Author Topic: cade lamb advice needed..re feeding bottled (Read 2798 times)

lizzypeg · « **on:** March 30, 2013, 08:33:00 pm »

hi
picked up my first cade lamb today..shes 2 weeks today iwas told..lady said she is on 3 feeds a day of 500ml...she was in with other various age cade lambs.
she was due her last feed when I got her home...so I made up a 250ml bottle, using human baby bottle as that what the lady uses...she was drinking but didn't seem to be getting much out of bottle..then lost interest.so I warmed it up some more and she had a bit more..but only had about 150ml in total...was nibbling at anything around her though...she looks big for a two week old one...do you think I need to make hole in bottle bigger as was coming out when I played with teat but only in a thin stream..or was it probably just she was unsettled as in new home.
shes had heptavac at 10 days old and had colostrum and a jab of vits and penstrep before I got her apparently.
should I be concerned if only taking that amount again tomorrow..shes sleeping under a heat lamp in barn and seems happy..very boingy and into everything..we have other sheep but all adults and shes not in with them

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #1 on:** March 30, 2013, 09:06:07 pm »

If she's drinking a litre and a half a day she's probably used to quite a flowrate, yes. So if she behaves the same tomorrow, yes, try making the hole a little larger.

Temperature will be key, some lambs only like milk at the temperature they like..

Most like it blood heat (which feels very warm but not ouch! Hot! on the back of your hand) and very few like it tepid.

Are you feeding the same make and formula of milk as she's used to? It will be much easier for her the fewer differences she has to get used to.

And are you sure she needs a heat lamp? If she's got good shelter and plenty of clean dry straw, she probably will be warm enough in her sheepskin coat

She may well miss having other ovine company - I'd expect her to bawl the place down if that's what she's missing. I assume you plan to get her some company when the opportunity arises?

lizzypeg · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2013, 09:15:21 pm »

hi

shes on lamlac which was what the lady was feeding her...I think it was because it wasn't coming out fast enough so she got frustrated and wanted to go explore..
the lady didn't have any others I could take but next door are sheep farmers so will be going there for advice tomorrow and they may have company for her.
I made it warmer but still wasn't very warm so maybe il try a bit warmer tomorrow as I was worried too warm might cause harm..she didn't have heat lamp at ladies but did have friends to cuddle up with...so I thought maybe she'd need a lamp if on own at present.
if you thinkshe'l be ok in barn with just a good straw bed then il ditch the lamp.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #3 on:** March 30, 2013, 09:20:12 pm »

I would ditch the lamp, yes. If you think it'll help settle her you could give her a warm (not hot) hot water bottle for the first night to simulate the body heat of other lambies. But so long as the water isn't freezing in her water bucket she should be fine in a nice draughtless straw bed.

If you feed milk that is too hot (Ouch! Hot! on the back of your hand) then yes, you can damage the lining of their gut. But they mostly do like it blood heat, which is quite a lot warmer than your skin is, so it will feel very pleasantly warm on the back of your hand.

lizzypeg · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2013, 09:27:12 pm »

great thanks for all the advice..iv just made one of the bottles teat holes larger so can try with both tomorrow..the lady said she was a gannet so was surprised she lost interest so quickly..il get her some creep feed too so she can start picking at that.