The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Yeoman on May 03, 2013, 05:44:56 pm
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We had a pair of Wiltshire Horn twins this morning (around 7ish). The birth was very smooth and they are now 'jugged' in a pen in the lambing paddock. I've watched them a couple of times today and I think the ewe taking a while to slot into motherhood - it's her first time. She seems a bit reluctant to stand and let the lambs feed. Almost as if she is easily distracted - she will forward while they are latched on.
The ewe is nicely 'bagged up' and I saw both the lambs feeding earlier today. The ewe's udders don't look swollen or red and the lambs will suck given the opportunity.
So I'm wondering if the lambs are getting enough food. Their bellies don't have that nice rounded look but they don't look hollow either.
So the question is do I leave alone and review in the morning or do I give them a bottle of colostrum substitute this evening to give them a boost overnight then review in the morning.
Your thoughts would be appreciated...
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If she's a first-timer then it's very possible, as they don't look full, that she isn't standing still for them, and/or they are not latching on effectively.
Get in the pen with them. First of all, check that you can get milk out of both teats - quite possibly the plug is still in there and you will need to remove it. Then hold her steady to give them the chance to suckle properly. If you have any doubt that they're latching on properly, you may need to guide them onto the teat while holding her steady - not easy, but necessary!
If you can't manage it (and it isn't easy, if she won't stand and they won't latch on) you can milk her into a jug then bottle or tube that into them for now - but you will have to get them onto her teats so it's better to get that sorted now or they'll be hungry overnight. They need to be feeding at least every 4 hours at this point, really.
If you have someone who can help you then it's much easier - one holds the ewe steady and the other guides the lamb onto the teat.
You can only be sure the lamb is on the teat if you are looking at the teat in its mouth; other signs such as 'being under her and sucking' and 'waggling its tail' are not reliable indications.
BH's tip is to count for 60 seconds for the first feed - count while the lamb is latched on and sucking effectively (see above); stop counting when it comes off and resume when it's on again. Once they've had a good bellyful, and she's got used to the feeling of it, they usually manage themselves thereafter - but the odd one still needs some help for a wee while, so do check their bellies again later on.
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Sally is spot on. In fact if they don't feed and you leave them overnight they coudl well be dead or seriosuly compromised by morning. Don't worry though , almost ALL first time mothers wonder what on earth ahs happened, and if you follow Sally's tips you will be alright
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Just wanted to say thank you for your help. It's very reassuring to have such a great bunch of people to check with.
In the end, after doing a few checks on the ewe, I put the her (and her twins) in a separate small paddock of their own then sat quietly and watched for a while. Being on their own seems to have settled the ewe down so and she seemed to settle into a more normal routine with the lambs.
She seems to be behaving a bit more normally with them now so fingers crossed...
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....Don't worry though , almost ALL first time mothers wonder what on earth ahs happened, and if you follow Sally's tips you will be alright
What the others are saying re: dealing the ewes is correct - but I have to take slight issue with the above statement. I think out of my 120 or so two-tooths lambing this year, 40 were first timers (the rest lambed as ewe lambs) and of those, 2 had issues.