I would suspect white muscle disease, vitamin E/selenium deficiency. It won't hurt to treat, recover very well from the injectable vitamin E/selenium supplementation.

@BroqueCowgirlHomestead

14 күн бұрын

This was my first thought too.

@vwvw4

14 күн бұрын

Her vet would have considered this.

@BroqueCowgirlHomestead

13 күн бұрын

@vwvw4 we don't know that. Nothing has been ruled out or treated for yet in this video.

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Hi 👋 yes this was the vets opinion / until He did the post mortem and saw the kidney and he said that looks like Lead poisoning. So we discussed that we could inject all the lambs for selenium deficiency - however we agreed to wait until we get the test results. He thought that gathering the lambs while they are Some of them a bit vulnerable would add extra stress which may not be beneficial at all, and so his advice was wait for the results and then act. So that’s what we have done. And shut the stock out of the field in question

@BroqueCowgirlHomestead

13 күн бұрын

@@DaleFarm Selenium plays a major role in removing toxins from the body. Especially heavy metals. If they are deficient, kidney damage is very possible.

Don’t knock yourselves. Your diligence is saving lambs lives. You are both top class farmers.

@skipmole612

14 күн бұрын

BS

@Jimyjones333

11 күн бұрын

It’s a shame the care is for profit and not for the lamb… go vegan

@sheepdogman1

11 күн бұрын

@@Jimyjones333 you talk crap. If there wasn’t a market for lambs we as farmers wouldn’t produce them. I wish they were produced for profit i for 1 would be a rich man. But i can assure you we don’t make much per lamb, we have no idea when we produce our stock as to what price we may or may not get until the hammer falls so to speak.

It is clear that in agriculture and livestock, pests and diseases are a great challenge... sometimes very difficult to face!! You always do the most!! An example Joanna!!💪👌🏼🙌

This is no fault of yours Joanna,I am sure the vet will figure it out. The challenges of farming.❤️

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you Leona xx

It's becoming one hell of a challenging year.Hope your luck changes for the 2nd half.

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you so much! ☺️ yeah would be nice to have a better run

I had quite a few several years ago, which was white muscle disease, but only for the one year for some reason. Kept jabbing them with Vitecel which is selenium and vitamin E. Most of them got over it, but not quite all. I've not had the problem since but i think Vitecel is no longer available. Why is it that things which work well end up either out of production or banned? Good luck with your sheep. You're right about problems with sheep, but that's always been the case and always will be. Certainly not your fault but very frustrating and worrying. Not heard of lead poisoning since they banned lead in paint, which animals used to lick of doors etc.

@craigpacker7171

14 күн бұрын

I immediately thought of white muscle disease as well. I've seen it a few times but not in a very long time. But the kidney thing throws a wrench into that theory. To my knowledge, white muscle disease doesn't affect kidneys. It's a degenerative muscle disease, and when I've seen it, it was always the back legs that were affected--never front legs. But perhaps that's just a coincidence. Joanna, if you're seeing this, did your vet rule out white muscle disease? In any case, I'm so sorry this is happening. Unfortunately, things like this are a part of farming. It's awful. To prevent white muscle disease, many sheep farmers dose their lambs with selenium a day or two after they are born. But that's not at all realistic for your setup. I have selenium added to my feed so ewes (and lambs in gestation) are getting selenium. It's also added to my creep feed. It's also possible more than one thing is happening here. Perhaps the lambs that went down on their back legs have white muscle while the "jittery" lambs have something else (lead poisoning?)? I don't think they can rule that out. Again, I am so sorry, Joanna.

@ultrasteve9031

14 күн бұрын

@@craigpacker7171 I've only had the problem once, so i don't know an awful lot about it, but good lambs were going off their legs, mainly back legs, very quickly, and i lost a couple before i knew what the cause was. I asked the vet, who didn't really have a definitive answer. I also asked an old neighbour who usually has some wisdom to pass on. He thought it might be white muscle disease, and to jab them with selenium. I thought it was worth a go and it worked in that, by injecting every other day for up to 2 weeks, they pretty much all recovered. Just remembered i once lost a couple of young suckler calves and the vet did say that it was white muscle disease affecting the heart. Viticel injection at birth was the preventative action and it worked.

looks like sway-back - copper shortage - lost a load of lambs to it over a few days many years ago

Do you have Sheep Laurel (Lambkill) growing in that field? A cure for an affected lamb, is to make a strong, black tea; let cool, and give the lamb a tablespoon or more. (Put about 4 teabags in the pot and boil down till strong.) They will be healthy in about an hour. It sounds crazy but it works. I was tending to my friends' flock, while he was in the hospital. I found a lamb that was staggering around like your lambs. I called the farmer, and he told me about the old Scottish tea cure. When I got out to the barn with the tea, rigamortis was setting in; so I poured about half a cup of tea down its throat. An hour later I checked on it (figuring it to be dead), and was surprised to see the lamb running around, playing with its mother! Sheep Laurel has pink flowers, and grows on the same ground as blueberries.

