The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: crobertson on February 21, 2016, 08:05:46 pm

Title: Goats milk for orphan lambs ??????????
Post by: crobertson on February 21, 2016, 08:05:46 pm

Is goats milk any good for orphan lambs ?? Thought it might be more suitable that the powder reconstituted replacer

Title: Re: Goats milk for orphan lambs ??????????
Post by: verdifish on February 21, 2016, 08:37:35 pm

It's rocket fuel.for lambs. Our 1st lamb was at 1st bottle fed then direct of the nanny.  he did very very well on goats milk.

Title: Re: Goats milk for orphan lambs ??????????
Post by: Anke on February 21, 2016, 08:56:16 pm

But only home-produced, non-pasteurised and non-homogenised any good. Not the stuff you get in the supermarket.

Title: Re: Goats milk for orphan lambs ??????????
Post by: david c on February 22, 2016, 01:45:49 am

2nd that. Sheep milk is much higher fat. I had one lamb I had to bottle feed in an emergency. Bought goats milk from the CO-OP. To compound the issue it was semi skimmed. Very quickly had to get it onto sheep milk replacer! 

Title: Re: Goats milk for orphan lambs ??????????
Post by: SallyintNorth on February 22, 2016, 09:23:45 am

It's very dangerous to feed homogenised milk to nurslings of any species.  These days, almost all commercial milk is homogenised.  You'd do better giving them glucose and water, at least that won't harm them.

But of course we should all have our dried milks - colostrum and regular - in stock now, awaiting customers :)

Title: Re: Goats milk for orphan lambs ??????????
Post by: Melmarsh on February 22, 2016, 05:28:39 pm

I have raised many triplet lambs on what is naturally homogenised goats milk straight from the bulk tank and warmed !! No problems whatsoever if you don't mind being climbed over for them to get to it. No scour just happy bouncy lambs ???????????????? :roflanim:

Title: Re: Goats milk for orphan lambs ??????????
Post by: Talana on February 22, 2016, 10:11:45 pm

I have my own milking goats and store it up the raw milk in the freezer for lambing time we have saved many a lamb with goats milk they do really well on it.  As a seconder the new version of downland lamb replacer is now good as made from ewes milk.

Title: Re: Goats milk for orphan lambs ??????????
Post by: Sbom on February 24, 2016, 08:08:52 am

It's also perfect for rearing piglets  :)