The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: LabSheep on April 22, 2020, 09:10:38 pm
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Hi,
Your advice/opinion would be greatly appreciated.
I have a 30 day old orphan lamb, he is kept separately in a lovely pen with a hut, and can currently see and play with the other lambs (with their mums) through the fence and when I feed him, I let him out.
I am due to move them to my other field, where my hoggets are. I will be dividing the field up. Do I put the lamb with the hoggets or lambs/ewes?
I am still bottle feeding the lamb, and as I said I bring him out to play with the other lambs, and obviously the ewe's head butt him away... so what is my best option for the little fella's wellbeing... I was hoping not do create another pen for him.
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Put him with the others. I put my orphan lambs in the comunal pen with all of the ewes and lambs from about a week old. The other lambs have to learn not to suckle from ewes that aren't their mothers from 2 days old, so a lamb that isn't trying to suckle will get the message to keep out of the ewes was very quickly! If you have concerns make a 'creep hurdle' so the lambs can get into a pen but the ewes cannot. It works well to protect the orphan lamb, but the other lambs always end up going in too and the ewes get upset that they can't mother them!
At 30 days old I would put him out with the others during the day and bring in at night. I would be worried that he'd sleep next to the gate on his own, rather than follow the flock (as he's not been kept with them). After a week or so he should intergate with the other lambs in the flock and you have to call him for feeds. I would leave out overnight with them then.
Others have warned about bottle fed lambs having access to creep and grass. I have never had any problems with bloat. I feed mine at aprox 4 hour intervals throughout the day and 350ml a feed, always at room temprature rather than warm.
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hi
i have one this year shes been kept with the flock only 2 weeks old
she is better off with them and she stays out in the field with the rest of the flock
they all have access in and out of a poly tunnel but rarely use it
i feed her 4 times a day but i often drive by the field and she is frollocking with the other lambs
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Put him with the others.
If you have concerns make a 'creep hurdle' so the lambs can get into a pen but the ewes cannot. It works well to protect the orphan lamb, but the other lambs always end up going in too and the ewes get upset that they can't mother them!
At 30 days old I would put him out with the others during the day and bring in at night. I would be worried that he'd sleep next to the gate on his own, rather than follow the flock (as he's not been kept with them). After a week or so he should intergate with the other lambs in the flock and you have to call him for feeds. I would leave out overnight with them then.
This ^