Hi Dale farmer l am very sorry 🙏 to hear about your class lamps and your sheep 🐑 to your a lovely farmer girl ❤❤❤❤❤

Hi Joanna. Thank you for sharing this update. I hope you find the answers soon to resolve the issues with the lambs. Kind thoughts and good vibes from down south. 🌞

Joanne, I'm so sorry to hear about this current problem.what you have to realise is that it is not your fault you look after your stock very well and should be proud of what Nick and yourself have achieved . Hope results come back during the week. Take care xx

Hi, sorry to hear of your plight. I have offered my veterinary thoughts in the past and hope you see this amid the sea of varyingly helpful comments you have received. I agree with your vet that lead poisoning should definitely be on the list of differential diagnoses along with selenium and copper deficiencies. The best chance of diagnosing these is from a sample of liver tissue. In the case of delayed swayback you would need spinal.cord tissue to be sampled. I would urge you to send any further cases to your local APHA lab where they will work to establish a diagnosis, and will usually get funding to delve much deeper than a single kidney test for lead. Many conditions cannot be diagnosed by eye and need these tests. Please also be aware of the future consequences of lead. If your lambs have received a low dose they will likely need further testing later in the season to confirm they are safe to enter the food chain, this can be done via a blood test after 16 weeks post exposure. Amid the crisis still be aware that not every ill lamb will be caused by this condition and most lameness cases in lambs this age will likely be caused by scald. I hope the results bring a conclusive diagnosis but at this stage I would still be getting tissue or whole.lambs to a government lab. You still want to know selenium and copper status whether or not there is a lead issue but early signs are that you are winning. Explore the option of thiamine (Vit B1) as a therapy to reduce lead accumulation if it hasn't been discussed already. Best wishes 🤞🏻

Thank you for sharing. It can't be easy to show what's happening and your emotions. Keep up the good work and diligence.

Any ingestion of lead particles should be visible in lamb droppings, as it would not break down completely in the digestive system and thereby pass through the bowel. Of course, a very small percentage would get into the bloodstream to cause lead poisoning over time. I do hope that the mystery sickness can be resolved very soon, Joanna. 🙏🙏🤞

My heart goes out to you, you work so hard on the farm with the sheep. I hope you get the results and it can shed some light on a solution for you.

Very sad indeed - We had a fox come into the garden a couple of years ago with the same symptoms - Back legs dragging and disorientated - called the RSPCA and they said that it was meningitis, and a strain was doing the rounds - As Meningitis spreads so easily, could this have been the problem??

Well done, you have been amazing through a very traumatic situation. As you said it is most distressing because you care, don't give up the world needs people who care..............🙏🙏🙏

I'm sorry you're facing this. Thanks so much for sharing, & kudos for your diligent efforts to rectify the situation. People often tell me they want to get away from the city & live on a farm. I always try to tell them about the heartaches I experienced growing up on one. No one ever says so, but I suspect they think my family just did it wrong & that it won't happen to them. Even the best farmers have things go awry.

Horrendous thing to happen. Fair play for showing as I could see it helping others facing difficult circumstances. Hope you are through the worst of it.🤞

Hope you get to the bottom of this. Very puzzling. All the best 🇬🇧.

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you for the support x

I am so sorry that this has happened to you. It has to be so frustrating for you to have to wait so long for confirmation of cause. I know that you have done all the right things and have given so much care to your flock. Hopefully you have an answer now and are able to have that affirmation from the Vet about the lead. Sending you hugs during this trying time.

Hi Joanna we had lambs going off there left and getting still and we had a bad batch of iodine in the middle of lambing we did loose a few to but thanks for sharing your Video and all the best from Berriew by Welshpool Powys

Heartbreaking to hear and I am certain of your commitment and love for the flock. This too shall pass and you will find a better way ahead. Cheers to you and Nick. You are both loved by so many. Peace.

