# Why is it always the best ones?



## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

Went out to feed the other day and found a ewe (our favorite ewe too, she was born here and is almost a pet!) walking around on 3 legs. The other front leg was just dangling useless. We put her in a lambing jug by herself, but she was really going crazy without her set of 3 month old twins, so we stuck them in with her to try to keep her from hurting herself any worse. We felt along the leg and there was an area of instability just below the knee. So, we called the vet and he said to bring her in. We loaded her up and took her in. He felt the same instability that we did and said there was no need for x-rays because he could tell it was fractured. He rigged up some hardware and wrapped her leg up in a padded splint and put this traction thingy on it. She has to keep that on for 4 weeks. We need to keep her in the lambing jug with her babies as she's in real danger out with the other 60 some sheep we have right now, being knocked down, pushed around, etc. I also have to feed her tums every day for calcium because he thinks her two BIG lambs have just leached so much calcium from her that she can't keep up. She gets mineral free choice, but obviously has a higher calcium need than our other sheep. She loves the fruit flavored tums and eats them like candy out of our hands. She lays down and gets up all by herself and we're hoping that in a months time she'll be almost as good as new. She's a 3 year old Katahdin who always has thrown big twins (this years twins weighed 9 lbs each) and is a great mom. The nicest part is the vet charged us a mere $70.00 for the doctoring he did, welding the hardware and all. (We chatted with him while he made it. I love country doctors). One young ram lamb sold and we've made that back. This is her, with one of her 3 month old ewe lambs photo bombing her.


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## hastyreply (Nov 10, 2012)

Can you pen her lambs next to her for company but wean them so they don't pull her down? I know older lambs can be rough when they nurse, picking up the ewe. I had a lamb break a hind leg a few years ago but she was a week old and she healed fine. Some times it's harder on the the opposite leg that doesn't break because it carries so much of the weight. A friend had an older lamb break a hind leg and he healed but to watch him you would think the opposite leg had been injured. He ended up being sold for a pet. He just had to hard a time getting around. 

Good luck with her.


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## farmmaid (Jan 13, 2003)

We went through this three years ago, front leg also. We stalled her for 6 weeks, four weeks is to soon. She is fine now, a little calcum deposits where broke, average person would never notice. She was 45 days prego and carried twins full term and they were perfect...we were worried because of pain meds we gave her. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

That's a neat cast/frame she's got. Good luck with her!


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