Author Topic: Jacob orphans (Read 3327 times)

vkmcc · « **on:** May 30, 2012, 07:09:00 pm »

Hi im very new to lambing and last night had a set of triplets and a single lamb born to my Jacob ewes. Sadly the ewe that had triplets died this afternoon. Im trying to pair one of the lambs up to the ewe that had the single but would appreciate any advice as local farmer has told me jacobs are impossible to get to accept other lambs and that i will just have to hand rear them myslef. Has anyone got any experience with doing this with Jacobs??

Brucklay · « **Reply #1 on:** May 30, 2012, 07:25:40 pm »

We had Jacobs but have not had to get a ewe to accept an orphan but if I was in your position I would give it a go - may sound a bit yuckie but do you have any soggie straw or anything from the birth of the single that you could rub on the potential adoptee - someone else I sure will have better words of wisdom

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #2 on:** May 30, 2012, 07:31:27 pm »

Personally I wouldn't try to add a second to a single except at the moment of birth - and that's any breed, and including first-timers.

If you do decide to give it a try I suspect you'll need to use an adopter or similar, so she can't see who's suckling until the adoptee smells the same as her own lamb - which will take up to a week.

I presume you're rearing the other two triplets on the bottle - easier on you, the single mum and quite possibly the lamb to just rear the three on the bottle, IMO. Sorry!

Brucklay · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2012, 08:01:16 pm »

I would bow to Sally's knowledge - just thinking it may be possible but probably too late

vkmcc · « **Reply #4 on:** May 30, 2012, 08:13:07 pm »

Thanks very much for advice really appreciate it. Been out to check on her and she is lying with all the lambs and seems quite happy. By the sound of things looks like for all the lambs sake will have to bottle feed them all dont want to risk loosing any of them especially after loosing their mum

got another ewe that looks as if she is about to lamb tonight been a very chaotic 24hrs. Thanks again for advice and any other advice is greatly appreciated.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #5 on:** May 30, 2012, 08:20:34 pm »

So sorry to hear that your ewe died - very sad.

It is perfectly possible to get a Jacob to accept another lamb - been there, done that

However, I agree with Sally that sooner is better than later, so the adopting dam really does believe the new one is hers. If you decide to try again if the about-to-lamb ewe has a single, slather it all over with the birth fluids. However, I think that if single mum is happy baby sitting the triplets you might be better to let them all stay together and bottle feed the three, and let the new mum raise whatever she has.