It’s amazing how you can forgot that it feels like 13 degrees when everything goes right. My friend & neighbor has one ewe I’ve liked since she arrived at 6 months. Blossom. A thickly built, low to the ground, sweet natured Cotswolds cross, with signature curls & a big forelock covering her eyes, just like a nursery rhyme sheep.
In the wee hours, Blossom delivered a gorgeous ewe lamb & went to work cleaning her up. An hour or so later, no 2nd, or contractions. The ewe lamb was large & appeared to be a single. The lamb was nursing & in the barn. It was a frigid. The shepherd went in for tea & fell asleep.
When I dropped in midday, the lamb looked great, but there was no placenta in the stall. Once 12 hours have gone by, this term applies. RP: Retained Placenta.
I put together some notes on RP that might be good to tuck away in a lambing notebook.
So- back to my neighbor’s ewe, considering previous losses & potential selenium deficiency, there are 2 options for peace of mind. Call the vet to perform an ultrasound, or check the status of her cervix. The vet is an hour away, it is Saturday & cost is an issue. I administer 2 ml of oxytocin which is usually a fast working injection, but after waiting, the placenta does not emerge. I reluctantly agree to check the cervix.
There is one important thing to mention here. Be certain not to introduce bacteria or muck! I mention this because my sheep are short tailed, but this ewe has a long wooly messy. I needed a warm bucket of sudsy water & a wash rag to prepare her. I use anti microbial lube. You absolutely want to avoid doing more harm than good!
Thankfully in this case, everything worked brilliantly. The cervix was mostly closed, but I felt no second lamb & within a minute of me slowly removing my hand, the ewe turned & the placenta dropped out in its entirety. It most likely would have found its way out by nearly the 24 hour mark. Keep in mind you never want to pull on a placenta because you risk a tear, hemorrhaging, or worse. The body must expel it.
So thankfully, this series of events falls under my ‘alls well, that ends well’ category. The relief on my friend’s face when her ewe expelled the placenta was priceless. There is nothing worse than worrying about a ewe that just delivered you a beautiful lamb. It’s been a couple weeks & I can say with certainty this big single ewe lamb is going to be a wonderful, solid addition to the flock.
In many lambings, I’ve never had a placenta that didn’t emerge with either a warm bucket of molasses water, or raspberry tea, but the health of the ewe plays a big role. It’s always good to have these facts files away so just in case an anamoly arises in your flock, you’ll be prepared. I find the best prevention of panic is preparation & animal husbandry understanding coupled with care & respect for your animal.
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