61

Sheep / Re: Lamb “weeping” and not eating at first.

« Last post by Rosemary on April 03, 2025, 06:49:29 am »

Head in, tail waggling doesn't mean he's feeding properly. Hold him up by his front legs so he's hanging straight dow. His belly should be rounded out. If it's concave, he's not feeding well enough.
Keep a close eye (no pun intended) on all other lambs as entropion (turned eyelids) is genetic. If it's not too bad and you catch it right away, sometimes regluarly pinching the lid into correct shape (I mean every time you go pst the pen), can correct it without a vet visit.

62

Sheep / Re: 12 day old orphan lambs

« Last post by twizzel on April 02, 2025, 08:29:34 pm »

You’d be better bringing him in with his friend and get him feeding properly. Be warned this will take time; I pulled a 3 week old lamb off a ewe this year and it took a full week of tube feeding, hunger and a lot of swearing, until on the 8th day it decided to drink a full bottle. It nearly broke me but we got there in the end 😂

63

Sheep / Lamb “weeping” and not eating at first.

« Last post by Eeyore-77 on April 02, 2025, 07:29:40 pm »

Hi
I had my first lamb on the morning of the 31st. He was followed by his twin. At first everything seemed alright, then when I went to put them out yesterday at about midday I noticed he was “weeping” and he was light, then he was walking pretty aimlessly and not following the ewe and his brother.
I penned them up and took him to the vet, he said the lamb had inverted eyelashes, he gave him an injection into the eyelid and said he was really dehydrated so gave him electrolytes and said to tube him a couple of syringes (2x ~80ml of milk (vet said to use whole cows milk) I’ve fed twice yesterday evening and then again twice today, he is up and wandering about, he is peeing and climbing onto his mum, his eyes appear fine and on the 2nd feed today all of the milk didn’t go down suggesting he’s got stuff in there.
I think I’ve seen him suckling, head in, tail waggling, leaving the tear smacking his lips.
So I’m  wondering if I should feed him again tonight. I think he did get colostrum from her, and I gave him a little top up on the 31st and again on the morning of the 1st.
Should I leave him now to it?
If I keep feeding him he won’t have any need to suck, and I’d like to get the ewe out onto grass now.
Thoughts are appreciated.

64

Poultry & Waterfowl / Re: Unable to decide on bedding

« Last post by doganjo on April 01, 2025, 09:57:54 am »

Mine have wood chip, which is readily available after one of the storms we're getting these days. They love it as there's bugs in it from the trees

You might get it from charities for as small donation - woodland communities for instance.

65

Announcements / New diary post: Birthday / Bamff / Beaver

« Last post by TAS Bot on March 31, 2025, 07:10:48 pm »

A new TAS diary entry has been posted: Birthday / Bamff / Beaver

66

Sheep / Re: Feeding sheep too much?

« Last post by Penninehillbilly on March 31, 2025, 01:16:13 pm »

Coming from the goat keeping world, I've never fed concentrates until the last 8>6 weeks.  In fact this year I was caught out, a whether turned out to be a tup, 10 ewes lambed a month early, a couple were a bit on the small side, but feeding their mum's since lambing a few are already quite chunky.
I still believe the lambs do better with 6wk feeding the dam, and builds her up for milk production, but mine haven't had anything but good haylage all winter.

67

Poultry & Waterfowl / Re: Unable to decide on bedding

« Last post by Alex_ on March 31, 2025, 09:13:12 am »

Will this run be exposed to the weather or will it be under a roof so the floor stays dry?
Straw in a hen house attracts red mite and personally I would not use it at all. It might be ok in a covered run though.
Sand is probably the better option for covering slabs with, but is there any reason why you can't remove the slabs, dig out the run to a depth of 4 - 6 inches and backfill with wood chip? This would give the hens the option to dig themselves a nice deep dusting crater.
Hens won't worry about the sand being cool, they will probably prefer it.

The roof is intact, the sides are replaced with steel mesh.
The slabs are concreted in but they will still have an area for a dust bath.

68

Poultry & Waterfowl / Re: Unable to decide on bedding

« Last post by Richmond on March 31, 2025, 08:26:32 am »

Will this run be exposed to the weather or will it be under a roof so the floor stays dry?
Straw in a hen house attracts red mite and personally I would not use it at all. It might be ok in a covered run though.
Sand is probably the better option for covering slabs with, but is there any reason why you can't remove the slabs, dig out the run to a depth of 4 - 6 inches and backfill with wood chip? This would give the hens the option to dig themselves a nice deep dusting crater.
Hens won't worry about the sand being cool, they will probably prefer it.

69

Poultry & Waterfowl / Unable to decide on bedding

« Last post by Alex_ on March 31, 2025, 07:53:03 am »

I am getting some hens again after a few years off from having poultry. I have kept chickens on the deep layer system and on sand.

This time I am converting an old greenhouse into a run and I am unable to decide if I should top the existing paving slabs with straw or sand.

I found straw led to more poop balls on feet that I would wash off in a chicken bath and I went through a lot of straw, but I also gained a lot of compost and it’s less work chucking straw down for the girls to spread.

Sand is more work as I have to use a poop scoop and clear waste out but no poop balls on toes. The other thing with sand is it is colder and the new run is in a shadier spot with less sun hitting the ground.

I am hoping to get other peoples thoughts.

70

Sheep / 12 day old orphan lambs

« Last post by lottie2225 on March 29, 2025, 04:10:41 am »

Hi, i hope i’m posting this in the right place for some advice on my new bottle lambs. I collected a set of 12 day old orphan weathers that had been with their mum before she died. They were in the field with her dead overnight at least before being chased by the farmer (for quite a while) to catch them. I have had them 5 days and one is super friendly drinking great and generally very happy but the other seems very reserved and almost a bit depressed? he wasn’t interested in the bottle or us at all until today when he did try to drink a little but took a very long time to not get very much down. he isn’t mega skinny as i have been forcing a little down him regularly so he doesn’t starve and is starting to show a little more interest in us but i am just worried i’m missing something. He is pretty happy eating grass in the garden with his brother but he is so young i can’t imagine that would sustain him. I don’t know what his mum died of but the farmer didn’t seem to think the lambs would be affected medically any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou