[dixie]

What’s the general feeling on triplets, take one away to bottle feed? Top up all 3?, ewe had triplets Sunday, prior to this she was miserable for a few days and given calcivit and glycol. All 3 lambs had volustrum and are all feeding from mum, I’m currently topping up with a bottle as they aren’t getting enough from mum, previous triplets have either all been good without topping up or one has become the bottle fed by it’s own choice,  not sure what to do this time?

[twizzel]

I always take 1 away. The ewe has done enough to get them this far, let alone rear them all as well. Leaving them all on her will only knacker her out and you’ll be left with 3 poor lambs.

[dixie]

Thank you, the ewe lamb is taking the most from the bottle so ill take her away, will leave them as a group until the weekend as more to lamb and she might end up with some pals.

[Womble]

FWIW, we tend to leave them on and top them up if required. Often with Zwartbles, it isn't a problem.

[SallyintNorth]

Now we have such small numbers, any bottle lamb would almost certainly be on its ownsome, so we top them up in the field.  It works okay, and is nicer for the lamb.  But I think that unless your sheep are very milky (like Zwartbles or other diary breed, or our much mourned BFLxShetland Lessa The Wonder Sheep, or Lleyns on unlimited *very* good grass), the ewe's udder does better if she's relieved of one lamb entirely.  So if I had the numbers so that pets wouldn't be alone, I'd mostly take one off routinely.

We breed and manage for not-triplets, by the way.  Try to mostly not breed from ewes who're from a triplet line, and deffo not if the ewe struggled with the three.  And we do the opposite of flushing at tupping time.  We still seem to get 1 set of triplets more often that not, out of 5 - 8 ewes lambing! 

[Backinwellies]

I'm also a great believer in leaving with mum and topping up which ever lamb/s seem to take it ...... mum does the daily mummy care and you just have to feed  .....  soooo much easier. Lambs soon recognise their 'bottle' mummy arriving in the field and leg it towards you for their dinner.... then race back to sheep mum who teaches them to be a sheep ... not a 'PAIN!'

[Penninehillbilly]

Another vote for leaving with mum, penning until one baby recognizes bottle-mum and comes running. But if there is another set of triplets arrives, i'd then have a pair of bottle babies.

[Tim W]

I have about 60+ sets of triplets a year

If we have good red clover leys the ewes cope fine & i just leave them alone

If (as usually is the case) we just have poor grass then i lift a lamb at 24/48hrs old and give it away

[dixie]

Thanks everyone, my belief was to take one away but the ewe seems to be coping so I continued topping up all 3, they haven’t increased what they’re taking from the bottle, about 50-75ml each at each feed, so I’ve left them together, they’re out in good grass daytime and in at night, this seems to be working fingers crossed I’ve made the right decision!

[twizzel]

She may be coping now but when the lambs are a month old they will demand a significant amount more from her than at a week old. So just keep that in mind

[dixie]

A little update, one lamb is pretty much now the bottle fed by her choice, another has a little top up occasionally but they’re all doing great. Another set of triplets yesterday and mum has an udder big enough to feed a calf! Haven’t offered top ups yet as they seem satisfied and happy, will keep a close eye on them.

[SallyintNorth]

Even if the ewe seems fine, with triplets I usually try to get them to take a bit from a bottle when they're tiny, just so they'll already know how to if you need to step in to help the ewe as the lambs grow and demand more milk.  Doesn't always work, they won't always take any, and it doesn't always mean that that lamb will drink from a bottle at 3 weeks old if it's short of milk then, and some lambs will latch straight on to a bottle the first time it's offered at any age, but it makes me feel I'm doing everything I can to give ewe and lambs the best shot. 

[Womble]

mum has an udder big enough to feed a calf!

Be careful with that one. We once had a lamb in that situation that we'd helped to feed the first time, then saw it in the right place and doing the right things and thought nothing more of it, until it dropped dead from starvation and cold.

[twizzel]

mum has an udder big enough to feed a calf!

Be careful with that one. We once had a lamb in that situation that we'd helped to feed the first time, then saw it in the right place and doing the right things and thought nothing more of it, until it dropped dead from starvation and cold.

Agreed- I lifted a twin this year because the ewe had a lovely big udder but one lamb was hungry 

[dixie]

Thanks everyone, so far the latest triplets are thriving, mum still has a huge udder but they are are feeding and pinging about! Still bringing them in at night as it’s so wet but fingers crossed it’s going well.