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Author Topic: Quads eeek!  (Read 3201 times)

sadlerlou

  • Joined Mar 2016
Quads eeek!
« on: March 13, 2017, 05:27:36 am »
Good morning all,

One of my Jacob ewes delivered four healthy lambs all on her own this morning what a clever girl! This is hers (and mine) third lambing, she is an exceptional mother. I have a small flock and have nothing to foster off onto, I've sat and watched everyone have a good feed although I'm very aware she's already got her hands full and they aren't proper little terrors yet. I've just been in to try and top up everyone with some colostrum but they aren't having a stick of it. Any top tips to help or does it just take time for them to learn that bottle means food? I've been sat with them rested in front of my legs and just popping the bottle in their mouths and holding it in there (they just wave their heads around until it's out). I was hoping to leave them with mom and maybe train two to bottle so that I could go in and top them up to give her a hand. Lambs are all lively and well :)

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance

Louise

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Quads eeek!
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2017, 09:28:17 am »
If she's in good condition I'd be inclined to ask around for a "spare" ewe that's lost her lambs on a farm you're confident has good flock health or take off the two strongest lambs completely and bottle rear them.  You have a small window in which the lambs will learn to take the bottle but they'll always prefer Mum if she's there. 

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Quads eeek!
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2017, 10:05:33 am »
Hopefully one or two of them will learn that the bottle is good :yum: as they grow and all want more from mum.  So I would keep offering, as you're doing, a couple of times a day.  And of course, feeding mum plenty of extra concentrates.

Oh, but I'd be offering ewe milk replacement, not colostrum.  I only feed colostrum for the first 12 hours, after that it's ewe milk.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

sadlerlou

  • Joined Mar 2016
Re: Quads eeek!
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2017, 12:47:08 pm »
Thanks so much for your advice! My nearest neighbour has finished lambing now so we are just going to do our best here! Mom is doing great as are lambs. Thanks for the advice
Re milk they were only born at 3 am so going to try and top up with one last colostrum feed now then switch to milk replacer. I had exactly the same panic last year when I was presented with triplets but both my ewes raised them no problem, you can imagine my face when presented with quads! Every days a school day :)

Tim W

  • Joined Aug 2013
Re: Quads eeek!
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2017, 06:51:59 pm »
I had a few girls that raised quads last year---lambed outside, no mothering up needed , grass only
This year I have 1 quin, 12 quads & 105 triplets scanned !  :o

Sbom

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Staffordshire
Re: Quads eeek!
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2017, 06:55:17 pm »
I had a few girls that raised quads last year---lambed outside, no mothering up needed , grass only
This year I have 1 quin, 12 quads & 105 triplets scanned !  :o

105 triplets!! Yikes

sadlerlou

  • Joined Mar 2016
Re: Quads eeek!
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2017, 06:27:22 am »
Wow that's incredible! What breed are yours Tim W? Lovely to hear they can raise quads, moving ours to nursery paddock first today so I can triple check mom can count to four!

Tim W

  • Joined Aug 2013
Re: Quads eeek!
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2017, 08:28:16 am »
Wow that's incredible! What breed are yours Tim W? Lovely to hear they can raise quads, moving ours to nursery paddock first today so I can triple check mom can count to four!

Exlana    www.sig.uk.com www.provensheddingsheep.co.uk

Not all manage to raise quads!
last year I think the ewes scanned at 3+ lambs scanned at 305% and reared 210% (outside, no interference , no bottles, no fostering, no mothering up just left alone)

shotblastuk

  • Joined May 2013
  • Proper Gloucestershire !!
Re: Quads eeek!
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2017, 11:20:37 pm »
Two teats. two lambs is a theory we follow. I'm convinced sheep can only count to two anyway! There's an awful lot of cade lambs for sale this year from quads and triplets, obviously the commercial farmers are latching on to my theory.

sadlerlou

  • Joined Mar 2016
Re: Quads eeek!
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2017, 03:42:08 pm »
Just to update you all, mom is still raising all four lambs and they are all super strong and healthy. You wouldn't be able to single them out as quads! Only four ewes to lamb this year and we had quads, 2 x triplets and a set of twins! All ewes are doing a sterling job  :excited:  thanks for all your advice  :thumbsup:

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Quads eeek!
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2017, 03:50:28 pm »
Are the ewes on good grass with supplementary feeding?  I culled out my Southdown bloodline that regularly had triplets.  The saying around here is "Better a good single than scrappy twins". and this applies even more so to triplets.  I do expect the ewes to last at least 8 lambings, though.

sadlerlou

  • Joined Mar 2016
Re: Quads eeek!
« Reply #11 on: March 30, 2017, 03:56:19 pm »
Yes on good grazing and extra feed. I probably get the chance to nanny them a bit more here as they are part of a farm teaching adults with learning disabilities work based skills so we are around all day everyday. I think the fact they are such fantastic mothers plays a huge part and i have a great 'nursery paddock' attached to the stables which they go in until i'm satisfied lambs can find mom and visa versa

 

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