The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Happy days on May 18, 2021, 09:40:23 pm
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Those who have cade lambs, how do you prefer to feed them? I'm thinking of 4 to 6 next year and wondered if bottles or the buckets either teats were better?
Does it make a difference if they are different ages?
Thanks in advance
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Personally I like bottles and racks, and supervised feeds.
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You can get bottle racks for 4 bottles at the same time, and there is not much time saving to be made by having a bucket with teats (which also needs to be washed out daily).
If you are using milk powder anyway, you can either make up batches for the whole day and then warm the bottles, or make up double strength and then dilute with boiling water just before feeding time (though not with all powders, some stay more clumpy if made up stronger).
And as said above, knowing how much individual lambs drink is always useful. I also find not ever feeding more than 500ml in a single feed just reduces the chances of bloat so much.
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Ad lib feeder for me- mine is similar to the Volac Ewe2 feeder. Once the lambs have learnt to suck (normally takes a day), they look after themselves and grow very well. Fill the feeder twice a day and clean out every morning.
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I use cold ad lib in a bucket feeder. I top up as needed and wash the bucket and teats daily.
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i took advice on here for the same question
i went with the bucket feeder and wished i had done it a few years earlier.
i bottle feed for a week or so and then get them on the bucket
i have just weaned mine cold turkey at 6 weeks old and the lambs have access to water hay and Creep. but they are now out in the field loving life eating grass at
worth the investment