Practical Lambing and Lamb Care
Third Edition
by Andrew Earles et al

• A first aid manual for all sheep farmers and veterinary students, with essential information on improving lamb mortality and avoiding stress at lambing time

• New material on zoonotic infections, handling and storage of drugs, flock health plans, and considerations for organic producers

• Lots of colour photographs to aid in the diagnosis, treatment and management of disease

This fully revised new edition of Practical Lambing and Lamb Care attempts to unravel this complex subject by providing practical guidance and information on all aspects of lambing and lamb care. It covers the major diseases and problems in lambs, from poisoning to foot and mouth disease, and includes chapters on the health of the ewe (including abortion issues), preventative methods, lambing techniques and also considers animal welfare issues.

Contents

1. The newborn lamb
   Problems facing the 'perfect' lamb; Constraints on lamb viability; Summary

2. Lambing the ewe
   The normal lambing; Approach to assistance; Specific problems; Resuscitation of the newborn; After an assisted lambing

3. Problems in lambs
   Abscess; Acidosis; Arthritis; Atresia ani; Atypical pneumonia; Bladder stones; Bloat; Blowfly strike (myiasis); Bone abnormalities; Border disease; Broken leg; Castration (incorrect); Cerebrocortical necrosis (Polioencephalomalacia, CCN); Chilling; Cleft palate; Cobalt deficiency; Coccidiosis; Constipation; Copper deficiency; Copper poisoning; Cripples; Daft lamb disease; Diarrhoea; Enteritis; Entropion; Erysipelothrix infection; Exposure; Eye infections; Eyelid (turned in); Faecal spoiling; Foot and mouth disease; Fractures; Hairy shaker; Hernia; Husk; Hyperthermia; Hypothermia; Inhalation pneumonia; Iodine deficiency; Jaw defects; Joint defects; Joint ill; Lamb dysentery; Legs (broken); Listeriosis; Liver abscess (Liver necrosis); Lockjaw; Louping ill; Lungworm; Muscular dystrophy; Navel hernia; Navel ill; Neonatal ataxia; Nephrosis; Open mouth; Orf; Overshot jaw; Paralysis; Parasitic gastroenteritis; Pasteurellosis (enzootic pneumonia); Photosensitization (Yellowses); Pine (cobalt deficiency); Poisoning; Premature birth; Pulpy kidney; Rattle belly; Redfoot; Redgut; Ribs (fractured); Rickets; Roundworm infection; Ruminal acidosis; Scad (scald); Scour; Selenium deficiency; Sheep scab; Slavers (Slavery mouth); Spinal abscess; Starvation; Stiff lamb disease (Muscular dystrophy, White muscle disease); Stones; Strike; S; Tetanus (Lockjaw); Tick-borne fever; Tick infestation; Tick pyaemia; Trembling; Umbilical hernia; Undershot jaw; Urinary calculi (Stones); Vitamin E deficiency; Watery mouth (Rattle belly, Slavers, Slavery mouth); White muscle disease; Wounds; Yellowses

4. Problems in ewes
   Abdominal hernia (ruptures); Hypocalcaemia (Lambing sickness, Milk fever, Parturient paresis); Hypomagnesaemia (Grass staggers, Lactation tetany); Mastitis (Udderclap); Metritis; Pneumonia; Pregnancy toxaemia (Twin lamb disease); Prolapsed vagina; Prolapsed uterus

5. Abortion in ewes
   Non-infectious abortion; Infectious abortion

6. Prevention of problems
   Prevention of problems in ewes; Prevention of problems in lambs; Assessment of losses; Ewe body-conditioning scoring; Vaccination; Vitamin supplementation; Mineral supplementation; Prevention of problems in organic management systems

7. Techniques for treating newborn lambs
   Diagnosis of problems; Feeding the newborn lamb; Administration of drugs; Warming hypothermic lambs; Care of the weak lamb; Artificial rearing; Fostering; Castration; Navel dressing; Ear tagging and electronic identification; Giving an enema

8. Welfare at lambing
   Welfare codes; Relevant United Kingdom legislation; Problems in lambs; Problems in ewes; Humane destruction; Shepherd welfare

Lambing equipment checklist
Further reading
Useful internet addresses
Glossary

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