[Jacob-list] broken horn

[gordon johnston]

Hi Kathey
We have had the type of broken horn which spouts like that and it is scary.  Like you we didn't know what to do  - our vet showed us how to find the small artery which was spurting and to pinch it with our fingers - it takes at least 5 minutes of pressure to make it stop.  With our lamb the whole horn, core and all, was torn off (which probably made it easier to find the artery), and of course nothing ever grew back.  In our case, there was a direct hole into the skull so the risk of infection was great, with yours not so much.  Cobwebs, styptic pencil etc are good for venous bleeding, but the only way to stop an arterial bleed quickly is with pressure to the bleeding point.  Once it has stopped then you can put on the cobwebs to help form a scab.  When the outer horn has pulled off, there will also be a lot of less serious bleeding from the surface of the core which will respond to the cobwebs.  I don't think your lamb would have bled to death as it is a small artery to each horn, but he would be weakened by the blood loss, so the sooner you can stop it the better.

As others have said you do need to protect the core from flies, but also from further damage.  It will be sensitive until it has hardened.  A non-adherent dressing held in place with a self-cling bandage is ideal - they come in vivid colours and give the lamb a piratical appearance !  Trouble is that can start the bleeding up again when it comes off unless you soak it off carefully.  On the other hand you could spray it with the type of 'artificial skin' cans you can buy at the Pharmacy for human burns and grazes. That would be best at keeping out dirt and would not require you to catch him up again once it was sprayed on. However, by this stage the whole thing has probably started to heal over so would be best left alone.

By chasing the lamb around you will in fact have made the horn bleed more.  He will not drop down dead so you have time to work out a calmer plan of action - perhaps catching the mother and penning her, so he will eventually follow.  It could be worth having a contingency plan up your sleeve for this sort of emergency. Do you have handling pens for the flock ?

To hold a lamb and work on the wound, the best way is to sit it on it's behind, as for shearing, foot trimming etc, and a lamb is easy enough to lift into that position.  Once on his bottom he will relax and his head will fall down to one side.
Another possibility is on his side with your foot under the shoulder and both front legs folded at the knee behind your leg.  Apparently having your foot under the shoulder tells the sheep it can't get up - sometimes it works but sometimes they still give it a go and hooves fly. The disadvantage is that you have to bend down to ground level to work.
For lambs another way of holding them when you have an assistant is on your lap, crossways, front legs dangling outside one of your legs, back legs dangling outside the other, head held in a gentle arm lock with one hand, the other hand exerting gentle pressure over the hips.  You get to sit on a stool while the other person then does the work.
And the best way to keep the animal calm is to keep calm yourself - difficult with blood pouring everywhere of course, but now you know that direct pressure will stop it you will not be panicking next time.

Now we know why polled sheep were invented, but Jacobs just wouldn't be the same without horns.

I hope your little fellow's horn grows back OK.

Juliet in Scotland
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