[Paul and Caroline]

Hi

We are raising a lot of pet lambs (over 100) and they range between 3 and 5 weeks old. They are in pens of 5 or 10 and have progressed from bottle to shepherdess type milk feeders with between 5 and 12 teats, depending on how many lambs are in the pen. We have several lambs that have developed gungy eyes and 3 that have a significant crusty surface on their noses and chins. I am absolutely happy that this is not Orf and none of the gunge  or crust is 'open'. However in the worst cases the lambs are losing hair around their lower eyelids and just above the nose. They all compete almost visciously for the teat, notwithstanding that there are more teats than lambs in every pen and there is much clashing of heads and rubbing together as they feed. Our vet and neighbouring sheep farmer seem to think this is purely a consequence of the scrums they get into when they feed and have just advised us to keep an eye on them. In every other respect they are fit, healthy and eating well. Does anybody recognise any of the symptoms I have described?

[shep53]

Some times lambs and calves in groups will lick and suck  each others faces to get at any milk or milky saliva

[Me]

 periorbital eczema

[SallyintNorth]

Which milk are you using?  I have found that some of the replacement lamb milks seem to irritate their skin, and am always careful to wipe or if necessary wash off any spillages at each feed.  Of course you can't do that with an ad lib feeding system. 

[farmers wife]

Yes Ive seen this many a time I assumed its when some lambs are a little run down.  Worth keeping some supplementation like yogurt and if over 5 weeks a dose of oral vit? Perhaps a shot of colostrum mixed into the main feed.


We agree here that sheep fend better outside with grass - anyway of getting your system to let these lambs out.  I def beleive sunlight is great for animals and humans.


Most be very costly raising so many cades.  My maths has worked out £25 in just milk. Well done for keeping at it.

[Paul and Caroline]

Which milk are you using?  I have found that some of the replacement lamb milks seem to irritate their skin, and am always careful to wipe or if necessary wash off any spillages at each feed.  Of course you can't do that with an ad lib feeding system.

Sally we were using a cheaper powder but have now gone onto Lamlac as we felt none of them were growing as well as we thought they should be - we did mix the two powders for the first couple of feeds in an effort to avoid upsetting their systems. We don't adlib feed we have 3 feeds a day and have taken to removing the feeders immediately after feeding rather than allowing them to chew on empty teats. I take your point about cleaning up however numbers make that quite difficult!

[SallyintNorth]

Well, hopefully Lamlac is one of the ones that doesn't irritate their skins

When Downland switched to being a made-with-real-ewes-milk product, I stopped getting a problem.

[Old Shep]

We had the same last year with 20 pets using a heatwave feeder.  I put it down to the milk irritating them (and it was Lamlac - sorry). They recovered when weaned but didn't look pretty.  Keep an eye on them though we had one that formed abscesses and despite antibiotics we lost it.

[Me]

periorbital eczema

[Paul and Caroline]

periorbital eczema

Hi I did see and have taken notice.....honest! Just haven't discounted the allergy possibility either. What treatment would you suggest? I note an ab jab is recommended but what about short term symptom relief? We are now finding even their ears are crusting up

[Me]

Overcrowding at troughs or feeders, abrasions when competing, nice bit of damp/spilt milk = lesions around eyes and muzzle. Penecillin effective - unless its something completely different - which it could be. Take advice from tinterweb at your peril

[twizzel]

With this amount of pet lambs I would have the vet especially if their growth is not as good as expected?

[harmony]

If you are using ad lib feeders but actually restricting their access to certain feed times I am struggling to see how you feed 100 lambs without them competing at the teat. It can be a scrum feeding half a dozen on the bottle.


The idea of ad lib is not that they gorge themselves but that they can drink when they need to and once they know it is there all the time they don't gorge and don't fight for teats.  I am afraid they will chew teats, usually when they are older.


If you have a problem then it will travel quickly through your lambs so I would get it checked out asap.

[Paul and Caroline]

If you are using ad lib feeders but actually restricting their access to certain feed times I am struggling to see how you feed 100 lambs without them competing at the teat. It can be a scrum feeding half a dozen on the bottle.


The idea of ad lib is not that they gorge themselves but that they can drink when they need to and once they know it is there all the time they don't gorge and don't fight for teats.  I am afraid they will chew teats, usually when they are older.

Hi again I accept your point but with 114 lambs in 23 pens I just do not have enough feeders (machines they call them here) to put one in every pen and leave it there. You are right about the scrum..... all of the above said, the vet is on her way as I type.

If you have a problem then it will travel quickly through your lambs so I would get it checked out asap.

[Marches Farmer]

Given the age of the lambs and that their feed conversion rate goes down the older they get I suggest you consider involving your vet.  At that age anything that affects their overall wellbeing is likely to check growth and leave them open to other problems.