Author Topic: Fostering lambs onto ewe - advice please (Read 3180 times)

jward · « **on:** April 06, 2016, 05:58:36 pm »

Hi,
I've had a bit of a sorry morning. I had two Shetland's lamb yesterday - a single and a set of twins. All were right as rain and brought inside for a day or two until I castrate them. Anyway, the single lamb was a bit wobbly this morning and died shortly afterwards, then an hour later the ewe that had had twins collapsed. Called the vet out but she'd already died. Vet thinks the lamb was laid on, and doesn't know what was wrong with the ewe but "one of those things".

So I'm trying to foster the twins onto the other ewe. I've got them in a stable with her and she's quite happy for them to be in there with her, but so far will only let them suckle if I stand with her. They're up and skipping about and going up to her. It's my first time trying to mother lambs onto another ewe - am I doing everything right and will she eventually accept them?

I've got lambs milk and bottles if I need it, but the teats seem a bit big for the lambs - I've a mule ewe with twins to a Shetland ram and she only one functioning teat so had to supplement them for a couple of days and it was a bit difficult with the teat size so with these being even smaller lambs I'd rather them be on a ewe than have to rely on bottle feeding.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #1 on:** April 06, 2016, 07:10:45 pm »

The first option would have been to rub the lambs with the birth fluid of the single that died, but this all happened too late for that.
The ewe needs to believe the lambs are hers. Most sheep ID is by smell, a bit by sight and sound. To confuse the ewe, it can help to rub some of her expressed milk onto the lambs' heads and faces, and around the backside. Express some of her milk (sit her on her rump to do this, and use a lubricant). Collect in a bottle and feed this to the lambs so the smell of faeces made from her milk soon comes through them. This is better than reconstituted milk powder.
She will be getting used to their sight and calls by them being in the pen with her.
There is a danger she will kick them, so make an area across one corner of the pen, from narrow planks with gaps, which the lambs can squeeze under but she can't reach them.
The last resort is to tie her up for a couple of days, but I don't like this option.

The dead ewe may have been in need of emergency Calciject.
Did you dip the cords in 10% iodine as soon as the lambs were born?

Are your bottle teats perhaps cow size? It's worth buying the sheep version.

Things will improve

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #2 on:** April 06, 2016, 07:56:34 pm »

If you're giving her cake you could split it into four or five feeds instead of two. Gives the lambs a chance to suckle while she's otherwise engaged. If she's not butting them away she'll likely settle down in a few days. Just make sure they're getting enough milk until then.

jward · « **Reply #3 on:** April 06, 2016, 07:59:13 pm »

Thanks for the reply. The cords were dipped yesterday as soon as I brought them in and have started driyung up nicely. They're drinking plenty of her milk as I keep going in and standing with her - they've had about 4 feeds from her and have got lovely full bellys, so I'll just keep persevering. When she saw my dog tonight she started stamping her feet and acting protective of over them so I think we're getting there.

Pretty sure the teats are for sheep as I got them as lamb bottles from mole

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #4 on:** April 06, 2016, 09:44:03 pm »

I get the wee red teats (that fit on pop bottles) for tiny lambs. linky

jward · « **Reply #5 on:** April 07, 2016, 09:30:17 am »

Thanks everyone. Those teats are more like the size I need.

Vet gave me a bottle of the Calciject to use if any others start to go downhill.

The ewe is a bit grumpy with them this morning. Another option I wondered is I've got a couple of mules due in a couple of days with singles, so if she still hasn't taken them by then try with the birthing fluid and mother onto them?