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Author Topic: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing  (Read 16687 times)

wannabesmallholder

  • Joined Jan 2017
Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« on: April 19, 2019, 09:36:22 pm »
I have a small, but perfectly formed, single lamb born at lunchtime today, to a shearling ewe who has been semi attentive but not great.  He can’t stand - I don’t think he’ll make it through the night ????

What are the reasons for a lamb being born and not able to stand? What’s the average time they take to stand and suckle?

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2019, 09:43:30 pm »
Lack of energy and internal brown fat- have you tuned him some colostrum?

wannabesmallholder

  • Joined Jan 2017
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2019, 10:02:30 pm »
Yes he’s had powdered colostrum every 2 hours and 2 shots of lamb boost. I’m limited on how much I can support a bottle fed lamb so am trying to keep him with mum, but she is losing interest.

wannabesmallholder

  • Joined Jan 2017
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2019, 10:07:42 pm »
I think I probably left him too long before intervening and feeding him. He’d been born 2.5 hours and was still flat before I stepped in to do anything. I’m still pretty novice, a bit unclear on expected timescales for lambing and newborns, and was hoping he was just a bit slow to get started and would do it himself.


SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2019, 11:18:01 pm »
Colostrum within two hours is ideal but within 6 is ok.

Sometimes they just haven’t finished cooking and need a few days. But you’d need to feed him to give him that chance.

Mineral deficiencies might have a bearing.  Some ewes in some areas need copper mid-pregnancy.  Lack of selenium can cause lethargic lambs.  Himalayan salt licks available year round help with a load of things, but some sheep on some ground need a good chelated mineral drench such as Ovithrive mid-pregnancy.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

wannabesmallholder

  • Joined Jan 2017
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2019, 08:35:20 am »
Thank you - really helpful. They’ve had a mineral lick and Himalayan salt block throughout pregnancy and fed concentrates from 6 weeks prior to lambing, but yes I assumed there must be a deficiency for him to be so flat....

He’s a fighter though. Was fully expecting to find a dead lamb this morning, but he’s standing and making attempts to feed from mum, although I’m not sure how successful he’s been. Have just been out and given him a bottle and he’s got a good strong suck. He only had 30mls, but he’s tiny, so maybe it’s enough if given regularly.

I’m try to keep rolling him up today and hopefully he’ll have the strength to work out the feeding from the ewe. She’s not being terribly attentive, but also hasn’t completely rejected him and did stand and allow him to attempt feeding just now, so I’m keen to keep them together. 

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2019, 09:59:18 am »
I had a lamb this year that took 2 days to get sucking on his mum. I tubed him every 4 hours until he got the strength to feed himself. He spent a week with his mum and siblings but I lifted him off and bottle fed as he was the smallest of the 3... hes nearly 6 weeks and not looked back since he left his mum  :)

bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2019, 11:51:36 am »
I would take him off his mum and put under a heat lamp, feed colostrum every few hours and they usually pick up after 24-48hrs. Of course there are a few that don't :( 

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2019, 12:26:16 pm »
Reads like you are doing every thing right despite your doubts  so keep going topping up little and often  and encourage suckling and bonding with mam , you don't say but I would have the pair inside in a pen so close to each other and easy to top up .  If it keeps suckling then in a few days will need no topping up .  As  twizzel says lack of brown fat  thus energy . Lambs should be on their feet within 30 mins .   You don't say what breed the mother is or the father , if a primitive then tiny lambs are common , if a  big meat breed then why is it tiny ? How fat or not is the mother ?

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2019, 01:09:00 pm »
Sounds very promising, keep topping up little and often.  Don’t overfeed or it might stop him trying mum ;).

30-50mls per feed is fine for a small lamb for the first 24-36 hours.  150mls is plenty for any lamb for one feed at that age.  Ideally they take 6 feeds first day or two, if you are providing all the input.  (Only the biggest strongest lambs will take 6x 150mls that early.  6x 30-50ml will keep any newborn lamb alive indoors.). I usually drop to 4 feeds after day two, because of practicalities.  But if he’s feeding a little from mum he should be fine overnight by then anyway.

Best of luck!
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

wannabesmallholder

  • Joined Jan 2017
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2019, 05:46:30 pm »
Thanks all. I still don’t hold out much hope for him tbh, but am keeping at it.

They’re Ouessants so very small anyway, but he’s small even for that.

I have penned mum and tried to get him latched on - I can get his lips round the teat, but he just doesn’t suck. I’ve managed to milk loads off her and give him it in a bottle, which he’s taken about 30mls per feed - will suck a little more from the bottle, but it’s a pretty weak suck, so i don’t think it’s looking great.

I’ve turned them out again because he can’t walk in the straw of the pen, but can walk out on the grass. Although mum isn’t very patient with standing for him to feed, she is staying by his side at all times. It’s 24 degrees here today, so I think he’s warm enough - I wasn’t sure whether to leave him in the sun to keep him warm or shade to shelter from the sun...??

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #11 on: April 20, 2019, 08:21:20 pm »
Every thing feels better with the sun  :sunshine:  No chance of any one showing you how to stomach tube a lamb , then  you know it's had enough ??

kanisha

  • Joined Dec 2007
    • Spered Breizh Ouessants
    • Facebook
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2019, 08:40:11 pm »
Ouessants are not commercials they don't require high nutrition during pregnancy however I have had one or two who were very  very tired following birth. Do not keep getting him to try to stand feed him and keep him warm and in a safe place give him 24 hours and they will perk up. Alternatively schmallenberg virus can produce dumb lambs if this is the case there is nothing to be done
Ravelry Group: - Ouessants & Company

wannabesmallholder

  • Joined Jan 2017
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #13 on: April 20, 2019, 09:09:12 pm »
Thanks. When I milked mum this afternoon one side produced blood-stained milk. Is this normal, or a sign of mastitis? Presumably if he’s not feeding much from her she is at risk?

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Reasons for newborn lamb not standing
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2019, 11:18:57 pm »
It could be mastitis, yes, and if she’s got milk he’s not drinking, that could create risk, yes.

Does the udder look red, feel hard? 
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

 

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