[gingercloverbramble]

Our two orphaned pet lambs are just over a month now. They are in a large fenced off grassy area and have access to water, hay and creep pellets.  I am just needing some advice on when and how to reduce their bottle feeding.  How many times a day should I be feeding them now they are almost 5 weeks old and how much milk?!  They have both grown so well and are strong wee lads!! 

[cairnhill]

Hi

my two bottle feds are about 6 weeks and still having 4 feeds per day.  I was advised to make their milk formula weaker, ie 3 scoops instead of 4 and gradually tail it off but I have yet to try this.  I don't know exactly when they should stop having milk, a friend of mine was still feeding her orphan at 6 months with one bottle a day.  Another friend said they will take themselves off the milk when they are ready.  So I am as much in the dark as you.  Heres hoping some of the sheep gurus on here will have a definitive answer.

[Freddiesfarm]

I'm a big meanie obviously, but from two weeks old they are on 2 feeds a day (1 litre total per day)  as this helps them to start taking the creep feed.  Plus when it comes to weaning at about 6-8 weeks depending on the lambs, I just make them go cold turkey.  If they are eating plenty of creep food and grass and have plenty of water they will yell for a day and then settle down.

Tough love tends to work the best for me anyway!

[Sharondp]

We cut down at about 7 weeks (just to use up the Lamlac - wasn't going to waste that!) to one feed a day, then when the milk ran out we went cold turkey - the lambs were bloomin noisy for a few days but soon shut up when they learned nothing was coming!