The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Gunestone on May 19, 2018, 09:31:06 am
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Our last ewe lambed this morning, twins, around 5am. Both the lambs are active but have been bleating a fair bit, I would say more than previous lambs. They both know where to find the milk and have been sucking a lot but when I checked her milk only a few drops came out. Is this normal or is she not letting down her milk?
Thanks!
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Once the lambs are feeding and blaring you can’t tell much by pulling at her teats. Likely they’ve had all there is for the mo, but she’s unlikely to let you have any now she’s got live lambs :).
Best way, always, to tell if lambs are well fed is to hold them up by their front legs with their back against your legs and look at their bellies. Should be a nice round convex shape up from the groin with the belly button in the middle of it.
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Not normal but happens normally an older ewe in poor condition ,try an injection of oxytocin . You'll have to tube the lambs and see what happens, she may be ok or have enough for 1 lam b only
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I'd watch the lambs carefully, are they curled up sleeping or standing around bleating? If you can bottle feed the lambs do so and that might give the ewe a chance to catch up on her production. If after a couple of days the ewe still doesn't have much milk I'd take a lamb off her. She'll probably be fine with only one to feed
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Thanks for the advice, I've rung the vets and they recommended bottle feeding the lambs and said the ewe may or may not properly let down her milk. :fc: she does.
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Just been out and fed the lambs, one of them sucked fine the other refused all attempts, bleating constantly all the time and then coughing! It's so frustrating when the ewe has a full bag but there's just hardly anything coming out. On the plus side the lamb did a poo down me when I was trying to feed her, so she must have got something from mum.
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Well happy ending. The ewe came into milk on Saturday evening and both of the lambs are doing well :)