[maryt97]

I have a ewe lamb (who has a ram twin) who is 3.5 weeks old now and lost her mom on Monday at exactly 3 weeks old (now it’s Friday morning so it’s been exactly 4 days). I started bottle feeding, and her brother took to it quite readily, but this girl is STILL not having it. The most I’ve been able to do is squeeze an ounce or two in her at a time. I’m also giving her a vitamin B paste every day. I would say I haven’t gotten more than a cup a day in her this whole time-less on some days. She seems healthy enough-normal temperature, eating hay and drinking water, etc. I have tried different types of nipples, different types of formula, formula warmer/cooler, withholding water and hay for 4 hours (twice in a row to 8 hours), different positions, and still nothing. I’m basically just semi-force feeding her an ounce or two as often as I’m able now. Any other suggestions?

[Buttermilk]

Is she eating any creeep feed?  This would be better than hay.  Some older lambs just never take to a bottle.  You could try feeding from a bowl to see if she will drink if her nose gets dipped in it.

[shep53]

Take away the water and replace it with milk  in the same container , at 3.5 wks  hay and water will do very little for her nutritionally  , it can take  a long time and patience to get an older lamb to take a bottle .Buy a stomach tube and use this to make sure she is getting sufficient milk if she refuses the milk in the water container

[SallyintNorth]

Good idea to try milk in a bucket, I have had that work with a lamb that couldn't manage a bottle but was keen on milk.

However, I would persevere.  I've only ever once had one take longer than 7 or 8 days to come round, and even that one finally decided it liked its bottle on the 11th day.  Funnily enough, that was the ewe lamb of a mixed pair too.

One other thought... are you using actual milk or a replacement powder that you mix up?  Some of the powdered ones can sting on broken flesh, and if your ewe lamb has any sores in her mouth it could be causing her some discomfort and making her not keen.  I had one ewe lamb with orf around her mouth who was really struggling to enjoy her bottle.  I switched her to raw Jersey milk and she never looked back.  In later years I managed to find powdered milks that didn't sting when you got them in a cut.

And one other tip.  Try going in and giving her a cuddle and talking to her.  You might find that after a few minutes, she starts questing for a teat.  If she does, slip the bottle teat in her mouth .  I've had that work more than once; the poor wee orphaned lamb just needed some mothering, and once it got that, it wanted milk

[bj_cardiff]

Its a really hard age to get them to drink.

I would start with no more than 200ml. I would put it in a bottle that you can squeeseand a teat that will flow without the lamb sucking. Put the lamb on my knee and the teat in its mouth and gently squeese it. The lambs mouth fills with milk and hopefully it will swallow. Sometimes it helps if you massage the base of the neck. Hopefully it will pick it up in a few days, longest I had was 10 days, by the time the lamb had leant to drink it was pretty much time for weaning..

[harmony]

I have had success with older lambs like this feeding them under my thighs instead of doing the usual of feeding on the knee. So I sit on something not too low in a corner so I can keep the lamb contained. Then I get the teat into it's mouth under my leg with the wall behind so it can't back away. Bit like holding a lamb on it's mum when ewe being awkward or lamb a bit slow. It's used to drinking underneath and in some darkness so I suppose that's what I'm trying to mirror.

[Kirsa]

Hi MaryT 

I was wondering how you got on with your little ewe lamb?  I have a similar thing here (I am in Perth Western Australia). She is a twin with a ram brother. Born on 25 April 2020, she is 11 days old today. Her mother has rejected her, but looking after the boy. The ewe had a rather stressful labour, retained the placenta, and had to have a uterine flush 3 times by the vet, plus on pain meds and antibiotics.

At first, I was supplementing both the babies with formula to help mum out while she recovered, but both lambs were also feeding off mum. I am pretty sure they both got colostrum, but it may not have been enough. The little ewe lamb started feeding well but then would start to drink from the bottle and after a few sucks stop and shiver.

I took her to the vets, and they found she had very low blood sugar (reading was 2.4 and should be 4 to 6). Vet gave her honey and said to keep giving her small amounts of honey and trying to feed her. I did this for 3 days.
Mum stopped caring for her, and left her and ewe lamb just wanted to stay in the one place and not follow Mum. We had a big storm come through and so I moved ewe lamb into stables and left Mum with ram lamb with the flock. They are now doing really well.

Ewe lamb is now refusing to suckle at all, fights me the whole time. I have tried everything, read all this forum and tried all the tips. She dropped condition again, so took her back to vet yesterday and they did another glucose test, she has dropped to 1.8. So vet suggested 1ml honey every hour, to a maximum to 12mls. I also force fed her every 2 hours, managing to get between 25ml and 40ml down her at a time.

