[cambee]

Hi all wonder if you can advise. We lambed our very first lamb yesterday to one of our shearlings. She lambed unaided and produced a single ewe lamb and started to lick it straight away so we were thrilled. She seemed exhausted afterwards but she was talking to the lamb and the lamb was trying to suckle. After a couple of hours leaving them we went back into the bonding pen. Mum was stood head down looking utterly miserable and lamb was lay down shivering and looking poorly and felt cold and was shivering. We leapt into action, gave mum some ewe-go and in the pen rubbed the very wet and cold lamb dry, warmed her up and got some powdered colostrum into her. An couple of hours later we went in again, turned mum and put the now slightly livelier lamb to her udder only to discover 4 nipples! 2 work, 2 don’t. The lamb got through the night and seemed good this morning but this afternoon she seemed weak again so I went in to encourage her to feed. She was definitely trying to suckle from one of the useless nipples! We ended up turning mum again so that we could see the lamb onto the correct nipple. My worry is now night has come that the lamb will keep trying to feed off the wrong ones and get nothing. I don’t know if we are just paranoid first time parents. Any advice?

[Womble]

We had similar problems with a ewe last year. We taped over the spare teats with micropore to keep them out of the way until the lamb had got it figured out! 

[shep53]

They must be big if the lamb can latch on to them  , try a couple of elastoplasts and lay them flat against the udder

[Marches Farmer]

You need to get the lamb through the next 48 hours.  Try holding the ewe and helping the lamb latch on at regular intervals through the day. If you lift the lamb to a standing position from being recumbent it should stretch.  If it doesn't feel its tum - should feel full.  You may need to supplement with a bottle for a couple of days until the lamb is strong enough to persist for itself.

[bj_cardiff]

I wouldn't turn the ewe to allow the lamb to suckle, it needs to learn where the milk comes from.  I'd get someone to hold the ewe and get down on your hands and knees next ewe and put the lamb on its knees and position it on the correct teat.

Assume that you've checked the ewe actually has milk? Several of mine have had problems this year

[harmony]

I wouldn't turn the ewe to allow the lamb to suckle, it needs to learn where the milk comes from.  I'd get someone to hold the ewe and get down on your hands and knees next ewe and put the lamb on its knees and position it on the correct teat.

Assume that you've checked the ewe actually has milk? Several of mine have had problems this year

It already knows where it comes from by the sounds of it but just hasn't quite got there. So tipping will be the easiest especially if the lamb is weak. If you aren't sure it has had colostrum then I'd give it some. Also lamb start or the like too. And yes, check for milk.

[cambee]

Thanks. We have turned the ewe a couple of times and the lamb suckles away and there is milk we’ve checked that. We don’t really want to keep interfering but I’m still concerned as the lamb doesn’t seem to feed for long and sometimes seems to be trying in the wrong place. It keeps lying down and they’re now outside. I haven’t seen it stretch at all and it doesn’t have a round belly. I think we may give her a bottle top up. I tried Elastoplast and it just wouldn’t stick! I assume because of grease on the udder. None of this is in any of the lambing books we read!

[harmony]

Young lambs don't drink for long but if it hasn't got a full tum things are not good. I wouldn't turn out until I know it is taking enough. It is easier to deal with inside than out. It isn't a question of interfering. The lamb isn't getting away as it should and you are helping. If you don't interfere/help you could lose your lamb and have a sheep with mastitis. 

[Backinwellies]

Keep in until both ewe and lamb thriving.     I would milk mum and stomach tube lamb ..... Encourages ewe to produce milk and doesn't encourage lamb to prefer bottle.  Will keep lamb going till stronger.... Keep putting lamb to ewe too ,... Normal positioning.

[cambee]

Thanks for all your input. We just lost the lamb. We took her up to the Vets who tried various things but she died up there. We went through everything we’d done with the vet and she basically can’t put a reason for it other than bad luck ie. lamb born weak on possibly one of coldest days of year, then when we thought she was suckling colostrum she was most likely on the extra dry teat. We are absolutely gutted. Our first lambing and we’ve had a dog get in and worry the ewes resulting in one prolapse and a possible abortion, the coldest March spell ever and now this with the first lamb. We have 4 more possibles so we will see what happens. Not at all the joyful time we hoped for.

[Rosemary]

Don't be too disheartened, cambee. Sounds like you've had a rough start but we learn more from failure than success, so onwards and upwards from here.

We've all been there, so know how you feel. 

[pharnorth]

What a shame. We lost a pair of goat kids last week. Again seemed to have been taking enough colostrum but probably didn't...were weak to start and went up and down and despite a lot of effort never got to the thriving stage, and as you say the extreme cold just makes it that much harder to help them along. A Shepherd friend of mine says if you don't have a smile on your face for every new lamb and a touch of heartache at every lost one then you shouldn't do it. I am sure the joy will follow. 

[SallyintNorth]

  We have all been there, and we’ve all learned a lot of lessons the hard way.  Sorry you lost your first lamb, but farmers often say you get most of your problems at the beginning or at the end, so fingers crossed it’ll pick up and you’ll have some lovely lambs and a lot of enjoyment from them.

[cambee]

Thank you your support is so reassuring.  I know we are perhaps taking it harder than we should but we only have 5 ewes, we do everything absolutely ‘by the book’ and the vet said today that we are one of the most hygienic farms she visits. And it was our first one and she had perfect markings (coloured Ryeland) and I got fond of her! But we will pick ourselves up, move forward and hope for the best with the others.

[Jukes Mum]

So sorry for you. It is horrible when something like this happens. Could the lamb have been premature due to the dog incident?
Hope all goes well with the others x