
Appropriate management of the ewe and
neonatal lamb
◦ Vaccinations
◦ Drenches

Preparation and planning for lambing


Equipment
Housing

A successful lambing depends on good
preparation and management
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Suitable breeding strategy to match resources
Correct nutrition/condition scoring
Scanning and acting on the information
Having all equipment/medicines in place
Good hygiene and ventilation
Good housing/lambing pen layout
Efficient labour/time management

Well planned housing is an essential part of
any indoor lambing system

Sheep may be:

◦ Housed for lambing period only
◦ Housed 6 – 12 weeks before lambing
◦ Temporarily housed due to weather



Floor type?
◦ Straw
◦ Slats – concrete/wooden/mesh/plastic?
Pros – cons for all flooring types?
Essentials
◦ Good Ventilation – critical
◦ Clean hygienic conditions
◦ Adequate clean water



Space requirements - 25 ewes/pen – ideal
Lowland ewes
Hill ewes
Feed Space
0.45m
0.30m

Lower mortality
◦ Lower contact with disease
◦ Avoid lambing on same areas each year to reduced disease
build up



Utilises grass growth/reduces concentrate feeding
May need to provide sheltered areas/use of hedges,
stone walls, tree shelter
Main option - Set stock lambing
◦ Specific number of ewes in each paddock prior to lambing
◦ Number is determined by feed available for the next 30-50
days

Hospital / isolation area / heat bulbs

Warm water

Separate area for orphan / pet lambs

Lambing pens / shelter

Lighting

Heat

Anthelmintics (Doses)

Lubricant

Prolapse retainers/ harness

Buckets

Twin lamb treatments

Footrot spray
Materials for marking and
recording

Lambing aids /ropes

Antibiotic

Syringes and needles

Gloves



Elastrator
Ear notchers

Warming box

Electrolyte

Iodine

Glucose

Colostrum replacer

Oral antibiotics

Milk replacer

Infrared lamps

Stomach tubes

Spectam scour halt

Thermometer

Lamb adopter

Pregnant women who come into close contact
with sheep during lambing may risk their own
health and that of their unborn child, from
infections which can occur in some ewes
Suspected abortions – consult with your Vet
- send aborted lambs/Placenta for diagnosis


Isolate aborted ewe(s) – until post lambing

Clean/Disinfect affected lambing area

Cull aborted ewes! (Take Vet. Advice)

Do not sell as breeding stock!




Ewe straining for 1 hour but no sign of a lamb at
the vulva
Part of the lamb is visible at the vulva but the
ewe is making no progress
The ewe is wet behind or bloodstained and
straining but making no progress
Ewe has lambed one lamb but is still straining
and making no progress with second










Restrain the ewe
Clean / wash hands / gloves
Use copious amounts of lubrication
Be gentle
Manipulate lamb in the womb not in the birth canal
If no progress is made within 5 -10 minutes get
veterinary assistance
Difficult lambings can result in lambs being more likely
to suffer from hypothermia
Give ewe antibiotic, watch for her cleaning and ensure
she licks her lambs
Check teats for milk
Don't rush/force lamb, allow lamb to rest for a short
time after lambing while attached to placenta

If inexperienced – get advice/help
◦ You need to know the lambs feet and lamb
presentations

Use rubber gloves/lubricant

Clean/hygienic lambing pens

(Veterinary session – focus on lambing the
ewe)

As for calves….
Natural lambing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO9NZOtJa
EU










Joint/navel ill (Infection/dirty conditions)
Watery mouth (Lack of quality colostrum)
Scour (E.coli, Cryptospiridia)
Broken ribs/limbs (Damaged or hurt in
lambing or by the ewe)
Swayback (Mineral deficiency)
Hypothermia/exposure (Usually low birth
weight, lack of milk and cold/wet
conditions)
Clostridial diseases…
White muscle disease (Selenium deficiency)
Entropion (Genetic eye condition)
Size of lamb
Colostrum
Requirement
Large single lamb (5kg)
250 ml/feed 4 X daily
Medium lamb (4kg)
200 ml/feed 4 X daily
Small lamb (3kg)
100 ml/feed 4 X daily



Lamb down in clean environment
Treat navel with 10% iodine immediately after
birth
Ensure colostrum within 1st 6 hours
◦ Colostrum quality
◦ Check udder, give additional if required





Place in clean lambing pen
Check bonding
Tail / rubber ring lambs within 7 days
Dose ewes
Tag / record lambs
“Clostridial diseases &
pneumonia”


Clostridial diseases cause rapid death and can
cause huge losses in unprotected flocks
As these diseases are an ever present risk,
they should be controlled by vaccination (e.g.
Covexin 8, Bravoxin 10, Heptavac P Plus)
Disease
Lamb Dysentry
Pulpy Kidney
Struck
Tetanus
Braxy
Blackleg
Black Disease
Gas Gangrene
Age of Onset
1-10 days
1-6 mths
1 yr
Lambs/ adults
First winter
Lambs/ adults
Adults winter
Adults
Clostridia
Perfringens
Perfringens
Perfringens
Tetani
Septicum
Chauvei
Oedematiens
Chauvei
Vaccination
An effective clostridial vaccination schedule
for:
Ewes:
(i) Primary course–Two doses 4-6 weeks apart
(ii) Booster– 4-6 weeks before lambing
(iii) repeat booster annually

An effective clostridial vaccination schedule
for:
Lambs for vaccinated ewes
Which will be kept over 12 weeks either for
slaughter or breeding
(i) Primary course-at 8 weeks and again at 14
weeks of age
(ii) Booster (for breeding lambs only) with the
adult ewes and rams pre-lambing time

An effective clostridial vaccination schedule for:
Lambs out of unvaccinated or inadequately
vaccinated ewes
(i) Primary course– at 2 week and then again at
6 weeks


Or rely on 200ml of fresh or frozen colostrum
from a vaccinated ewe at birth





Septicaemia in young lambs
Pneumonia in older sheep
Mastitis in ewes
Pneumonia caused by pasteurellosis is the
biggest killer of growing and adult sheep in
the UK
Found in 95% healthy sheep, but can cause
disease when the animal is under stress
Twin Lamb Disease
Grass tetany (Magnesium
deficiency)
Milk fever (Hypocalcaemia)

A metabolic disorder occurs last 4-6 weeks of
pregnancy, mainly ewes carrying multiples

It occurs due to a lack of energy

Signs
◦
◦
◦
◦
Ewe isolates herself
Looks dull, will not eat
Might appear blind, stands motionless or lies down
Easy to catch, fine tremors on handling

Prevention:

Good Body scores 2.5 - 3 (6 -8 wks) pre-lambing

Scan ewes and feed according

Remove older thinner ewes/broken mouths
which are more susceptible

If ewes go untreated they are likely to die or have
poor weak lambs at birth
Treatment:


Twin lamb drench (propylene glycol) and offer
good quality concentrate and forage.
If ewe fails to respond, she requires
intravenous glucose (+/- calcium)
Be prepared …

Ensure correct feeding/condition scoring

Clean hygienic conditions/Keep sheep clean
and well bedded

Clean water supply

Ensure lambs receive adequate good quality
colostrum
◦ Act on scanning/body score information


Monitor closely at lambing but give sufficient
time
Timely veterinary treatments (Read
instructions)
Problems - Get veterinary diagnosis

Inexperienced – get advice/call the vet