[Jacob-list] no poop hole

[Victoria da Roza]

I would like it if shepherds would discuss this issue.
 I know no connection to the anus happens more
frequently in other herbivores and humans than in
Jacobs but we experienced one this year.
   I contacted all the local vets before I was done. 
In this area no one wanted to deal with a lamb...just
cats and dogs, and the big animals vets just deal with
horses.  It looked like the anus had a skin film over
it so after talking with the UC Davis vet school and
most of the shepherds I know in the country, we tried
to cut a space ourselves and it was obvious that it
was more involved than that.
   Here is what I have gleaned:
   It is genetic
   Even if you pay for surgery the lamb will have lots
of other problems neurologically and not really thrive
and cannot be used for breeding..see above.
   Sometimes even after the surgery they will just
have chronic diarreah and have a miserable life.

   I do not understand how it could be heritable when
the parents of this lamb came from completely
different flocks and literally from different coasts. 
It happens so infrequently that the trait must be
recessive but then how could it express from 2
completely different lines?
   The other lambs from this ram are perfect.  Of
course not a totally perfectly marked as the lamb that
had to be euthanized.  What is the best way to
euthanize if you do not have help from a vet. We had a
friend do it who used to farm and I could not even
bear to be home when the deed was done.  The mom is
just now beginning to comew out of her grief.  She is
very agressive to the other ewes' lambs and at first
we had to completely seperate her from the lambs.  Is
this part of grief...before she was on the low end of
the ewe totem pole.  Would you cull this ewe or would
you try the breeding again the next year?
   I had never heard of this and would like opinions
on the above so I can plan.  thanks.

Victoria
Castle Rock Farm
Jacob Sheep & Nigerian Dwarf Goats
www.castlerockfarm.net

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