[dixie]

I have a bottle fed who was a rejected twin, he's a week old out in the field with his mum and sister, I'm using Lamlac which was  1l 4-5 feeds a day up to 7 days and now 1.5l 4 feeds a day. Can some one give me a plan for how long he has 4 a day etc, it's been a while since I had a bottle fed! Thank you

[twizzel]

I think I went down to 3 x 350ml day at 3 weeks, 2 x 500ml a day at 4 weeks until 5 1/2 weeks when I cut it down to 2 x 250ml. Mine are 6 weeks tomorrow and had just one 250ml feed this morning, will cut that out in a couple of days. Make sure you’ve got creep out and fresh water at all times, and a bit of hay or straw to pick at.

[Olong82]

I cannot seem to get mine to take more than 400ml at a time and they are 4 to 5 weeks old. Still on 3 feeds a day though and growing.

[dixie]

That's great thank you, so I'll keep him on 4 x 350ml until 3 weeks, nice to have a plan!
I'm now debating whether or not to try and top up twins? Although they're happy, pingy etc they look a little hunched, or maybe I'm worrying too much? It's so wet they must all be using more energy to keep warm this year.

[twizzel]

Shouldn’t be any need to top up healthy twins if Mum has both sides of her udder working. You could always increase the ewes hard feed to aid milk production.




Olong82 just watch for bloat/Redgut, it tends to occur at 5-6 weeks of age hence why early weaning is recommended at 6 weeks. It’s like playing roulette otherwise! They will keep growing on milk but will keep eating creep- one morning you might come down to find them dead 

[dixie]

Thanks Twizzel, the lambs are using the shed which I've filled with straw so that's keeping them off the wet ground, these twinsjust don't seem to be growing as well as they should, but they are happy and lively, think I'm worrying too much this year, I don't usually! Just need some sunshine make us all feel better!
So my bottle fed I'll aim to wean at 6 weeks, I need to set up my creep feeder soon!

[bj_cardiff]

Hi Dixie, I'd keep him on 4 feeds a day for another couple of weeks. Are you sure he's safe from predators out with his mum and sibling? She won't recognise the lamb as hers if its bottle fed and as long as she's got her other lamb safe she won't protect it.

[dixie]

I think he's as safe as any of them to be honest, mum does talk to him and call him and he does stay with her and his twin, at night the lambs all gather in a pig arc and a small shelter and the ewes kind of lie nearby, so im hoping they're safe? There is a fox around though, every year I think I should buy Alpaca, then I remember how expensive they Are!

[Marches Farmer]

If my ewes spot a predator (usually fox) they will circle the lambs and face outwards to see it off.