In a message dated 2/28/2005 11:21:36 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I would say go ahead and intervene. There's nothing that says you have to breed them... you can save them now, and give yourself the option of culling later if you choose. To me it sounds like they should be culled at some point in the future, these kinds of things have a nasty way of recurring(over, and over, and over). You'll have to make that hard decision at some point, but I think it's easier to make it earlier than later.
Julian "Intervening" is just being a good shepherd. My first experiences with my flock were like this. Lambs seemed to be about 3 days early. After 7 years with them, I have found that feeding plays a great part in the birthing process. If the ewes are on a forage ration, they seem to have less of a problem than if they are supplemented with grain. Sheep pellets seem to have less of a problem. According to many vet manuals, grain packs in the intestine and results in ppressure on the birth canal, and at the point the fetus gets in the right place there is no stopping the process. Ewes should be gaining all thru gestation until partuition, however, if they are too fat, then there is the pressure on the birth canal. This usually occurrs with the first 2 birthings then everything works out. Nutrition is what I have found to be the biggest factor. My problems with early lambs have also been in the winter. Summer lambs hit the ground running. The ewes are not getting as high a protein ration in the summer either. Just my $0.02. I tube feed any lamb within the first hour that seems to be cold or a little weak. It is amazing how they seem to "inflate" when you put 3 oz of warm milk replacer in them. I always mix colustrum with it too... Cecil Bearden Piedmont, OK =============================================== This message is from the Blackbelly Sheep mailing list (http://www.awrittenword.com/listserv/index.html). To respond to this message, send e-mail to [email protected] To unsubscribe or change your membership options, go to http://lists.coyotenet.net/mailman/listinfo/blackbelly To search the archives, go to http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
