Author Topic: Orphan lamb question (Read 2851 times)

Bramham Wiltshire Horns · « **on:** April 07, 2016, 10:56:44 am »

Hi there
A friend who has sheep has some orphan lambs

I would like to adopt a couple
What would I need

I have 1/2 acre garden
A big out building where I keep ducks and chickens

Also able to make a temp pen in garage with heat source
Also have a holding number

As we thought about goats before

I understand I would need supplement milk feeder

What other things would we need?

Thanks

Sbom · « **Reply #1 on:** April 07, 2016, 11:02:02 am »

volunteer at a local sheep farm and get some experience should be your first step

Bramham Wiltshire Horns · « **Reply #2 on:** April 07, 2016, 11:09:09 am »

I have a few friends with sheep and sure they will mentor me
Just happy to help out and utilise the area we have
Time isn't an issue me and the wife are able to feed them
And think it will be a good experience how ever difficult it will be

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #3 on:** April 07, 2016, 11:14:58 am »

You won't need a heat source if you can make them a pen under cover.

I presume your friend will provide support / backup.

As well as the milk replacement powder, you'll need bottles for feeding (with teats), Milton's for sterilising, jugs for mixing milk and a good whisk, a flat pan or trough (that they can't tip over) for introducing creep, straw for bedding and eating, I give hay too, a bucket they can reach into for water. I use Champion Tup & Lamb, not a lamb creep feed, and they always seem to get on eating it really well.

When they're big enough to start going outside, you'll want to be able to contain them on the grass, or they'll wreck any plants / borders etc, not to mention how many garden plants are poisonous.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #4 on:** April 07, 2016, 11:22:05 am »

What are you aiming to raise them for? If to hand them back at weaning age (around 13 to 16 weeks old) and have plenty of back up and advice available, then it could work. If you want to keep them as pets or for future breeding then you don't have enough land. You'd also need dagging shears, foot shears, wormer gun and drench gun, vaccine, needles and syringes, pour-on, drinker and permanent clean water supply, hurdles, feed buckets, antibiotic spray, feed bottles, iodine, lambing ropes, hay, straw, 18% protein sheep nuts and so on and so on .....

Jukes Mum · « **Reply #5 on:** April 07, 2016, 03:54:03 pm »

Time, patience and the ability to cope with a few interrupted night's sleep :-)
Oh, and a camera!

pharnorth · « **Reply #6 on:** April 07, 2016, 04:51:53 pm »

I had two Cade lambs for my first year,, then buying in 3 in lamb ewes and two lamb ewes for my starter flock in the Autumn. The Cade lambs gave me a chance to run through half the year's routine and end up with a meat product. Beforehand I had as Sbom suggests volunteered helping an experienced shepherd.
SallyintNorth gives a sound direct answer to your question and I also agree with Marches Farmer you need to be clear what your plan is. Two pet lambs is a different matter to two pet sheep for a number of reasons, not least of which is the amount of medication you need to source that is all packaged for big flocks.