# ewe with very bad lambing outcome



## Chi Chi (Mar 7, 2010)

I am going to apologize first off- this may be a bit disjointed. I had an ewe give birth this morning to a lamb with that had 8 legs with hind end on both ends- no head. This lamb was huge with a hump in the middle with two tiny ears. It looks like twins that never separated and fused. No vet would call me back and it was stuck for the longest time. I thought we were going to have to put the ewe down. The ewe is hanging on right now. I gave her a shot of pcn 3 cc- (I had to go in and we pulled.) we gave her probios, wormer and vit b shot along with water with karo syrup. Is there anything else I should be doing? Does anybody heard of this type of deformity and what would cause it.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

:hug: So sorry! 
I know nothing about this and hope you find a reason. 

Sounds like you are treating the mom right. 
Just watch her that she is drinking and eating hay or pasture. 
If she gets really engorged you may have to release the pressure a little.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Gosh I wish I could help...I have no idea what would cause a deformity like that other than just lack of seperation of twins. If you still have the lamb, maybe take a few pics of it and sent it into a university vet lab and see if they have any info. or something. 

I think your ewe will be ok. Sounds like you've done as much as you can for now. Just give her lots of fresh feed and water and make sure she's comfortable. Just keep an eye on her to make sure she passes the afterbirth and no infections or anything start. :thumb:


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## Chi Chi (Mar 7, 2010)

Thanks guys! I did take a few pictures thanks for the suggestion. I did contact ask a vet a pipestone- said that it was probably a genetic defeat- a once in a life time thing that I could have done without.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Oh that's weird.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Can you post a picture here? Just put a warning that it is graphic so those who do not want to see are warned.
I would offer the mom some Molasses water, if it is hot give it cool. Poor mom, sound like you are doing all the right things. She just needs to be spoiled a bit. lol


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I too would treat her like any doe/ewe with a rough delivery....the cool molasses water is good to keep her hydrated as well as giving her an energy boost.

That does sound like an oddity for sure, I also wouldn't mind seeing it.....it may be disturbing to see, but it does happen, I'm sorry that it happened to you and your ewe though.


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## Chi Chi (Mar 7, 2010)

We lost her! Darn it! feeling defeated. I will try and post a picture.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Oh gosh...I am so sorry to hear that. :hug: Sometimes you can only do so much...and it sounds like you did all you could! So sorry for your loss.


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## jduwall (Aug 7, 2009)

Oh I am so so sorry.... Hang in there...we are here for you... :grouphug:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Awww...I'm so sorry! You did what you could to help her :hug:


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## Chi Chi (Mar 7, 2010)

*Re: ewe with very bad lambing outcome* very graphic picture*

i haven't posted a picture here successfully so I am not sure it will work. Again I warning GRAPHIC PIC

[attachment=0:1nfy0spc]orhids babies.JPG[/attachment:1nfy0spc]


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Thank you! That is definately an oddity, did each have it's own umbilical cord?

Your poor mama likely had some tearing trying to deliver it......with the backsides, could you determine if they were male or female? It's pretty rare to have an identical set of twins in cattle, sheep or goats...most times the multiple are from separate eggs.


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## Chi Chi (Mar 7, 2010)

I only remember seeing one cord but with I can't be certain. One end appeared to be a ram and the other I couldn't tell.


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## lissablack (Nov 30, 2009)

I'm so sorry this happened and you lost your ewe. Just so sorry. I'm sure it is rare and will probably never happen to you again. I am sending hugs your way, can't imagine how that must feel. 

Jan


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## Chi Chi (Mar 7, 2010)

Thank you.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

:hug: Sorry you lost the ewe. 

Thank you for positing the photo. It is very amazing the oddities that happen sometimes.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I too am so sorry you lost the Ewe. Poor thing had a hard time for sure.

Thank you for posting the picture, that is very intresting. Poor momma.


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## Kimmerz Cali Kidz (Apr 30, 2011)

:hug: :grouphug: :GAAH: :sigh: :tears: 
How VERY ODD!!!
Sorry for your loss!!!
ray: It never happens to you again!


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

I'm sorry you lost mama and babies. You know, some people would pay for it. Animal oddaties are hot. They use them for teaching as well as "freak" shows. I've seen calf and pigs. And they are not cheap. Maybe something good can come of it. You could replace the lost ewe.

Gina


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## Robynlynn (Jan 18, 2011)

tHIS STORY WAS POSTED ON THE mn LIST SERVER THIS SPRING
Hard lesson learned.
Last fall (august/sept) we had a problem with our fence and a few goats figured out "the weak spot" and took the entire herd on a field trip across the road into the public hunting land. No, not what you are thinking. But it was very marshy at the time and had LOTS of weeds. They were quite full and satisfied when they were finally back in the barn.

Unkown to me, there was a toxic weed eaten by most of the goats that day. And we didn't find out til kidding.

Please be aware what your goats have access to. They love weeds. Not all weeds are safe. 

It started out as a few early abortions. Common so I didnt panic. Until suddenly I had a pile of them. Most were coming out with fur, eyes fused, and all joints locked in a flexed position. Several had spinal deformities and were unable to straighten out. These of course required assisitance at birth, and unfortunately, ripped holes in the does uterus during birth. I lost 7 does in 5 days from this. One doe had twins. Both had deformities. So I sent them both to the state lab. No bugs were found, and they tested for every bug they could think of. What they did find was the deformities were caused by a toxin introduced in the 14th to 20th DAY of gestation. The toxin is found in "skunk weed". Which of course the goats love to eat.

I have pictures of the twins that both died from this, but they are not for the faint of heart. In all, I lost 12 adult does, several yearlings aborted and are alive but ruined, and 15 does never came into milk after aborting. For a farm my size, it is devastating. 

All of this cause the goats got out one afternoon and grazed for a few hours in the weeds across the road.

Yes the fence is being replaced.
Kelly Meyer

......


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## Robynlynn (Jan 18, 2011)

HOPE THIS ISN'T IT.... :hug:


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## Robynlynn (Jan 18, 2011)

HERE IS A NOXIOUS WEED LINK......
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/goatlist.html


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Wow Kelly. :hug: that is a very hard loss.


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## jodief100 (Jan 15, 2011)

I am very sorry for your loss. It is most likely conjoined twins or a slight possibility is it Chimerisim, which is when two embryos to fuse together. With Chimerism the organisim usually appears normal but has two distinct sets of chromosomes. 

I doubt it would be an introduced toxin like skunkweed. That causes the fetus to not form properly but it would take more than toxins to cause “duplication” like you see here.


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## Kristenkay26 (Jun 16, 2011)

So sorry for your loss. Makes me want to cry


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