Author Topic: new to lambs (Read 2586 times)

slightlymad · « **on:** March 12, 2012, 02:43:14 pm »

hi, i have just acquired 3 orphan lambs, and apart from reading everything i can find, dont have any experience of sheep. They are 10 days old, i am feeding 350ml of lamlac 4 times a day, adlib creep feed and fresh water. They are kept in the stable overnight and are penned outside during the day. Is there anything else i should do ? what about vaccination, worming etc...... help please.

Pedwardine · « **Reply #1 on:** March 13, 2012, 08:32:16 am »

In the hope that the mum(s) were Heptavacced the lambs will need further vaccination against nasty diseases by giving two Ovivac 'P' injections the first at around three-four weeks old and the other 4-6 weeks later. It's a subcutaneous injection which can go in either the neck or the wool free area in the legpit. It does tend to leave an unsightly lump which can get nicked during shearing later on. I'd advise to go for the legpit. You pull a 'tent' of skin up (not ever so easy in a tight skinned lamb-oh for tight skin again!) and inject into it steadily with a small gauge (20) needle attempting NOT to squirt the vaccine out through the other side! It can be a tad fiddly with a wriggly lamb that absolutely does not want sharp things sticking in it-may be worth getting someone else to help hold the little blighter still for you.
Hope this helps

slightlymad · « **Reply #2 on:** March 14, 2012, 09:03:23 am »

thanks very much for that info, it will be another date to go in the diary.

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #3 on:** March 14, 2012, 09:59:08 am »

Hi Slightly mad

this is only my 2nd year raising orphan lambs so I'm still a newbie to it. Last year we raised about 8 with most going off to slaughter (it was part of a group co-operative) and I kept 2 of them as pets/lawnmowers.
This year I have picked up 3 castrated ram lambs from one day old and they are all mine to keep

ours will be 2 weeks tomorrow so similar age to your own.
I've still got mine on 4 feeds of 350 ml lamlac too. My nanny goat is due to give birth this weekend and I hope to get them onto goats milk.
they graze outdoors all day (I say graze but they seem a bit confused about the green stuff!) and have access to creep which they mainly walk on but i think they've sniffed and had a taste of it.
at night they are locked in a shed (just because they are still small and we have foxes, badgers and even a dog in our field yesterday

)
Mine will get heptavacP at 4 weeks old.
aiming to turn them into the main field once they are big enough to cope with the large ewes!

novicesmallholder · « **Reply #4 on:** March 14, 2012, 03:19:50 pm »

So......................I'm being thick here

if mums were vaccinated against hepvac p do the lambs need vaccinating?

Our lambs range from 6 - 10 weeks and have not been vaccinated.

Regards,

Mark

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #5 on:** March 14, 2012, 05:05:29 pm »

I was told that the mums should hae been vaccinated during pregnancy but would need a booster /jab 4 weeks? maybe i need to check on that again

Anke · « **Reply #6 on:** March 14, 2012, 05:47:52 pm »

Quote from: novicesmallholder on March 14, 2012, 03:19:50 pm

So......................I'm being thick here

if mums were vaccinated against hepvac p do the lambs need vaccinating?

Our lambs range from 6 - 10 weeks and have not been vaccinated.

Regards,

Mark

Yes, the protection they got from mum's colostrum will start to wear off, so I would soonish (if the oldest ones are already comoing up for three months old) give them the first shot, and then a second one 4 - 6 weeks later .