She is weeing, pooing, gets up and stretches and greets me. Likes a cuddle. Then as soon as I get the teat into her mouth, she clamps up and closes her eyes and its a battle to get the milk into her and for her to  swallow it. A few little drinks is all she will manage. It takes me a good 30 mins to get such a small amount into her. Vet said she had nothing she could see that would cause this.

I, and my vet, are at a complete loss.

Just thought it very interesting to see that 2 other ewe lambs have similar issues.

Cheers Jodie

[Penninehillbilly]

I put honey on the teat and in the milk, usually works.
I always used to back the lamb/kid into a corner, but now find i have better success sat down with them over my thighs, tucked against my body so they are cosy, also someone suggested tickling/scratching just above their tail, where the mum would nuzzle.

[shep53]

So every 2 hrs you show this lamb that the teat /bottle and you holding her are the most frightening thing in her young life !!    I have a small lamb 3kg  4days old that took the bottle in the first 12hrs then stopped , so i stomach tubed her  3 times per day ( all my bottle lambs are only fed 3 times per day ) after offering the bottle each time for a min or two which she refused but the last 2 feeds she has started to take the bottle  a little more each time  ,with top up by tube  ( no stress she sits over my thigh and i stoke her throat to encourage swallowing  and rub her tail head and if she stops sucking i remove the teat )

[SallyintNorth]

Try different milk, different temperature (it's not too hot is it?  It should not feel hot on your hand, nor should it feel cold), different teat, different size hole... and definitely less often.

Good luck!

[Kirsa]

Thank you all for your replies. So appreciate not feeling alone here 

Shep53 - I know what you are saying, that's exactly how I am feeling, that she associates me with discomfort. The reason I am feeding her little and often is 50ml is the most I can get her to take at any one time. I have never tubed a lamb and have no idea how to do it.

Sally - I am checking the temp of the milk with a thermometer and make it 39 cel when I feed her, and keep the bottle in a jug of hot water while we are resting her to keep it at that temp.

I have tried 4 different teats, run out of options here in OZ. I have two of the Pritchards, and they seem to work the best. I am getting some fresh goats milk today, see if that helps.

I was feeding her over my lap, but wondered if this made her tummy uncomfortable?  Also, she tended to nod off, so I found keeping her between my legs and feeding from behind kept her more alert.

Pennine - I put the honey in the milk and also dip the teat in a bit of honey. Thats how I am getting the 12ml a day of honey into her.

Just been out to feed her, after a longer break during the night. Last feed was at midnight and this one at 6am. She drank a little more quickly than normal, but still not at all sucking or wanting to stay drinking.

Will keep persevering, maybe I might learn the tubing technique?

I do have cuddles and scratches with her in between feeds. I also walk with her around the stable. She is curious and apart from lethargy, seems very healthy. She comes to me when I see her.

Am I correct in the amount that she should be having each day?  She weighs 3.2kg. So 10% of her body weight is 320ml per day?

Again, that you all so much, I think I might give up on sheep if it weren't for this outlet.   Her brother and cousin are doing really well, so far.

[twizzel]

The 10% rule is for colostrum intake in the first 24 hours of life. If she’s nearly 2 weeks she should be working up to 1-1.5 litre a day unless she’s a small primitive breed. 320ml wouldn’t be enough I don’t think.

[shep53]

320ml per day only about a 1/3rd of her needs  my 3 kg lamb drinks  200ml and i tube another 150-200ml  3 times per day.  Buy a stomach tube and look on you tube for a video , it will be scary first time but easier the more you do it . I went from 1 lamb not sucking bottle to 5 yesterday and this morning 4 drank varying amounts and 1 refuses totally  but by tomorrow i expect 3 to take a whole bottle and 2 to take a little .  The overnight of 9hrs with no food means that they are hungry in the morning and wanting milk

[Kirsa]

Hi.  A little update on the little ewe lamb. We persevered with forced bottle feeding and she is now drinking enthusiastically, seeking out the bottle and finishing it so fast. I watched her brother feeding off mum, small amounts and every 1 to 2 hours, so tried that do that for her. Of course, working from home during COVID has facilitated that!  It seems that 100ml per feed is her maximum at the moment.

We also added pure glucose to the milk rather than honey which seemed to perk her up and make her want to feed.

We have been bringing her in at night, as its winter here in OZ and the nights get down to 5 or 6 degrees C. But after the morning feeds, she goes back out to the paddock with her brother and mum and she is quite happy. I call out to her when its due for a bottle and she comes running. Her brother wants to get in on the act too, which can make it a bit tricky to feed her!

Anyway, she seems to be doing well, I am getting about 800ml into her a day, still light on, but so much better than before. She stops sucking the minute she is full, and won't take anymore, so we just try again the next feed.

Hope the other little ewe lambs are doing ok?  Would love an update.

[SallyintNorth]

That's great to hear.  Thanks for letting us know - and well done!