI stasis and retention of meconium
how do you know when lambing is imminent and what are the 3 stages of labour
- ewe utter gets larger and sacroiliac ligament slackens
- satge 1: last 2-6hrs, cervical dilation, behaviour change, abdominal contractions, appearance of water bag
- stage 2: 1 hr, passage of the lamb through the birth canal
- stage 3: within 2-3 hours of stage 2, repulsion of the fetal membranes
list indications for when it might be necessary to intervene during lambing
- ewe trying ro lamb for more than 1 hour with no delivery
- no progress once lamb is visible at vulva for 20 mins
- frequent powerful contractions but no progress in delivery
- ewe started to lamb then stopped
- lambs head visible but no forelimbs
- foetal head visible and only 1 limb visible
- only tail visible
- large and swollen lamb at vulva
- parts of 2 lambs visible
- brown/smelly discharge
- vaginal prolapse identified
list common conditions affecting lambs
- hypothermia
- hypoglycemia
- watery mouth (caused by E.coli
- joint ill
- entropion
when should castration not be performed
if lambs are intended for slaughter at a young age there is no need, also after 7 days old but never first 24 hours after birth
when should tail docking be performed
if fly strike is not a problem in the area, before 7 days old but after first 24 hours
