The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Pasture Farm on February 28, 2012, 04:55:53 am
-
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:53 am Post subject: Rejected Lamb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Its so frustrating to see,
I woke up at 2.15 this morning and looked on the sheep cam, one of the Ewes was was giving birth. I watched on the camera and 10 mins later she had birthed laid down, the lamb i could see gave a splutter and a shake, the Ewe laid for another ten mins and then got up turned to look at what she had done and then walked off. I went to the barn put the lamb into a small pen and put mum in also. Its now 4.45 and all she has done is headbut the lamb away.
This is her second year she did the same last year but i accepted the fact that it was her first time, Ah well guess she just dont like kids !!
Fortunately its a good strong single, so it looks as though its bottle feeding for this one.
_________________
-
You have given this ewe 2 chances, yes the first time mums does not matter what animal it is we all give them another chance, you should now decide the practicality of keeping this ewe for future breeding,( I know it may sound hard but it is not meant to) maybe it is time to get rid of her as she will just keep doing the same over and over. :sheep: :sheep:,
-
You have given this ewe 2 chances, yes the first time mums does not matter what animal it is we all give them another chance, you should now decide the practicality of keeping this ewe for future breeding,( I know it may sound hard but it is not meant to) maybe it is time to get rid of her as she will just keep doing the same over and over. :sheep: :sheep:,
could not agree more.
by getting rid i suspect lill means into the freezer rather than pass her on.
-
We are just sat here now and decided that as soon as she is dry she will be at market (meat not breading)
Its just so annoying
-
You've been more generous than I would have been. Would have culled the first time.
-
Hi again, yes definitely into the freezer don't sell her on as you are giving someone else the same problem. :sheep:
-
Hi again, yes definitely into the freezer don't sell her on as you are giving someone else the same problem. :sheep:
the trouble with taking a single to market is someone is likely to buy her to keep rather than kill most cull ewes are sold in numbers.
-
You could try and "force" the ewe to accept the lamb. I've seen it work before; tie up the ewe in a very restricted space for feeding time for a few days. If the lamb is quite strong and lively, it'll soon learn to sneak its milk - some always managed to get a belly full, from between mum's legs when she was busy eating... Might be worth the effort to avoid having to bottle or bucket feed.
-
Another ploy to "kick start" the mothering instinct is to tie a dog up near the ewe. I have seen ewes suddenly decide, in the presence of this danger, that their lambs are now the most precious thing in the world.
-
Sorry the ewe has rejected her lamb for a second time, sounds like she is not cut out to be a mother! I've only ever had one ewe completely reject one of her lambs, even though this ewe had successfully lambed for the past three years and been a really good mum. Last year she had twins and the first one (a boy) was huge. The second one (ewe) didn't come till about two hours later and by this time the mum was firmly bonded with the first and treated the second twin as a stranger. She headbutted it away every time it came close, I even rubbed the male's afterbirth all over her but she didn't want to know. Tied her up and held her head away so the girl could suckle, and managed to do enough of this for the lamb to get the colostrum. But every time I left the lamb in with the ewe I came back to find it on the other side of the hurdle! I think she was escaping for her own safety!
I bottle fed this little girl and she has been luckier than her brother who went off to market ... :-\ - I'm now keeping her for a breeding ewe.
If I had a ewe that consistently rejected lambs I wouldn't keep it.
-
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:53 am Post subject: Rejected Lamb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Its so frustrating to see,
I woke up at 2.15 this morning and looked on the sheep cam, one of the Ewes was was giving birth. I watched on the camera and 10 mins later she had birthed laid down, the lamb i could see gave a splutter and a shake, the Ewe laid for another ten mins and then got up turned to look at what she had done and then walked off. I went to the barn put the lamb into a small pen and put mum in also. Its now 4.45 and all she has done is headbut the lamb away.
This is her second year she did the same last year but i accepted the fact that it was her first time, Ah well guess she just dont like kids !!
Fortunately its a good strong single, so it looks as though its bottle feeding for this one.
