[smudger]

There has been a few posts about problems with cade lambs, are they all bad and not worth the bother? (A neighbour also had a whole lot die on him last year, he's not bothered again this year as he spend a fortune treating and feeding them).

[SteveHants]

Depends when they were orphanned - I kept a couple back from a ewe that got mastitis, they were already nearly a month old and are doing fine, are still in with the other sheep (I did pen em under a hedge to get them to take the bottle - although they have been off hat for a while now). They just come see me for some nuts whenever I'm there.




Its better if you at least know they have had colostrum.

[jaykay]

It seems to be critical whether or not they got colostrum.

And I don't know what else, since once year I had three Herdie pet lambs, they all got plenty of colostrum, I raised them to a good size and they seemd fit and healthy. Two were 'loved' by their mum though she couldn't feed them, one's mum rejected her and she hung around with the other two - their mum let her.

I sold them all at about 6 months to someone who was starting out. The next thing I'd heard, a few months later, was that the 'true' orphan had died.

So maybe it's just very stressful being an orphan and it makes them susceptible to whatever comes along?

[Mallows Flock]

There has been a few posts about problems with cade lambs, are they all bad and not worth the bother? (A neighbour also had a whole lot die on him last year, he's not bothered again this year as he spend a fortune treating and feeding them).

I have cades every year and have never had a problem with them as lambs or as adults... my best breeding ewes were cades and they have always made full size with the benefit of being super easy to catch and treat. The hardest thing about that lot is trying to get them out of the back seat of the freelander when my son leaves the door open. they literally get in it and wanna go for a drive! Hahah!
However, this year it was very different and has nearly put me off cades. In all fairness, the weather has been much to blame AND I got them from a very large commercial farmer who I didn't know and who didn't let me see the farm or even pick the ones i wanted (I know, I KNOW...  but it was done in a very subtle way so I didn't work it out til after!)
I will have cades again... it is very rewarding - however, I will know my source and I h ave some very hard lessons learned to back me up in future!

[WarescotFarm]

Oh no what a pain, I feel for you!
Good luck getting it all sorted