[Jacob-list] stillborn lambs

[Lasell J. Bartlett]

A friend suggested I seek some ideas from this list.

It is lambing time and a disturbing time. Four ewes have lambed so  
far, with 3 live lambs and 4 stillborn. One single live, one single  
stillborn, two twins with one living (smaller) and one dead (larger)  
and one of unknown origin, either a triplet or a single from a 5th  
ewe. Altogether we have 9 ewes and from the looks of it, more lambs  
coming.

I have read online about a variety of bacteria that kill the fetus  
and depending on 'when' during the pregnancy the ewe is infected,  
that determines whether it results in reabsorption of the fetus,  
abortion, or still birth.

Aside from all coming out intact and healthy looking (albeit lifeless  
and even non-responsive to CPR attempts on my part), they are large  
lambs. The largest weighed 8 lbs which I think is big for Jacobs (the  
other two I weighed were 7 and 7.5 lbs, didn't weigh the first  
stillborn and haven't weighed any of the live ones). Our ewes aren't  
particularly big from my estimate. And the surviving lambs from the  
twins born were considerably smaller.

Our flock has pretty much had the same feed and water over the years.  
Some of the hay this year was from some different fields but still  
all local. I suppose the main change is that we sold our small herd  
of Dexters cow who had shared grazing, hay, water, and shelter with  
the Jacobs. And we sold our ram a few weeks ago.

I would appreciate hearing the thoughts of some of you folks with  
more experience than I. I am grateful for the nicely marked cute  
little lively ewe lambs we have, and with more ewes due to pop, I am  
hoping for more live births. We have not had a problem like this  
before and my husband has had Jacobs for more than twenty years.

Lasell Bartlett
Vermont