_________________
Well I would disagree - I have a SuffolkXtxl ewe, who for her first two lambings did exactly that - butt the lambs away. However, the mothering instinct does not always kick in straight away - I have in both years penned the ewe (with her lambs in an adjacent pen) and held the lambs onto her, actually that way forcing her to accept the lambs. First time it took a week, but then the second time it was down to a couple of days. Then last year she lambed during the day - and accepted her lambs immediately. I am glad I did not get rid of her, she produces cracking lambs, I have even kept three of her daughters.
You are also risking mastitis in the ewe, and it is expensive to bring up lambs on the bottle.
-
Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:53 am Post subject: Rejected Lamb
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_________________
[/qu However, the mothering instinct does not always kick in straight away -
and sometimes it never does >:( she won't be staying .... :sheep: nor would we pass the problem on she will go as cull
-
:)
-
Just a note to say I used an adopter, only for about a day and a half, but it worked. Still wouldn't call the ewe a brilliant mother but she lets it feed which is the most important thing. She was also never aggressive just walked away when it tried to suckle (and the lamb was to slow to catch on where everything is). She wasn't a first timer and breeder said no notes to say any problems last year. I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt and then rethink next year if same problems. But highly recommend the adopter if you can borrow one, saves pain and expensive of bottle feeding.
-
The other year I had a sheep who head butted her lamb away or even kicked. I had to hold mum to let the little one feed. after a week or so little one was able to sneak in a quick suck every now and then so my help went down to two longer feeds a day. I thought my interference and the fact that I hadnt separated her from Aunty! had caused the problem. Last year I left her to it for her second lambing, she cleaned the lamb and all seemed ok but when I checked later on the lamb was being kicked and was very weak. Lamb died and mum went in the freezer.
This year that first lamb has produced twin girls...they got a bit cold, but with a heat lamp, a hot waterbottle and the ewes very gentle care all is well....at least mothering is not hereditary!
-
We just take it as a matter of course that with a significant proportion of first-timers and some second- and subsequent-timers we will need to help the mother-lamb bonding.
With first-timers I always rub the birth fluids around her mouth and nose so she has to lick and gets the taste. If baby is right in front of her, she usually starts licking it straight away - and that licking is good for the lamb and absolutely priceless in terms of getting the ewe bonded. It doesn't always work but often does.
Whether the ewe ignores the lamb(s), beats the lamb(s) up or just doesn't let the lamb(s) suckle, we pen the ewe and lamb(s) and hold the ewe for the lamb(s) to suckle as often as you would otherwise bottle feed. Hold the ewe still and help the lamb(s) attach - be firm with the ewe if she is fractious; she will soon learn that she has to behave and pretty soon you probably won't even need to hold her, just getting into the pen will be her and the lambs' signal that it's lambie feeding time. We usually give mum some cake while she's feeding the lambs - pretty soon the lamb(s) learn to dive under her when they see her eating. Usually 48-72 hours is enough and you will find nice plump lamb(s) when you approach the pen, meaning the lamb(s) have fed without your assistance; sometimes it takes a week. Very very rarely it doesn't work and you have to take the lamb off. It can be less successful getting a ewe to accept both her twins but I really don't expect to fail to get a ewe to accept her own single lamb.
If the ewe is so rough with the lamb(s) that you fear for their safety (and I have had Swaledales batter lambs to death), then don't leave the lamb(s) in with her unattended; put them in a box between feeds - as you would if you were bottle feeding them. In these cases, put the ewe in a pen where there's a safe place for the lamb to get away from her if she does go for it. After a couple of days, start to leave the lamb with mum after it's fed, but stick around, and reprimand the ewe if she butts her lamb. Gradually she will start to tolerate the lamb and you will feel safe to leave it with her full time - and what a feeling it is, the day you approach the pen to find the two of them curled up together! :)
I've never used an adopter and don't think I would feel comfortable leaving the ewe yoked, so I wouldn't leave the ewe in there, I'd put her in 6 times a day for a day or two, then 4 times a day until she behaves.
If, however, I have to do all of this two years running (after her first time - we all gotta learn our jobs! :D), she's to cull.