[Dutchjim]

Hi. Worst lot of orphan lambs ever!! I have two lambs that don't seem to have the sucking reflex.
Both are  twins where the ewe has only one side working.They just "mouth " the teat. Day in day out. Running out of patience!!

[dixie]

Do they suck your finger? Are you sure they are hungry?

[Dutchjim]

No . No suckling on finger either. And yes they are hungry and look hollow and are not doing well.
I squirt and dribble milk in their mouth so all they do is swallow and get enough to keep a live.
Never had this happen for so many days. They usually "get it" after one day .

[SallyintNorth]

I had a few like this this year.  Perserverence / force-feeding (firm but fair!) worked with most.  I would usually make sure any lamb had an absolute minimum of 100ml three times a day, 150ml when I could bear it and spare the time.  With a couple, I tubed them a good bellyful of perfect temperature milk, after which they seemed to like the idea better.

Do check the temperature and strength of the milk - some really don't like it unless it's blood-heat warm.

You can also try B-vits to stimulate appetite; either a 'Lamb Boost' type drench or an injection of something like Combivit.

If they've been on starvation rations for a few days, it may be a good idea to feed them Pfizer Scour Formula or Rehydion for a feed or two (tube one feed if necessary) to rehydrate them and get their digestions going before trying milk again.

If all that fails, sadly you just have to chalk it down to life with orphan lambs - some of them just seem born to die no matter what you do to try to foil their plans.

[Hellybee]

I very much agree with Sally.   Hope that they pick it up, very frustrating for you, good luck

Editted to add:

Me n bazz were just thinking about this whilst in the barn...... either lambs are full or just havent got a clue what you are asking of them.

for the latter (which have resorted to)  we get down on all fours moreorless, make mothering noises, and the microsecond that lamb(s) go to nudge we get bottle into mouth pretty damn sharpish,e keep trying, try try try;)

Once you have given them a taste (hopefully)  barry finds that making a little tugging motion of the bottle makes the lamb hold on more (like the dam would do naturally/moving away)  x

[Hellybee]

also he just said about rubbing there noses gently with teat, maybe cupping theyre muzzle with hand, and also tickling theyre bum like mum would x

[Dutchjim]

Thanks for all your help. I am not going on all fours!! I do the bad drinkers first now so the milk should be a bit warmer and my patience is better. I do think they get my frustration through my hands. So I make an effort to be more relaxed. It will soon be shearing time and all this just a memory.

[Hellybee]

Ahhh why not....as long as the neighbours arent looking hehe

[dixie]

Ha ha love the all fours suggestion, my family already think I'm bonkers! Sounds like you have your hands full, just perseverance then until they get the idea, hope it works out for you.

[Anke]

Pretty much the same problem here.

Pair of twins, born at 4.6 and 4.8kgs to good large ewe, found them hypothermic in that horrendous rain a couple of weeks back, took them in and warmed up and tubed... then looking at them they were so skinny... weighed less than at birth by then 2 weeks old... ewe had no milk... so now ewe back out and lambs reared on goatsmilk. after initially one of them took to the bottle very well (the other was quite ill with the runs etc, but now ok after AB's, AI's and Vit B injections).. but then both decided that they did not want to take the bottle... we have now tried for over a week, but tubed them to make sure they had about 1 litre per day... they are quite lethargic boys, just lie and snooze... and now both my tubes have been chewed through and a couple of teats too... I am at my wit's end!!!!

Can you give them readigrass? They are nibbling at hay a little bit, no interest in lamb pencils. I guess it's just trying to get them to eat something "solid" soon and wean asap...

Sorry about the moan, I don't expect any suggestions (as I know there aren't any..), it is just so soul destroying they were really nice lambs to start with!

[Hellybee]

what about trying a little golden syrup, maybe putting it on teat?  do they nudge at all for milk, are theyre mouths warm? what are theyre bowel movements like...

there s something going on id say, id get the vet to see them hun if theyre still a bit "flat". x

[dixie]

Could it be that they didn't get colostrum? If its a case of live or die then readigrass is surely worth a try?

[Hellybee]

I think Anke would ve done that routinely hun x

[Anke]

They did get colostrum, and all seemed well when they went out after a day in the pen. After I brought them back inside with the ewe and got them  warmed up and tubed, they were at her teats ALL the time, whenever she moved. So I think her milk proper just didn't come in (or not enough of it), she is a 5 year old girl.

They do chew and bite the bottle teat (and some milk does go down), I may try some honey on the teats, and I know they CAN suckle. After all one of them did really well for just over a day. They do not actually look ill (and one had a whole caboodle of injections initially), bums are dry, they pee for Scotland (mainly onto my leg when I am trying to feed them ), poo is the right colour, but not much of it. I will try and get them outside into a wee pen for a few hours soon, maybe they will nibble some grass?

As one of them alreday had a Vit B injection I also cannot give them anything else now I think, not sure if you can overdose them?

[SallyintNorth]

Anke, if you're tubing 1L per day into them, could they just be replete and lazy?  When I've got awkward ones, I give them starvation rations (300-450ml milk total over three feeds either by bottle or tube); eventually hunger seems to kick in and they start to take the bottle better.

The other thing the vet told me is that the effect of Combivit lasts only 24 hours, so don't be frightened to give them another shot - B vits stimulate appetite, in theory, so it could be worth another try.

It's so annoying to have lambs who won't try to live - compare to my little tongue-eaten-by-crows fella, who's learned to suck milk up from a bowl.  It's so much more enjoyable working with ones who want to live!