[Jacob-list] Breech birth

[Linda]

My vet recommends a calcium injection whenever there is a difficult 
birth. We don't have many difficult births, thank goodness, so I've only 
used it once - also after a breech birth. It perked the ewe up pretty 
quickly.

Linda

On 3/26/2011 10:30 PM, shmee1 at mail.com wrote:

> We had a ewe yesterday with a breech birth.  This was my first 

> experience with a breech birth and having to pull a lamb.  I scrubbed 

> up as best I could and tried to find some legs to pull but couldn't 

> figure it out.  We called a neighbour and experienced farmer to help 

> out, he came and pulled the first lamb out backwards.  The second lamb 

> was also pulled out backwards, neither lamb was alive but they didn't 

> have seem to have any malformations and both lambs were quite large.  

> Our neighbour mentioned that he thought he had some Aureomycin tablets 

> at his barn and would check for us.

> This morning we found a third lamb, smaller than the first two but 

> fully formed was expelled by the ewe in a very tight sausage shape 

> (legs and head still folded next to the body).  I called to neighbour 

> to see about the tablets and picked them up from him this evening.  

> Upon reading the directions it mentions to administer immediately 

> before the cervix begins to contract, we of course were too late and 

> this had already happened.  We approached the ewe to attempt inserting 

> the tablet none-the-less and she was obviously quite tender in that 

> area, we decided she had been abused enough and might cause more harm 

> than good at this stage.  I also noticed that she seems a bit weak in 

> the back legs and is walking a bit slower, could this be a sign of 

> infection or just a difficult labour?

> My question to the group is did I make the right decision or should I 

> still try to insert the tablet?  What signs should I be looking for 

> that would indicate infection?  Would treating her with a general 

> antibiotic help to ward off any potential infection?

> The ewe of course is one of my best producers with a great fleece, 

> strong mothering instincts, and a flock favorite.

> Any advice would be appreciated.

> Leigh

>

>

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