I see many shipping pallets on the property. Do you check the marks? The key for the preservatives used on them is on KZread. There are several videos that explain this problem very well. I am sorry for the loss of the lambs but thank you for sharing the realities of farming with everyone. My prayers are with you.

Jo don't upset yourself you are both great at what u do xx

Hi Joanna what a hard video to watch, i can't imagine how you were feeling. You and Nick work so hard looking after all your stock, the stress you are under must be eminence. Hope you at least get some sort of definite answer soon, after the shocking weather we have been having then this you both must be exhausted. Thank you for sharing it could not have been easy take care and be safe 👍 😊.

Just started watching your videos, love them ,

Wishing you all the best in this diffycult time. ❤

Very sad but interesting video! Keep going things will get better!! There’s a lot of farmers in the same boat losing lambs due to bad weather! We can see u are both doing more then ur best and unfortunately that’s all u can do is ur best ❤❤ keep ur chin up things will get better

I’m so sorry, hope you get some definitive answers.

Polio, Sandi Brock Sheepishly Me had the same problem with one of her lambs. She used Thiamine, and if I recall, Selenium? Good Luck 👍

@janw491

14 күн бұрын

Selenium, thiamine. Yep

Jo you are a top shepherd, and the care and attention you give your stock is first class, this is bad luck but hopefully there will be a resolution, and soon. Best wishes from EA.

Hi Joanna, I look forward to the vet at last coming up with a definite reason why. Crossing my fingers for you. Thank gawd you didn't have more lambs in that field. OK! Good luck 😊

Look into white muscle disease. I had this problem with lambs 2 years ago. They all came good. Keep the head up!

Sorry to hear this and hope you find the reason soon, also well done for working out that it only affected the lambs in that field.

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you Ian x

Farming is a challenging life, you will come out on top after this tough time 🤗🤗

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

It sure is Brian xx

Hi Joanna, Sorry to hear your bad news. All of this happening after what was looking like a promising year for you and Nick. I know the lambing season means a lot to you both and it just goes to show how quickly happy events can turn into disasters. I do hope that things will resolve themselves for both of you...👍🏻

Arr bloody hell didn't need that happening hopefully your get the result and be able to deal with it 🤞 Take care 👍

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you! Yeah definitely didn’t need that! But hey that’s farming

Very sad to watch this video hope all is sorted soon take care you are both doing your best x

Awwh 😢so sorry Joanna I’m glad you have at least got an idea of what’s going on, let’s hope it won’t happen again x

Hey Tough times dont last but tough people do. U will get this sorted dont reproach yourself.

@DaleFarm

5 күн бұрын

Thank you that’s a really kind comment

Hello Joanna and Nick, my goodness it's always something with livestock . Hopefully the tests will confirm the problem. Good luck, hang in there, you certainly are good at taking care of business.

what a shocking lambing season you have had Joanna - you father would be proud of how you have handled it as what you are going through he might not have had to deal with otherwise you would have known about it through your talks with him when he was with you on the farm - my question is and it might be from left field did you bring in new rams this year? Are you experiencing in effect birth defects that have taken time to develop or are they to a stage the lambs can no longer hide that they are not well (you know sheep and lambs hide illness and you often just find them dead) - I hope it all works out for you somehow - it is stressful but take it as a learning experience and as you are talking about it online others can learn from this as well

I'm praying for your lambs. 🙏 Jesus is the good shepherd, Gospel of John, chapter 10 and you are the good shepherdess.❤

So sorry to hear of your plight with the lambs. Its really tough when its out of your control til you know what it is. Did you get blood taken from lambs. Hope results come back soon.

Sorry this has happened to you. Poor lambs and their mums. Have any of the affected ones improved? Definitely looked like some kind of toxicity. I hope you get answers soon!

Sorry to hear about your lambs hopefully things get better soon for you.

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you Declan x

It is really common as the lambs start to wean off ewe to get white muscle.. definitely looks like selenium and I would give thiamine as well. Get your soil/grass tested as you grow/cut your own hay test your soil/grass.

@tomotoole7241

14 күн бұрын

Its only happening in one field of sheep if it was a deficiency it would affect all

Oh Dear! What a frustrating turn of events! I’m so sorry this has happened. Same fields as always and no previous issues!? Until now. How strange! Is there a history of lead mining in your area? A more thorough investigation/medication effort might be in order. I do hope and pray all the best for you and your flock. ✌🏻❤️🇺🇸🙏🏻🇬🇧

Is ther ane old tratcor battrys or eletrick fence battrys around headgs i hear lans lickn em and poisn em

Tough Jo I know livestock dead stock but still hits you! Stay strong guys

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you for your support.

