[Richmond]

Advice please. Lamb born 9.15am yesterday outside. Easy birth and up quickly. Quick to find teat and to suckle. However Mum (first timer) doesn't appear to have much if any milk. She is a good strong well fleshed ewe and not thin. Lamb obviously got a little milk, enough to see it through the (frosty) night but is clearly weaker and hungrier today. Fortunately it is a glorious sunny day and lamb is staying warm in the sunshine. Worried about tonight and frost though. Trying to top up with bottle but so far lamb resisting. Ewe seems completely unfazed by me handling her lamb and just carries on grazing! Should I take lamb away completely or just carry on trying to bottle feed in field?

[SallyintNorth]

I would think it likely that the lamb has had insufficient colostrum, so I would be trying to get at least 50ml colostrum into it, pref twice that.  By tubing if it won't take the bottle.  Generally, once the magical golden fluid does its stuff, the lamb will eat with gusto, from ewe if she has some and is willing, or from bottle if that's the only feed on offer.

When you say the lamb did suckle, did you explicitly witness mouth latched onto teat, sucking and swallowing?  If so, then it looks like ewe may be short of milk, so you'll need to top up.  If you didn't explicitly witness all of those things, then my money is on that lamb did not in fact suckle to effect and did not get milk.  (They can look like they're suckling effectively, but are actually on a bit of udder with no teat.) 

Have you tried to express milk from the ewe?  If yes and none forthcoming, does she feel flabbyish (emptied) or firm (not yet dropped any milk.) 

Factors at play could include ewe not yet come into her milk, ewe not actually allowing lamb to latch on and suckle to effect.

If you can get the lamb accepting a top up, then keeping it with the ewe and topping up enough to keep it alive and vigorous but stopping short of feeding it to repletion, is more likely to result in her having a decent supply and meeting the lamb's needs.  If there is any suggestion that the ewe is avoidant, then I'd be penning them for feeds and helping the lamb get latched on if need be.  Generally, if there is grass and the ewe is attached to the lamb, they'll do better outside if you can deliver feeding support three or four times a day.  If any of those things isn't true, then I'd probably pen them until the lamb is feeding successfully.  In all cases, topping up from a bottle if needed, sufficient to keep the lamb alive and vigorous but stopping short of feeding it to repletion, so that it is still hungry and keeps trying to feed from the ewe.

[Richmond]

Thanks for your prompt reply! I was present at the birth, sitting quite close by (ewe is very tame and placid) and the first attempt at feeding looked successful in terms of latching technique and swallowing, complete with wiggly tail! However lamb kept repeatedly going from one side to the other to try and get more. Udder does not feel firm, it's small and flabby. I have not attempted to get milk out myself but am guessing she doesn't have much.

[Richmond]

Meant to say I am trying to feed her artificial colostrum as that's the only thing I have available (get some each year to have in lambing kit in case of emergencies!) but going on a swift trip shortly to get milk powder.

[SallyintNorth]

I was present at the birth, sitting quite close by (ewe is very tame and placid) and the first attempt at feeding looked successful in terms of latching technique and swallowing, complete with wiggly tail! However lamb kept repeatedly going from one side to the other to try and get more.

To me, that's describing a lamb which has not latched on successfully.  A wiggly tail is absolutely no guarantee of latching on, only that the lamb thinks it might be latching on.  The number of times I've seen lambs sucking with gusto, tail wiggling away, but when I look, it's got a lock of fleece in its mouth.     (Or a dag )

[SallyintNorth]

Udder does not feel firm, it's small and flabby. I have not attempted to get milk out myself but am guessing she doesn't have much.

Flabby would suggest that either the lamb has drunk her dry, or that she hasn't dropped her milk at all yet. 

In the first case, there is hope that her supply will improve as the lamb keeps suckling, especially if there is sun and grass.

In the second case, massaging the udder and gently stimulating it with milking-like movements may cause her to get on with it, and/or you might find the vet thinks it might help to give her some oxytocin. 

There is a third possibility, being that she simply doesn't have a functioning udder.  In my experience, that's pretty unusual in a first-timer, especially one that gave birth normally, so I'd definitely be bottoming out all the alternatives first. 

[Richmond]

Thanks for advice as always. We are topping up lamb in the field with bottles which she is (mainly) taking reasonably well. Occasionally she doesn't seem as hungry so am assuming she's had somethiing from the ewe. Ewe's udder is firmer today so maybe just taking her time getting the milk in???

Another complication we are having is that there is one older lamb (by 10 days) that is positively thriving - another single from a first timer - but is also being extremely boisterous with the new lamb. I know she just wants a playmate but she's way too much for this little one. Other lambs are due but haven't arrived yet and I'm wondering if we'll have the same problem ie big lamb bouncing about all over the tinies. Should I put the big lamb and her mum into a different paddock? We have the space.

[SallyintNorth]

Thanks for advice as always. We are topping up lamb in the field with bottles which she is (mainly) taking reasonably well. Occasionally she doesn't seem as hungry so am assuming she's had somethiing from the ewe. Ewe's udder is firmer today so maybe just taking her time getting the milk in???

That's excellent news, and yes, it does sound like the ewe is getting her milk going now.  🤞🏻

Another complication we are having is that there is one older lamb (by 10 days) that is positively thriving - another single from a first timer - but is also being extremely boisterous with the new lamb. I know she just wants a playmate but she's way too much for this little one. Other lambs are due but haven't arrived yet and I'm wondering if we'll have the same problem ie big lamb bouncing about all over the tinies. Should I put the big lamb and her mum into a different paddock? We have the space.

Is the mother protecting the wee one?  If so, I'd leave them together for now, and move the 2 ewes and lambs away together when the other mums start producing.  (It's tough on a ewe, especially a first time ewe, to not be with another few ewes when there are lambs to protect.)

But if newest mum is just letting the big lamb be too rough with the new lamb, yes you may need to move the older lamb and its mum off now, and maybe regroup the pair of ewes and lambs when this one has built more resilience. 

[Richmond]

A little update: The lamb has now been feeding solely from mum for 3 days, the ewe's milk came in. Not sure why it took so long but I have discontinued the bottles 

As for the big bouncy lamb we didn't move her and as her "cousin" got stronger and more willing to play things have settled down. We've also had 2 sets of twins born in the last few days and all 4 are strong, healthy and bouncy!!

Thanks @SallyintNorth for all your help.

[SallyintNorth]

Great news all round, thanks for the update!  (Pics would be more than welcome, as ever  )

As to why that ewe was slow to come into her milk... Usually it's when the birth was assisted and her hormones just didn't quite get the right stimuli at the right time.  But you watched this birth so that isn't the case here.  So it's "just one of those things", I think!  Unless one of the other experienced shepherds knows anything more?  @shep53? (She's usually good for an experienced take on things.) 


I'd be inclined to mention it to the vet when you next see them, to see if they have any insight, things to look for or do another time, etc.  (If they do. please do share here!)