Author Topic: Introducing an orphan lamb into a new flock (Read 2795 times)

Corrie · « **on:** July 02, 2024, 08:41:16 am »

We have 15 adult and last years lambs as pets. We are taking on an orphan lamb, currently being bottle fed. Please do you have any tips about introducing him to our flock and what precautions for his safety should we take? We really are novice sheep-keepers but we adore them!

shep53 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2024, 05:53:28 pm »

Not sure what you think will happen , the lamb needs to find his place in the pecking order and it will be at the bottom . You could start introducing slowly ,walking him through the flock ,maybe sit and watch what happens for short periods , he's going to get a few knocks as part of fitting in

Bywaters · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2024, 06:07:44 pm »

is he castrated or entire ?

That will make a difference

Still going to get pushed around.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2024, 10:51:37 pm »

Would be much better for him to get another one or three and let them form a little bonded peer group, then run them alongside (other side of a wire fence to) the other sheep for a while before letting them join up. Probably safest to bring a few (two or three) of your last year's lambs in to the newbies' pen first, let them get to know each other, so they have already got some acquaintances in the incumbent flock when they all join up.

When you do introduce them, make sure there's lots of space, so they have a better chance of avoiding getting rammed. If they're smaller than any of the incumbents, you could make a creep area for them to go into for their own safety if needed, but you'd need to get them used to going in and out of it first, so they know it's there and how to get into it.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #4 on:** July 06, 2024, 12:35:27 pm »

Quote from: SallyintNorth on July 02, 2024, 10:51:37 pm

Would be much better for him to get another one or three and let them form a little bonded peer group, then run them alongside (other side of a wire fence to) the other sheep for a while before letting them join up. Probably safest to bring a few (two or three) of your last year's lambs in to the newbies' pen first, let them get to know each other, so they have already got some acquaintances in the incumbent flock when they all join up.

When you do introduce them, make sure there's lots of space, so they have a better chance of avoiding getting rammed. If they're smaller than any of the incumbents, you could make a creep area for them to go into for their own safety if needed, but you'd need to get them used to going in and out of it first, so they know it's there and how to get into it.

As always Sally has come up with the best way to protect the little chap. If you just shove a single sheep of whatever age into a flock, the outcome will not be good. I have seen an adult sheep take over a year and have gone through lambing before she fitted in even a little.
Think of him as the new kid in school - the teacher's trick is always to assign one pupil to be their buddy. It's the same with sheep