Author Topic: Weaing bottle fed lambs -- just cant find the info anywhere (Read 2618 times)

zwartbles · « **on:** May 23, 2012, 07:46:56 pm »

We've been fully feeding one of a set of triplets since birth and toppong up her sisters............now down to two feeds per day (seven weeks old now)..............when do we go down to one (night) feed and then to none ?? All are running with the others ewes and lambs, feeding on creep and grass and cudding and weight gain spot on................but dont want to arrest development etc ??

Advice / experience................please !!!

Lots of stuff around about feeding the babies but cant find anything on weaning - well anything specific enough to be useful

BTW : will be posting our three pedigree ram lamb Zwartbles for sale very shortly !!!!! WATCH THIS SPACE.........................

twizzel · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2012, 08:51:26 pm »

I was feeding ours 2 bottles a day until they were 6 weeks old, then cut it down to 1/2 bottle morning and night, then cut it out completely after a week of the half bottles. They were putting away a good amount of creep as well, going to it after the half bottle of milk... they almost tell you when they are ready as I had the same question, if they are putting away what looks like a sufficient amount of creep then that is time as creep & milk together can cause problems.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2012, 11:29:54 pm »

I just wrote a couple of posts on this on another thread :
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=24254.msg234934#msg234934

zwartbles · « **Reply #3 on:** May 24, 2012, 08:35:59 am »

THanks -- I'd seen the thread Sally mentioned but our bottle babies run with the other ewes and lambs so have access to grass and lamb creep and cant really tell how much creep they are eating but its plenty as really tuck in at the creep trough.

Will start reducing their breakfast bottle - only had a litre between the three this morning and aim to cut that down by early next week when will be 2months old...........then I suppose start reducing the night feed.

It is just a question of when to reduce that feed ..............

Any more tips and experiences please as this is definately a "lack of info" topic.............please of web posts about how much to feed and how often over first few weeks then no info.............

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #4 on:** May 24, 2012, 09:57:13 am »

Not before 5 weeks. Not until eating half-a-pound of creep per head per day. Stop milk, monitor condition. If goes backwards, reintroduce one small feed to regain condition, try again in a week.