Author Topic: Pot bellied lambs (Read 4090 times)

Kerriech · « **on:** May 23, 2017, 10:35:44 pm »

This is our fourth year of keeping pet lambs. Our lambs this year, seem really pot bellied which hasn't happened before. They are 8 weeks old getting 250ml lamlac 4 times per day. They have free access to creep pellets. And are in a small paddock but with lots of grass. As soon as I finish bottle feeding them they're in at the pellets munching away. Then go grazing!
I've not been able to up the milk from 250 as they get quite bloated. Previous lambs at this age were getting 450 ml 3 times a day, and not looking as round! But definitely not gorging on the pellets.
My gut feeling is to wean them from milk, as I've read milk and creep together can cause bloat and end up killing them.

Any advice??

twizzel · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2017, 10:45:57 pm »

Yes they are definitely old enough to wean, providing they are eating creep and hay and drinking water. You could cut out 2 feeds with the aim to cut out the milk completely in a week, or just abruptly stop it. They will be pot bellied as their tummies have been stretched full of milk at a very young age. The only way we stopped having pot bellied lambs was to have them on an ad lib feeder so they could take little and often like they would on their mothers. They may also be due a worm drench if they are grazing high risk pasture for nematodiris, our pet lambs normally had their first drench in May.

Kerriech · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2017, 11:06:56 pm »

Thanks. They've had a worm drench 10 days ago.
I'll cut them down to 2 bottles for a few days and stick my earplugs in!!

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #3 on:** May 24, 2017, 03:42:03 pm »

Could you keep to the four times a day bottles but the reduce the amount instead - it would be easier for their digestive systems to deal with. I've recently stopped feeding the only lamb this year that needed topping up because the dam was a bit short of milk. I fed her four times a day but gradually reduced the feed down to 60ml twice a day before stopping, much as a lamb weaned naturally would be. I'm not a fan of any kind of abrupt change in diet. None of my lambs are fed creep.

bj_cardiff · « **Reply #4 on:** May 25, 2017, 07:07:49 am »

I'd stop giving them milk straight away if their 8 weeks old and eating creep and grass!

farmers wife · « **Reply #5 on:** May 28, 2017, 08:56:10 pm »

yes you should be weaning at 5-6 weeks and def not bottle feeding but ad-lib after a few days (prevents bloat)

Get them on grass, should of already been on straw/hay/creep/water from 1 week or so.

Do not reduce always stop and cover your ears. They dont need milk to continue. However you need to keep an eye on them due to the stress and make sure they go on non wormy land as they have little resistance compared to the lambs at foot. They shouldnt need worming (I hate this - why worm???) but recommend a vit and mineral drench which is after 5 weeks old. Some lambs do lose condition so keep an eye on that. If you then have a worming problems (confirmed with FEC) then you should worm. Too much worm resistance going on.

We are pasture fed however with the lambs I give them a mix of lucerne pellets with a small mix of multi nuts as I'm concerned about the gut condition and not willing to risk it.