[Daisys Mum]

I had 3 ewes lamb tonight out in the field and one of them has stolen her daughters lamb which means that she now has 4 to rear, leaving poor Callie with one.Lambing is usually a long drawn out affair here, even with only 5 ewes so was quite a shock to find 3 lambing at once.

[crobertson]

I would put the mother ewes and their correct lambs in a mothering pen for a couple of days if possible just to make sure they bond with and stay with their own lambs. In my opinion I wouldn't let one ewe rear 4 and the lambs actual mother only rear 1.

[Marches Farmer]

I agree, and you need to do it quickly or the daughter may refuse to accept back her own lamb.

[Daisys Mum]

I would put the mother ewes and their correct lambs in a mothering pen for a couple of days if possible just to make sure they bond with and stay with their own lambs. In my opinion I wouldn't let one ewe rear 4 and the lambs actual mother only rear 1.

The problem there is I don't know which lamb is which as I was not there when the first 2 lambs were born

[harmony]

Just pen up and see which the daughter prefers? Ideally get two on to her.

[shep53]

With most ewes you can only get them sorted just after birth while the lambs are wet and hormones are raging , once they have bonded then the ewe may try to kill  even its own lamb as it now smells different, the lamb also knows that this is not its adopted mother .   

[crobertson]

I agree, pen them and see which they have taken to

[Marches Farmer]

Some ag. merchants sell cans of Lamb Adoption Musk, which presumably makes them all smell alike.  I don't know if it works, though.

[Daisys Mum]

On the advice of my sheep farmer neighbour I am not going to fight it, just stocked up on lamlac and will top up 3 or 4 times a day.

[SallyintNorth]

Good luck! 

Do keep a close eye on the ewe rearing four.  Sometimes with mulitiples they do okay for a while, and then as the lambs grow and demand increases, the ewe can't cope.  Mastitis often results  .   And especially if one or more if the lambs won't take a top-up.

Personally I'd take two off after a couple of days, and hand rear.