Question about blood tinged vaginal discharge in 6 month old ewelamb

Hi folks I hope you are there waiting to help me!

I have a ewe lamb 6 months old.  She’s in a pen with another ewe lamb and a ram lamb of the same age.  They’ve been together approximately a month.  They came from different flocks.

My question is about Fiver, my Finn ewe lamb.  I did notice the ram attentive to her a week or so ago.  She seems healthy active and happy.  Eats well.  Today I was gone until 4:00.  I was bery surprised to see her wool around her vulva tinged pink.  Not blood red, just pink.  Vulva a little swollen, a drip of bloody discharge clinging to the point at the bottom of her vagina.  No noticable smell.  

What?  Why?  Recommendations?  I had a 4H lamb 60 years ago.  I had dairy goats for 10 years.  That is the extent of my experience.  I would hate to lose her.  She is sweet and tame.  And I already have $600 worth of ewe lambs in the compost pile.  Thank you for any help.

I am sure you know more about ewes than I do though it sounds like your ewe has come into heat.

The ram may have breed her.

Thanks, Anne.  I guess that’s possible, though it doesn’t particularly fit the online descriptions I have found.

I wonder if she could have aborted, though again I haven’t found any online descriptions of what that would look like.

When I first started with goats, the best source of information was permies.  I am still hoping someone with lots of experience with sheep will pop up with a wealth of insight and information.

Mine don't normally come into heat their first fall/winter.  

Blood could mean an infection or parisites.  Have a look under the eyelid for colour to see if they have any other health stressors.  



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If you have a vet or a microscope, it might be worth doing a fecal count to see if there's anything nasty in there.  The only time I had symptoms like that in a lamb that age was with cocci.  They had just moved from another farm and the stress of the move caused a flair up.  (and I'm still bitter about the first vet saying there was no treatment, put it down - there is treatment and the ewe lived a lovely life).  Bloody poo was the first symptom, but it very quickly went downhill in 24 hours.  So if it's not failing fast, it's probably not cocci.  

It could also be the ram was confused and took an interest in her too early.  Or her first time with a ram.  

I think it's a breed thing, as far as when they come into their first estrus. My babydoll/ Hampshire was pregnant at about 6 or 7 months. There's a good chance you have a lamb or two on the way.

Thanks, All

Today she is still fine.  It’s always no fun going out in the morning saying “I wonder how many (living) sheep I have.  And so JOYFUL when I have everybody, and all in good condition.  Fiver still has a swollen “red” vulva… looks like a goat just prior to kidding.

No odor, no discharge, wiggling her tail.  Eating and drinking “normally”.  And she appears to have her normal mood.

I posted last night because if she hadn’t been normal and healthy this morning , I would have had some idea where to start.

Checking the inside of the eyelids is something I know from my years with goats.  I can keep that in mind for my sheepies.  And stress.  And parasites.  And, being she is a Finn sheep, and was one of five herself, she may have several in there!  Might be I will be bottling next spring😊.

r ranson wrote:It could also be the ram was confused and took an interest in her too early.  Or her first time with a ram.  

First time for both of them 😊