[Olong82]

I have 6 Cade lambs and am just weaning them now at 7 weeks (should be down to 1or 0 milk feeds buy 8 weeks) they are eating creep and some hay quite well. They are kept in a shed most of the week and at weekends I am letting them get a bit of time in the field penned in. I am looking at letting them in the field full time at 8/9 weeks. they will be by themselves in the field.
What should I do food wise? should I still give creep and hay? or just leave them to fend for themselves?

Any help appreciated

[twizzel]

Pet lambs need creep once out at grass so either make a creep feeder or feed them in a trough once or twice a day. Mine went out in the garden for a week then into the field, they’ve had hay for a few days but have now moved to a fresh paddock with the other ewes and lambs with just grass, creep feeder and mineral buckets. Best not to draw the weaning process out too long, they do better if abruptly weaned and less chance of bloat. I tend to wean off milk whilst still inside, leave them a week to adjust then start putting outside once satisfied they are eating creep and drinking water.

[silkwoodzwartbles]

I was giving my cades ad lib creep and hay at 2 weeks old and had a bucket of water in from then too. By the time I let the bag of lamlac run out, they were eating hay and creep well. To make sure they were ok with drinking water, I switched the contents of their milk bucket for water for a day (plan being that they'd realise that was all they were getting) before turning them out.

As the lambs out in the field were spending less time with their mothers and more time playing together, I put the cades straight out with the rest and they've integrated really well. They cuddle up together when the other lambs go back to their mums but mostly all the lambs play together - I realised the other day I wasn't entirely sure which were cades and which were mum-reared when they were all chasing down the field together 

[farmers wife]

My pet lambs are in the field from 2 weeks. Its a small field close to the house. I feel its better to get them adjusted as quick as possible plus less chance of any bacteria plus the sun and fresh air.  They self feed from the bucket. They don't seem that bothered about the hay, they are eating the grass as they would if with its mum. I have straw as bedding. You haven't got to feed them anything nor have you need to feed them nuts.  The nuts are good to build them up but not necessary.  Saying that the biggest problem with pet lambs is how down hill they can go after weaning this is when feeding a few handfuls of nuts is advantageous.   Keeping pet lambs strong after weaning is a battle for many. So keeping them separate from the rest of the flock is better as you can continue to feed nuts until the whole flock is weaned. Lambs should be weaned off mothers around 85 - 100 days. Its then depends on whether you feed fattening nuts or totally grass fed.