The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Missy on May 12, 2021, 03:39:53 pm
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My ewe has mastitis and picking up a/bs later. She still has milk and hopefullyvwill let lambs feed later.
My question is they are a month old if she won't let them feed will they take a bucket at this late stage?
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We just had exactly this happen. Start with a bottle and persevere. It's taken nearly a week, but they're now happily drinking from a bottle, and could be given a bucket easily enough.
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My ewe has mastitis and picking up a/bs later. She still has milk and hopefullyvwill let lambs feed later.
My question is they are a month old if she won't let them feed will they take a bucket at this late stage?
They should do, but likewise they will probably survive without too if push came to shove. See if you hold her whether they can suck her, they will draw out the infection. Be sure to give her anti-inflammatory too, mastitis is obviously very painful. And cull her at weaning or at least don’t tup her again. I’ve had a ewe go down with it this week too, put it down to the cold wet weather.
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A month old is an awkward stage another week or two and they would survive on just grass , normally a ewe with mastitis can rear one lamb and maybe if you can top up she MAY rear both . IF you caught the mastitis early ( udder still warm )and give strong AB and a pain killer she MAY keep milking on both sides . Lambs at a month old can take straight to a bottle or take a week to get the idea ??