This is a very upsetting situation about your beautiful little lambs I hope by now you did get the results and keep strong you Joanne and Nic and I know is very hard in this time on your farm and I wish you all the best 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

Hi Joanne, pretty sure this is a vitamin E / selenium deficiency which can be remedied with an injection. Keep your chin up, both of you, you’re a fantastic job in what can only be described as a very trying spring. Neil

@fionaworrell4535

13 күн бұрын

Yes antibiotics and vit e

I'm so sorry. The public need to understand the financials of providing food. There needs to be more support.

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you x

can you cover the area of suspected lead with4-5" of clean fill and grade it so after re seeding the rain will run off gradually . Your doing everything you can, I wish you both get some good answers , good luck

Hi Jo Oh dear that’s such a shame But not your fault so don’t blame yourself it’s just unfortunate that it happened to your poor lambs. I hope you don’t have anymore poorly lambs and you can get back on track Take care Love Kim xx

I'm keeping everything crossed for you both 🤞❤️

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you Allan x

Such sad news Joanna. Is the field in question anywhere near the spot where you caught the gentleman with the dog attacking your lambs? Suspicious me would not doubt someone like him tossing a few handfuls of something poisonous into your field out of spite. Horrible people are capable of doing horrible things.

was that a public path paddock ??? hugssssssss

Sorry about the lambs. I hope that the cause can be determined and that all will be well soon. Working with all the animals on the farm seems to be very exacting physically and emotionally. My thoughts are with you. Good luck.

Triplets are you still feeding those ewes? If yes then it has to be vitamins and drop off for singles/twins as singles haven't been given extra feed right? Twins if you stopped feeding the ewes after lambing again... vitamins just off soil/grass

Was that the field where the dogs attacked, could have been caused by excessive stress

Terrible news, and praying for an answer. Something differential in the intake (or injections) between the lambs and the adults. Although, different results between fields is strong evidence of something in the soil.

Is that field accessible to to public? Ie; a walking pathetic? Maybe a child or someone is feeding the lambs something. If it is can you electric fence off so much of the field that they cannot interact?

u are doing a good job

Is someone poisoning them or did it come in the food

Bloody hell i have not seen anything like that.Hope they find the cause.After all the hard work in lambing.not easy but keep going Joe you can fight through this.

You will get on top of it. The joys of farming...

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you for the support

With so much out of your control, Please don’t blame yourself. I understand your frustration of not knowing what’s happening… Lead poisoning? And only with a few Lambs? 🐑… That’s very odd🤔… Stay Strong and I hope you get an answer soon! ✌️

This is heartbreaking, I hope you have answers very soon

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you xx

Hi Joanna,could it b the burnt oil on the fencing stakes if the licked them,it could cause poison it can b very toxic if any animals lick it,I feel for ye after all the hard weather ye had and then all the work ye had with lambing, do not blame yourself ye are very hard workers and give it all to the farm,take care of each other.

so sorry to hear this its a part of farming I guess I hope you get some answers and no more are lost Rx

Don't be getting upset Joanne. It could be something simple. I never seen that before..Good luck with everything xx

I will send up some prayers for the lambs AND for you and Nick.

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you xx

So sorry to hear about this, such a horrible spring weather wise this is the last thing you need, but it will pass it away dose by the way check out the sheep shepherd it's an Irish wed wedsite

I know I sound like a cracked record Joanna but you are doing everything that anybody could do in the circumstances by getting the vet in for their assessment of the situation. Lead poisoning certainly looks to be the culprit with the afflicted lambs being from the one field. It's a horrible dilemma for you Joanna and I wish to God I could be more helpful. My best wishes always.

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Thank you Jeff. Hoping to Find out this week and then we can move forwards and learn as well.

What's not to say all this rain has drawn up mineral from the ground or been wash into the field

@DaleFarm

13 күн бұрын

Yeah exactly !!

