The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: twizzel on February 29, 2016, 05:03:53 pm
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Had a nearly 5 week old tame lamb with bloat today mixture of too much milk and creep. Got to him in time and tubed him got gasses out and gave 40ml sunflower oil via syringe. 2 hours later it all came out the other end and he is looking happier, but hungry. Can I give him some milk later? Or just wean him now and give creep and hay? Should he have some more oil in the mean time?
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I'd keep up with the milk for a while longer - if he's eaten too much creep today, he'll do so even more if you stop his milk ;)
But take care to not give too much milk in a sitting, and creep ditto. In theory it shouldn't matter if he has creep immediately after milk, as they go into different stomachs, but I generally leave them for an hour or so after milk before giving any quantity of creep. (A few pellets won't hurt.)
As to tonight, I'd be inclined to include some natural yoghurt in his milk feed, and give him maybe half what you'd normally give.
Would he eat straw instead of hay? Some people think the longer stems of hay can cause issues, and nice barley or oat straw should be safe.
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He's been nibbling on straw today as they were bedded when we did the cows. I wean our lambs by 6 weeks so the rest are going onto bottles but by next week will be off milk. Up until today they have been on a shepherdess so ad lib milk. His stomach was full of milky Gunky creep so had obviously had a guts of milk and creep rather than just eating too much creep on its own. The indication that it's now time to take out the shepherdess and limit milk for the last week. He is drinking water and eating hard food fine.
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Just gave him 300ml of milk so will check him in a couple of hours and see how he is, will go down armed with oil! He was charging round the shed just now so must be feeling better. Have taken the creep out for tonight and maybe reintroduce tomorrow if all is well.