[Padge]

Hello again      we have two first time mums both with single lambs   one of which was born this morning       she has milk  but seemingly very little   and very small teats    will not let lamb feed   We have cleared teats and ensured lamd has colostrum bit is bleating her little head off    any help gratefully received
 

[jaykay]

Is she in a small pen, so she can't get away from the lamb? This can help.
They don't have a lot of milk to start with, it's colostrum now and the milk comes in a day or so and increases as the lambs get bigger.
If you're sure she's not letting them feed at all, tie her up or have someone hold her and put the lamb on.
She'll get used to it, first-timers are often a bit shocked by the whole thing!

[Padge]

Hi Jaykay     yes  in a small pen   been held in order to let lamb have colostrum   but very unwilling to let near at all

[kanisha]

persevere I had one like that last year very frustrating but once they get over it they generally settle down well.

[suziequeue]

I heard that one of the best ways to get mums to bond is to have them in a small pen and the approach them with a dog on a lead.

The natural protective instinct takes over and while the ewe is watching the dog and protecting the lamb, the lamb gets a chance to go round to the milk bar

[ellisr]

Be very careful with the dog method as mum may panic and trample little one to death

[jaykay]

Our mad shearling certainly would

[suziequeue]

Oh right Ellisr - sounds like you've had a bad experience with that.

I read it in Eddie Straiton's book.

He describe it as "a simple and apparently infallible method, which I would like to pass on to all shepherds"

Haven't used it myself mind as we didn't have any orphan lambs this year luckily.

[Anke]

You may have to persevere with holding the lamb onto mum's teat for a few days, every few hours. If it's a single alternate the teats so both get emptied, otherwise you risk mastitis on the unused side/quarter.

I have one that needs that treatment. I also then keep the lambs in the pen next to her, as she also kicks her lambs for a couple of days - all very weird, and frustrating at the time. But mothering instinct does take over....

[Rosemary]

I have one that needs that treatment. I also then keep the lambs in the pen next to her, as she also kicks her lambs for a couple of days - all very weird, and frustrating at the time. But mothering instinct does take over....

This is only a question, not any implied criticism but why do you continue to breed from a ewe that is a poor mother? I know she gets it eventually, and you'd probably cut a first-timer a bit of slack if she's a good ewe otherwise but won't it perpetuate? Will the ewe lambs of a poor mother also be poor mothers and just increase your hassle?

[ellisr]

I have had 2 first time mums this year that had the instinct but no milk and they will be bred from again as the lambs are good strong lambs and hopefully mums bodies will kick in next year.