The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: OhLaLa on April 03, 2012, 09:18:50 am
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Anyone got any experience of feeder buckets for lambs? This is the choice but unsure which is the best (am wondering whether a hungry lamb would just pull the thing down):
1) Blue 6 Teat (3 each side) lamb feeding bucket. Gap in the middle of the bucket for fitting over a board or hurdle. No lid.
2) Grey Lamb Milk Feeder 5 Teat (all around front of bucket). Bucket complete with lid. Flat backed for hanging against wall (on a hook via the handle).
3) Black four teat (two front, one either side) feeder bucket system. Hooks over gate or hurdle using the moulded hook to rear. No lid.
Or is it better to just continue with the bottles until weaned?
:sheep:
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Hi,
My personal view on the lamb feeder buckets we sell is:
The three teat buckets have a much better valve & Teat set up than the six teat blue versions and are more robust, also they can be hung from theit handle or mounted on the included bracket.
There is also a Non-Vac Bottle Rack System that holds 4 standard 450ml bottles.
But in my view you cant beat a Shepherdess feeder!
Thanks.
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I have used 4-teat (2 front 1 each side) and 6 teat (3 a side, sits on a hurdle) and the 4 bottle rack system.
Sits-on-a-hurdle is hard to make robust, yes, it's easily tipped. But since you'll be there you can steady it by hand, so it's not too much of a problem, I think.
4-teat works well, although this one had harder plastic teats and some lambs become so greedy they start to make their mouths bleed when they drink! ::)
Downside with buckets is that you can't see exactly how much each lamb is getting. You have to sort them into batches that drink about the same speed and need about the same amount, and/or pull them off as their tummies reach the requisite roundness. Another slight downside is none of the systems I have used completely drain the bucket, and I am rather particular about only reheating milk once, so then I either discard some milk each feed or have somehow to use the dregs up in a way that ensures it doesn't get mixed into the next bucket-load and end up in the dregs-to-be-reheated again.
Upside with buckets is it's really quick and easy.
My preference, however, is the bottle rack. You know exactly how much each lamb is getting - and if the 4 drink at roughly the same speed you don't get bottle-swapping while there is still much in someone else's to steal! It's a little bit more effort to use, as you make up a bottle per lamb and put each bottle into the rack one by one.
If I had several multiples of 4 lambs I might go on to the bucket, but at present I have 4 on the rack and I feed the other two with bottles by hand at the same time, so that works well.
I have never used a Shepherdess myself, partly as I enjoy the interaction with the pet lambs and so do all our visitors and partly because I was put off by the idea of milk being kept warm for long periods - or feeding unwarmed milk. I prefer the lambs to be getting either freshly-made milk or reheated-once-only milk. But again, if I had the numbers I am sure I would reconsider my position!
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We have a shepherdess but up to now have never used it (owned for 3 yrs) We had two cades last vyear and only one this year so we just bottle feed.
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I am new to all this having only just taking on 11 orphan lambs in the last 2 weeks, but we use two of the blue 6 teat buckets.
They are pretty cheap but in my view great for the job. 10 of ours feed straight from the bucket very easily and just one likes to be bottle fed. If money were no object then a Shepherdess looks great, but for a cheap and very easy solution I think the blue buckets are great.
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We have the blue one with 6 teats (because it was free!) but have never used it. We only have one being bottled at the moment so not really worth it for us.
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I bought a Sheperdess Feeder this year...............and its brilliant. Have used it for goat kids as well as lambs. Swap the buckets over (you get 2) each morning and evening with a fresh lot of milk and that's it.....they just help 'em selves whenever they like......even through the night. :thumbsup:
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I'm considering the Shepherdess feeder, but the info for it says only use SCA Shepherdess lamb milk. This isn't one of the easiest brands of milk for me to find, and I can't see any info as to why it has to be that particular make, I suspect it's just to sell more of that brand milk - does anyone use another brand? Lamlac is the one I currently buy.
:farmer: :sheep:
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I'm considering the Shepherdess feeder, but the info for it says only use SCA Shepherdess lamb milk. This isn't one of the easiest brands of milk for me to find, and I can't see any info as to why it has to be that particular make, I suspect it's just to sell more of that brand milk - does anyone use another brand? Lamlac is the one I currently buy.
:farmer: :sheep:
I use goats milk in mine :thumbsup:
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Wish I'd have read this before I bought this off ebay 230767952549
I have 2 on the bottle and feeding every 2 hours in daytime and last feed at around 11pm first about 7am and one of us needs to be here. I know you can feed less often, but little and often is how I like to feed them.
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I'm considering the Shepherdess feeder, but the info for it says only use SCA Shepherdess lamb milk. This isn't one of the easiest brands of milk for me to find, and I can't see any info as to why it has to be that particular make, I suspect it's just to sell more of that brand milk - does anyone use another brand? Lamlac is the one I currently buy.
I was told that the Shepherdess is especially formulated to mix better, which is essential for the correct operation of the machine and feeding of the lambs. It needs to be not lumpy, and it needs to not seperate back out when left standing for hours.
These days I think they all mix up pretty well, but you do get a lot of sediment and need to stir if you leave them standing, so maybe you would need the SCA Shepherdess milk - if you don't have fresh goats milk to use!
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Not quite a bucket but we use the following/something similar.
http://www.hiko.de/shop/products/en/HIKO-Riser-Tube-Systems/Original-HIKO-Twin-riser-tube-system-SL3002.html?XTCsid=4rv6u9iejhlfs3acaddpg5fd12 (http://www.hiko.de/shop/products/en/HIKO-Riser-Tube-Systems/Original-HIKO-Twin-riser-tube-system-SL3002.html?XTCsid=4rv6u9iejhlfs3acaddpg5fd12)
Pipes drop into 5Ltr water bottles with approx 4Ltrs of milk made up (cold). Re-filled approx 3 times per day & the lambs just help themselves 24/7.
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I'm always amazed at how long it takes to bottle feed the lambs when they only seem to suck from mum for a max of 5/6 seconds!......but I supose they can have as many of these 5/6 seconds as they need/or mum alows.
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Hi,
Just to clarify.......
We are in daily contact with Shrewbridge (the manufacturer of the shepherdess) as we sell a lot of this feeding system
The Shepherdess feeder can be used with ANY milk - it does not have to be SCA, you can use Volac, Goats milk or any make - We even have one customer using one to feed an orphan Foal. (with different teats)
The important thing (as with any feeding system) is to mix well without lumps of undisolved powder..
They are ideally suited to larger numbers of cades, but again we have customers using them for 2 - 3 lambs.
The lambs thrive on the shepherdess as there are no long periods of hunger between feeds - they feed when they feel the need (as they would if they were on a Ewe).
Thanks