[Stanlamb]

I'm trying to get the two pet lambs off the bottle and onto a bucket feeder ... how?  The tears are smaller but not tiny by any means.  Their bottle teats are large with a really fast flow.  Have put more holes in feeder teats and wrestled with lambs to try and get them suckling but to no avail.  Apart from time and perseverance, any ideas please?  They're over 3 weeks now so maybe it's too late to change?

Thanks!

[Hellybee]

Ry them one at a time.  Hold the bucket as you would if it were a bottle on the angle that the lamb is used to. Then hang up n try again, they ll get it, keep,on trying.  I'm a fine one talking , got half on Bucket and the others on bocky, need to split them n train them up lol x

[shep53]

TIME , moved 4 2-4wk olds from bottle to bucket easily, just let them get hungry then put teats in their mouth and away they went

[Stanlamb]

Thanks both.  Have discovered the problem ... they don't recognise or like the tests on the bucket. I tried their own teats on the empty side and they immediately took hold.  However, can't use those teats as they're too big and if fully pulled through will crinkle and block the outlet .... aside from the flow being so fast that milk runs straight out.  I need to spend more time wrestling with them (hungry is good advice, thanks!) so will try again tomorrow.

[EP90]

Cautionary tale..

I’ve raised, by choice, pet/cade lambs for the last 5 years. For 2 years I used bottles. The 3rd year I thought I’d use a bucket to make things easier, but one lamb died of bloat over night. During the evening feed the lamb got to the bucket first by a minute or so while I ushered in the other lambs.  That particular lamb was a good sucker and probably got more that the others normally.  Having a head start I now assume he just had too much and bloated overnight.  I’m back using bottles.. 

[sabrina]

I have always started lambs off on the bottle then went onto the bucket without problems.  I try to make sure they always have milk in the bucket through out the day so they are not starving hungry, so far this has worked well for me.

[Llandovery Lass]

We used to have this problem, some lambs worse than others. Last year we started using the same make of teat on the bottles, they are slightly more expensive but it works like a dream. The lambs don't even seem to notice the transfer. We also run the bucket cold which helps with the speed of 'smell', it does mean I hand feed for the first 7 days.
We also have a sort of creep system into the bucket so the twins on hogs which I help but leave on Mum can come in and have some milk as well, some do some don't.

[Stanlamb]

Thank you.  I have given up!  They simply will not accept the different teat!  Llandoverylass ... I shall do it your way next year!  The only saving grace is that I checked the dates and they will be five weeks on Sunday.  I've brought them and their Mum in in an attempt to the bloat cycle and encourage more creep ... so plan to reduce bottles a bit next week and start weaning slowly.  Will be glad to see them weaned and to reclaim my utility room from bottles and the stink of Lamlac!