Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
feet coming out fi rst, but once you get it started out in this position, speed
is important. The lamb will try to breathe as soon as the umbilical cord is
pinched or broken, so it may suffocate in mucus if things take too long. Wipe
off its nose as soon as it pops out.
Do the following if you decide to rectify the breech position before
delivery:
1.
Slightly elevate the ewe's hind end (use the hay bale or metal garbage can
again).
2.
Push the lamb forward in the womb.
3.
It will be a tight squeeze, but reach in and slip your hand under the lamb's
rear.
4.
Take the hind legs, one at a time, fl ex them, and bring around each foot
into the birth canal.
When the legs are protruding,
you can pull gently until the rear end
appears; then grip both the legs and
the hindquarters if possible and pull
downward, not straight out.
If the ewe is obviously too exhausted
to labor any longer, try to determine if
there is another lamb still inside her.
If not, go ahead and give her a penicil-
lin shot or insert an antibiotic uterine
bolus to prevent infection.
A true breech position,
with tail coming fi rst
Lamb Lying Crosswise
Sometimes a lamb lies across the pel-
vic opening and only the back can be
felt. If you push the lamb back a little,
you can feel which direction is which.
It can usually be pulled out easier hind
feet fi rst, especially if these are closer
to the opening. If you do turn it around
to deliver in the normal position, the
head will have to be pulled around. If it
is also upside down, it will need to be
turned a half turn to come out easily.
Lamb on its side