I am sorry to hear about your lambs so could the wet weather have any thing to do with it that as brought some thing to the surface you are both good farmers

Hello ye are both doing a great job on farming don't beat yourself up over it that is just farming ❤

I love your Gutsy approach after such an emotional shock & turmoil & your forensic pursuit of the truth and the Lead Poisoning potential is Conscientious Farming with the Welfare/Duty of Care of the Lambs Top Class - Here's hoping this gets sorted positively - So Tragic seeing Dead Lambs Best Wishes Joanna & Nick David xx

I'm sure you considered thiamine or selenium deficiencies. Because it's localized to one field, I have to wonder if it's possible the field was treated? Pesticides? Fertilizer? Have you put any seed down? I know that seed is often pre-treated, could it be that there's something in the seed treatment that the lambs, based on their body size, might get a large enough dose, even if they spit it out in distaste, so that they're affected in a way that the ewes, with much greater mass can just shrug off? Is the field that is suspect.... is that the same field that absolute tosser let his dog into the field? The guy who was quite menacing and threatening? Any chance there is a deliberate action and malice aforethought? I'm not done with the video, so I won't hit "comment" yet, but I'm thinking right now just for ideas or options. Have you treated the lambs on that side of the field? Could it be something as simple as a different brand of tail bands, where one is infused with a substance that became concentrated in a bad batch? Are there border plants (on the border of the field) that might have been treated, and whatever was used was more toxic than expected? Are they in closer to the vicinity of another type of animal or crops where the runoff from the crops might contain some unusual ingredient? I would be so distraught! I had one baby that was still born this year (lamb, out of 13 born, one wasn't alive).... and even that caused me distress. I couldn't help wondering if it was my fault for going to my day job and not being here when she started to lamb. Lead poisoning? Wow, how does that happen? you've had lambs in that field before haven't you? Now I've seen the whole video, I'll leave my earlier thoughts even though you've already ruled many of those things out. This year was the first year I had all my lambs born within a month of one another instead of spread out over three months, I got the chance to observe lamb behavior a lot more than prior years. You're totally right, they will eat anything they see.... I've seen them nibbling dirt, twigs, sticks, etc. I've never heard of a "Lead Rake" but I guess it's a thing. Hopefully you've solved the mystery, and can avoid future losses. Thank you for sharing!

What was the result? Did you get it figured out?

sorry to hear this

lets hope you had found the source of the problem always sad when you lose stock stay strong take care

Not nice to see those lambs but it's the reality of rural life, I am not a Farmer but as a truck driver I visit a lot of farm's. Talking to other's it seems to be a difficult lambing season this year and a lot are saying it's after sending the lambs out on the field, I am not sure if what you are finding is the same but a lot of the old farmer's are blaming a bug from wet hay and something tick related. I hope you find a solution and wish you the best of luck going forward. If I could offer you some advice contact a good Aglime contractor and get the soil sampled it's a neutraliser and un lock's all the good trace element's locked in the soil.

So sorry for you I hope if someone did this they get caught and held accountable to the full extent of the law!

Lead poisioning tends to affect the central nervous system especially in cattle, im not seeing that in the lambs, but it does appear to b something toxic, best of luck

Oh Joanna so sad to see this issue. Sounds like a poison ☠️ need a sample from the field to find if there’s a high probability they all have large amounts of poisonous bacteria or chemicals. Isolate the area all the lambs with illness.Also can you remember if your dad had any similarities with this illness. Must get to the bottom of this for future. Fingers crossed 🤞🏼

in the states i here people say if you have live stock you got dead stock i dont like the saying but seems normal for them i have never heard a Canadian say that............im so sorry about the dying baby lambs hugssssss

Could it be a deficiency? Selenium? Thiamine?

I am so saddened by the news of the lambs. But you are making sure that you are all being proactive to best support your sheep. I pray there are no more deaths and your sheep recover from this. I am so proud of you showing the ups and the downs of farming. It is hard to show the dreary parts of farming and you do not sugar coat it. Thank you for sharing. Please continue to be strong. 💪 🙏🏽❤️

Thiamine Joanna it’s been in the states same thing multiple daily doses check with your Vet ASAP followed by solinium

It's been so wet the lead will be high and there might be other things coming to the surface. Are the cows ok that you have on the moor .

Wonder how would they get lead poisoning 😢😢

Sandi brock from sleepishly me also has this problem

Have you any broken tractor batteries used lieing about as they have lead in them if split stock can lick them

What about polio, deficiency in Selenium And Niacin?

@meiraloraduncan8953

14 күн бұрын

Try not to be too hard on yourself because you can't control things that sometimes happen in nature What exactly are lead rakes?? I have never heard about this before.

Sorry for the loss of them poor babies 😢

May be one of the angry unleashed dog owner revenge

enlightening....