The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: crobertson on March 29, 2020, 07:43:19 pm
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Really appreciating everyone's advice on here lately as this lambing season has really thrown a lot our way that we've never experienced before.
I noticed one lamb from a triplet ewe, only has 2 lambs on her, looked a bit hunched up when we brought in from the field yesterday evening, I thought maybe because they're new to being out and playing a lot with other lambs yesterday she might not have drank as much as usual. I decided to keep them in a big pen today, both lambs suckle frequently but don't ever seem full, never empty but never full. One looks pretty normal but one is more hunched up than the other.
The lambs are 7 days old, the ewe was lambed by the vet who gave oxytocin at the time and we've had no issue until yesterday - both lambs have been well fed.
Can a ewes milk just run out after feeding so well for 5-7 days?
I couldn't get any milk out of one teat (but I'm not the most experienced) but the lambs seem to suckle and tail wag ocacsionally as if they're getting something . She did lose condition the last week pre lambing due to a prolapse and very stressful time for her with the vet sorting that which did knock her (not wanting to eat etc). Today she seems to be really hungry and eating lots of hay, ewe nuts and drinking lots of water.
I'm hoping this means she'll be starting to produce more milk.
I've tried the lambs with a bottle which wasn't very successful and they barely took anything.
Thanks in advance!
Forgot to add no signs of mastitis and ewe has lambed and raised twins previously.
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You have explained all the reasons why she has very little milk in your post , the lambs are already making bigger demands on her milk and one is getting more , yes if she is now eating better more milk will come but not to the amount produced if she were fit . If one lamb is looking hunched and hungry then it will only get worse so you can either leave on the ewe and top up the struggling lamb and hope she produces enough milk or make a pet lamb .
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While accepting that this ewe has problems, traditionally the best thing for encouraging an increase in a ewe's milk supply is to add some roots to her diet. Something like the equivalent of one fodder beet/day. I live near a carrot producer so have just got a load of carrots for mine.
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I've had the same problem this year. I think the grass isn't very good quality this year and the ewes have lost condition quite quickly which has affected their milk production. The ewes of mine affected had lambed between 7 days and 21 days before it struck. I have had 4 ewes that went on to develop mastitus. Two of them still had a working quater so I took away one lamb, two ewes have it so bad the bag is ruined and I've had to take away their lambs and one older ewe didn't have enough milk for 2 lambs so I removed one.
I think the lambs are being very rough and caused it. Its not a problem I usually have. I've never had much sucess with topping lambs up fromthe bottle as they rarely take it.