# getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowhere



## detnol (Feb 17, 2011)

Hello,

We do live in the middle of nowhere (all most) - farm-in-slovakia.blogspot.com/ - and have a flock of 23 sheep and 11 goats. Our sheep are now +/- 12 months old and lambing season will start at the end of February. Over here in Slovakia sheep are kept very extensive and most are indigenous breeds. If an animal gets sick it gets over it or dies - in genera no extra care is given.
However we have sheep of 'improved' breeds (Friesian and Lacaune) kept under better management... We are getting ready for lambing season and have started to get some of the necessary equipment:

We managed to get this:
Plastic buckets.
Rubber gloves.
Stomach tube for weak lambs that can't suck.
Heat lamp to warm chilled lambs.
Iodine for navels.
Vit E/Selenium.

We are still in need of:
Lambing lubricant.
Disinfectant.

So here comes my question: are there any (home made?) alternatives for lambing lubricant and disinfectant? The veterinary supply store hasn't any. They don't assist with deliveries, no need for with the local sheep. We hope as well with our sheep but I do not want to find this out in the middle of the night.


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2012)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

The lube is only something like KY jelly, they use it for doing ultra sounds and you can buy it here in the states for when you are getting a lot of sex, which I have heard people in cold climates do. As far as dis disinfectant I use a lot of hydrogen peroxide and alcohol for cuts and washing out abscesses. Just when a person thinks he has it bad somebody shows you how good you have it.
If I can be of any help please send me a message, I'll help you any way I can. Can you receive mail or packages there? What about medications such as CD
& T , penicillin, oxytocin, Nuflor. 
Do your temperatures allow you to lamb outside? Do you have a barn? What is the name of the city close to you? I want to look You up.
Good Luck
Sideplaner


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

For lube you can use mineral oil or any kind of oil really.

Sometimes I just use soapy water too


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## detnol (Feb 17, 2011)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*



Sideplaner said:


> As far as dis disinfectant I use a lot of hydrogen peroxide and alcohol for cuts and washing out abscesses.
> Can you receive mail or packages there? What about medications such as CD
> & T , penicillin, oxytocin, Nuflor.
> Do your temperatures allow you to lamb outside? Do you have a barn? What is the name of the city close to you? I want to look You up.
> ...


*Thanks!* - hydrogen peroxide is available over here and mineral oil products as glycerin as well. I will get them before lambing season starts.
Antibiotics are available on prescription. CD&T is actually our big problem - got Pasteurelosis (P) last year and lost one of our precious Friesian lambs  
Asked for it ages ago and our vet promised to get it - now when it is already to late he finally said we cannot get it in Slovakia. I am trying to buy it in Holland. I do not know how this should be shipped (cold?) - and if it is possible to buy this without prescription anywhere. I am also looking for one of those FAMACHA(c) cards - where to get them? Yes we get post over here (collect it in our village 8 km from us).

The sheep will lamb in a (cold) barn and we have made nice lambing pens for the newborns and their mothers. Here are some pictures of the ban and the sheep: http://farm-in-slovakia.blogspot.com/ We are +/- 80 km north of Budapest.


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2012)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

CD&T is over the counter here I wonder if ValleyVet.com would ship you some. I really think you will be OK without if you can't since it is cold but if you were able to buy some I would get enough to last a year and keep it refridgerated. Your next worry will be Coccidiosis 3-4 weeks after the lambs are born, can you buy any medicated pellets or mineral there? I use a loose mineral with CTC and feed pellets with Decox to the small goat kids creep feed. I don't know anything about sheep though and I'm sure you couldn't use my mineral since it is high in copper.
What made you leave Holland to go to the middle of nowhere, I think it is cool though and if I was a younger man I would maybe do it to.


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## detnol (Feb 17, 2011)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*



> CD&T is over the counter here I wonder if ValleyVet.com would ship you some. I really think you will be OK without if you can't since it is cold but if you were able to buy some I would get enough to last a year and keep it refridgerated. Your next worry will be Coccidiosis 3-4 weeks after the lambs are born, can you buy any medicated pellets or mineral there? I use a loose mineral with CTC and feed pellets with Decox to the small goat kids creep feed. I don't know anything about sheep though and I'm sure you couldn't use my mineral since it is high in copper.
> What made you leave Holland to go to the middle of nowhere, I think it is cool thought and if I was a younger man I would maybe do it to.


Yes I thing we might do without CD&T but would love to get something against Pasteurelosis - in Holland there is a vaccine containing both CDT&P called Heptavac - do you have it in the USA? I tried to order it in Ireland but they do not ship beyond the UK... I am gonna visit the ValleyVet.com website now!
No coccidiosis is not treated in SK, our goats (kids) never got it. We try to keep them in clean stables and do not feed on the dirty ground.

We left Holland in 1999 - to work as agricultural development workers in West Africa (being young and trying to make the world a better place :wink: ), after ten years of living in Burkina Faso and Mali we packed our old car with some belongings and two dogs and drove to Slovakia where we had bought a small farm without having seen it  - in Slovakia we were both (legally) able as Dutch citizens and had enough savings to afford it. Holland being very densely populated has some of the highest agricultural land prices... So there we are in this beautiful country with lovely people, cold winters and a very difficult language.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

Wow, how brave of you! I've moved around the USA during my life, but, can't imagine moving to a different country with a different language. I've heard folks say Americans are "simple" because we don't travel abroad enough...so I guess I'm guilty!

It is so interesting to hear from you...I hope you will keep up updated...Good luck!


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

fill one of your plastic buckets with soapy water ... skmple and it eill work for disinfectant as well as lube in a pinch ...


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## detnol (Feb 17, 2011)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

I got an email from ValleyVet.com -they dont ship outside the USA


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2012)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

Well now what? If I didn't think I would get in trouble I would send you some.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

Not sure if they ship outside USA but Jeffers is another big livestock supply company online. Can't wait to hear about your lambs.


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## detnol (Feb 17, 2011)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

Thanks for helping me with my vaccine 'problem' - I am now in contact with a Dutch veterinarian who says he wants to help me (but is on holiday - so I just have to be a little pit patient)... I will keep you posted.


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

I just enjoyed seeing your blog! just have a question about the udder pics you have there...are those ewes ff or have they lambed before? I'm watching my ewes' udders for our first lambing season. thanks.


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2012)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

How is it going now? Do you have vaccine yet? do you have lambs yet?


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## detnol (Feb 17, 2011)

*update*

We got the vaccine (thanks to a dutch veterinarian) ! We will be giving it to the lambs when they will be 2 and 6 weeks old... no Pasteureliosis anymore (we hope so).
first babies expected on 20th of February
However two ewes started earlier and had stillborns - either caused by an infection of Listeria or Chlamidia or something else - waiting for blood test results - it was a very stressfull and sad week - but all ewes and does got an Oxytetra shot and things are calm (and cold) now...
I will keep you posted when first lambs of 2012 arrive!


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## Guest (Feb 12, 2012)

*Re: getting ready for lambing - living in the middle of nowh*

That's great that you got the meds. Did you give your Ewes a shot already to protect your unborn kids too? Sounds like Chlamydia got the other 2 but now they are immune to it, did the ewes that aborted breed back yet?


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