[Jacob-list] Following up on delivery question

[Debbie Bennett]

We had our own "triplet fiasco", three years ago,  miraculously, one  
lamb survived. However, the ewe hasn't bred the last two years. I'm  
assuming scar tissue issues. We love her anyway and she has a home  
for life (she's ten now).
I have learned to trust my instincts and now if a ewe is in labor for  
more than a couple hours and the labor doesn't seem to be  
progressing, I step in - it usually means an incorrect birthing  
position. This year, I had to help deliver twins, the first lamb had  
its head back over its shoulder.
Debbie Bennett
Feral Fibre Farm
Oakland, Oregon
On Apr 23, 2006, at 2:36 AM, Susan J Martin wrote:

> Thanks for the advice concerning the lambing problem.  The ewe  
> mentioned in the previous email started active labor around 2 a.m.  
> tonight -- still no water sack.  Labor was hard, good strong pushes  
> -- and when I felt to check the presentation I had no idea what I  
> was feeling......bones and feet and soft tissue......certainly not  
> a nose and front feet -- and it was well into the birthing canal  
> and I could not push it back!!  I called the vet (poor guy, middle  
> of the night) and in the meantime the ewe kept seriously pushing  
> and before he arrived she delivered a lamb -- this lamb was  
> presenting middle of the back and was literally folded in half --  
> and she delivered it!!!  Needless to say, with the back first and  
> the lamb folded in half, it was a huge mass to clear the birthing  
> canal.....and based on what I had palpated there had also been feet  
> from the following lamb as part of the mix.   The lamb was dead --  
> and immediately followed by another dead lamb with a perfectly  
> normal presentation.  Meanwhile the vet arrived, the ewe was  
> pushing again, he checked her and discovered that the third lamb  
> was presenting front feet first but the neck/head were turned back  
> along the lamb's side....the vet righted everything and that lamb  
> arrived - also dead.  The smallest lamb was 7 lbs. and was the  
> first -- and by being folded in half "held up the works" ,  
> resulting in mortality for the following lambs.  The 2nd & 3rd  
> lambs were larger - 8 lbs. each.  The poor ewe has suffered a great  
> deal - and is unable to stand properly -- the nerves to her legs  
> were very affected by the large mass that pressed against them in  
> her pelvis.  The vet gave her an IV steroid to help with internal  
> swelling and hopefully improve her standing......he also gave her  
> calcium sub Q......he said it was too dangerous to give it IV as  
> too much might cause cardiac arrest.   (My dairy farmer dad always  
> gave calcium IV.)   The vet was pretty impressed that this ewe was  
> able to deliver that lamb.....said he never sees that --- I told  
> him to chalk it up to Jacob hardiness and vigor!!  And, this poor  
> girl is now nibbling on hay and drinking......all good signs.   The  
> vet wants me to get her up every few hours for "physical therapy"  
> -- to encourage her to walk and she is amenable to that.  As I  
> discussed the events of the last day with the vet it does appear  
> that this was a tricky call for us -- the ewe showed signs of  
> impending lambing but not active labor and her symptoms were vague  
> -- the vet said this is due to the improper presentation, which  
> resulted in no water sack, no active labor, etc.
>
> I must admit that as a mom of two grown children, watching that ewe  
> push out that folded lamb was personally painful -- and she was a  
> real trooper about it........truly a testament to this breed's  
> hardiness.  And perhaps our situation here tonight may be of help  
> to someone else in the future.
>
> Sue
>
> Stonecroft Manor
> "The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep...They all shout and  
> sing for joy!"
> Psa. 65:13
>
>
> <p.gif>
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