[NewLifeOnTheFarm]

Hi all,

Had a large ram lamb born today. Was over moon as it was my first solo breach delivery, and was then gutted to realise it has an abnormal neck. Assuming from being in a funny position inside.

He took a while to be able to stand, but is now up. I've given him colostrum, sucking really well. Due to head position it's hard to get him onto ewe. I've been massaging his neck to see if that will relax the muscles. Anyone got any other ideas or experience of it coming right?

Thanks

[SallyintNorth]

I’ve certainly seen it before, maybe three times, and yes it has always come right. 

Keep doing whatever it takes to help him feed from mum.  They are so tenacious when they know where it is! 

[shep53]

Common problem , once he gets the hang of suckling then he'll be fine and in a few weeks most come right with the odd lamb bent at the neck for ever

[NewLifeOnTheFarm]

Thank you both of you. Still struggling to get him to latch to ewe, neck definitely seems to be getting slightly less wonky. I'm expressing milk and giving it to him. Should I be aiming to give a similar volume as I would lamlac? I know formula fed humans drink more than breastfed babies in terms of volume, wondered if it was same for sheep!

[SallyintNorth]

Is the ewe one who won't mind too much if you put her on her bottom to feed him?  When I've had this before, I found the lamb could usually get on if the ewe was on her bum.  And if he only gets milk from her teat and never a bottle he will try much, much harder to feed on his own

In terms of quantity, it's breed dependent but I think yours are commercials?  In which case 1-2L a day.  But if you do carry on bottle feeding him, I might be inclined to give him less rather than more so that he's getting pretty hungry between feeds and will try harder to get his own