The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Helen Wiltshire Horn on April 02, 2016, 07:53:23 am
-
A quick question. One of my Wiltshire Horn Ewes has lambed triplets out in the field this morning. All seem fine and they are in a mothering pen in a field shelter. They are pretty similar in size and strength. I have syringe fed them 130 ml powdered colostrum between 3 as a precaution but what should I do now? I don't have any ewes that are expecting singles imminently and the ewe who lambed a single last night is weak because she has been suffering from hypocalcaemia and was induced yesterday. Will she cope with triplets by herself or do I need to take one off or supplement feeding? I haven't had triplets before and she was scanned for twins so a bit of a surprise. Thanks in advance.
Helen
-
The answer really depends on your circumstances. We lamb outside and, although it's a small flock, the sheep have to be pretty self reliant to fit in round work. After a few years of trying all sorts of options, we decided this year to take the biggest female triplet off after 24 hours and then bottle/lamb bar feed it. So far this has worked really well. The ones who have had a feed are much easier to get going than the ones you have snatch because something's already wrong.
We have also kept all three on the ewe and given an extra feed every day out in the field, I'm less keen on this as I think it can affect the ewe's milk yield but if she doesn't have much anyway then it's an option and she still does all the mothering. (we have too many now for this to work) My Wiltie crosses are amazing mothers so if you have the time this could be a good option. The only other thing to say would be that you could take two off her if you think she is that weak. I'm sure you don't need me to say get them to suckle her (or milk her out) if at all possible so they get her colostrum..
-
I've not had a huge amount of experience but we had three sets of trips last year - two sets were even sized, big lambs with milky mums. I left them alone.
One set was small but feisty so I left them alone as well - in retrospect, I maybe should have taken the smallest (a tup lamb) off and left the two ewe lambs. But I had nothing to twin on to and didn't want a single bottlefed lamb. None of the lambs ever showed any signs of being hungry but they are still small.
We had a poorly ewe last year and one with not much milk a few yeasr ago - in both cases, I toped the lambs up with a bottle twice a day but left them with mums. They woudl come for theirbottle, slurp it them run back to mum and have a sook. They didn't ever get humanised like purely bottlefed lambs.
Not sure that helps really but good luck with whatever you decide :thumbsup:
-
Thanks so much. Would very much like to leave them with their Mum and top up if necessary. Is it pretty easy getting a lamb to take a bottle in these circumstances? Any tips?
Helen
-
With trips I either take the weakest one or I take the biggest one if the other two are small. Usually I watch them for a bit to decide which one to take away, as mine usually give twins and only sometimes trips it makes everything a lot easier. I don't mind the bottle feeding at all, I love it :excited: Because I lamb outside it is difficult to adopt lambs onto other ewes unless they have lost one.
-
It really depends on the lamb. It should take fine, but its the feeding from both which might throw it off a bit. It really depends on how much of its mums milk its drinking. All the best and I am sorry that I csn't be of more help. :thumbsup:
-
I have 80+ sets of trips due this year and like all other years they will all lamb outdoors unassisted and rear the lambs alone , sometimes one dies at birth but you will be surprised just how good sheep are at coping
Just need a decent food supply (grass) and to be left alone
-
Just need a decent food supply (grass) and to be left alone
.... grass :thinking: ..... not in Wales at 700ft at this time of year .. and after nothing but rain for months! If only :sunshine: would stay out for 3 days in a row!
-
As long as your ewe can count up to three :sheep: :sheep: :sheep:, and has plenty of milk, they'll be fine left together.
I wouldn't supplement, as the ewe's milk volume is hormonally controlled in response to how much sucking goes on.
Keep a close eye on the growth of the lambs and make sure one isn't being consistently left out. We have found that if there are going to be difficulties with getting enough milk, it can start at about 3 weeks, so watch out then extra carefully.
-
Leave them alone and re assess when you have a single lambing. They are better licked and fed by their own mums, then they should be good and strong to wet foster onto a single
-
I decided some years ago to cull out the bloodline of ours that tended to have triplets. Life is now much easier and we generally have a 100% live and thrive result, with zero bottle feeding. I'd continue to feed the ewe to support good milk yield but if she's weak supplementing the lambs too may be the optimum way to go in this particular case. If that's what you choose to do start today as after a few days they get fixated on the teat and it can be difficult (and very splashy) to get them onto a bottle. With three you could get a multi-teat bucket to feed them all at once.
-
We got 5 top ups and three mollies at the moment. The top ups love theyre mums, but I can see as time goes by they may in some cases end up being mollies, so I would take it as it comes, keep em going with top ups, and I bet you ll find some will prefer mum and others will want to stay with the bottle. Time will tell.
-
Sometimes they won't take to a bottle if they're still suckling mum, but if they will, I find topping up in the field the best option, if it's practical for you.
I usually have them all indoors for a couple of days, until the lamb/s I'm topping up run to me when they see me, then move them to small paddock to make sure they'll continue to do do when they're outside. I make a call as I arrive with the bottle, which they'll learn to recognise - for me, it's "Top Uuuuuuppppssss!"
-
If the lambs are of an even size then I have a field for ewes with trips
-
Thanks so much for your replies. Mum and her 3 (two girls and a boy) are in a pen inside and seem to be doing fine. They are all alert and suckling (or at least I have seen them try to suckle) and I would say that they have all had milk from Mum. I will leave them inside for a couple of days or so and then probably turn them out to the adjoining field so she will have her pick of the grass (what there is) and I can feed her without the others fighting for it. I had over an hour's round trip to buy so Lamilac just in case as my local supplier had run out but am feeling more confident. Lots going on this year so could do without bottle feeding a lamb. I had an unresponsive ewe with hypocalceamia on Tuesday night who was induced yesterday and who has thankfully had a healthy lamb (albeit an assited delivery on vet's advice). Anyway, thanks again - was feeling a bit wobbly this morning.
Helen
-
We left triplets on two of ours one year, seemed to have lots of milk and although topped them up they didn't seem to need much. Sadly next year both had "one side only", and next year one had no sides working at all - therefore went on the one-way bus.
We will never leave triplets on again, always take one off and either mother on or bring up as a pet lamb.