Author Topic: ShouldI I?? Shouldn't I? (Read 1839 times)

pinkvisla1 · « **on:** March 06, 2015, 12:45:35 pm »

Here we go again! we have been offered 3 lambs, either we want them or who knows what will happen to them. I guess its the time & cost to Farmers to raise these orphans, the price of the lambac powered milk is more than the lambs!! I'm getting myself in to a right mess reading what to do! I don't know how old they are at this stage but i'm thinking weeks, have raised 4 lambs in previous years and all still doing fine with us as pets.

So do I need to vaccinate them with this Heptavac that I have reading about? and at what age? what about my other sheep, ive never vaccinated them??

We worm and click them, get them sheared and trim their hooves!

Help? i'm in 2 minds, I just would hate to go all out and loose one for not being vaccinated?? It is quite expensive by the sounds of it.

Aylesbury Bucks $:-\$

Jukes Mum · « **Reply #1 on:** March 06, 2015, 02:59:09 pm »

Hello

I am new to sheep so not the best to advise but I'm sure someone more experienced will be along soon!
Anyway my thoughts:
1)Read "Orphan Lambs- advice please" a recent post by Bionic for thoughts on risk to your current sheep/biosecurity etc
2) yes they should be vaccinated (at around 4 weeks old and again 4 weeks later
3) yes, your current sheep should be vaccinates
4) current thinking is that feet should not be trimmed- there are various discussions on here you could read.
5)lambs are generally not sheared

Good luck if you decide to take them on x

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #2 on:** March 06, 2015, 07:57:28 pm »

Our flock is made up of orphan lambs that have grown into healthy sheep. Of course, we've lost a few along the way such is the nature of cade lambs.
Cant' say much more than Jukes mum as I agree with her points as that's how we do things here. I currently only have 2 orphans, 1 is 6 days the other 3 days old.

Crbecky10 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2015, 08:20:54 pm »

If you have the money to do it and you are not out with money making in mind, I'd say go for it. Even if your other sheep are not vaccinated, you can still vaccinate them, if you want to do these lambs too (at 4 - 6 weeks, then again at 4 - 6 weeks later), to get them into the 'system', then you'd do them each year.

twizzel · « **Reply #4 on:** March 08, 2015, 08:07:13 am »

We heptavac all of our tame lambs, they all go in the freezer by Nov but my thinking is they are more vulnerable than normal lambs so need all the help they can get. Ours are vaccinated when they are all a minimum of 3 weeks old. At the moment we have 6 x 5.5week olds, 2 3.5 week olds and about to pick up 7 that are a couple of days old tomorrow, so once they are old enough all will have their first jab.