Fostering and outside lambing

jemski · Mar 16, 2018

I have a shearling that's had a dead twin and a live one. The waterbags were still intact so I tried wet fostering a triplet but she was having none of it.
Would you bother bringing her in and putting her in the stocks? Or just leave her alone to rear one? I think my normal instinct would be to leave her but I've got so many pet lambs this year and I'm used to having only one or two!

Northeastfarmer · Mar 16, 2018

If you’ve got plenty of pets then wortha try...what have you got to lose

Farmerwully · Mar 16, 2018

I would leave her alone and sell some pets

Nithsdale · Mar 16, 2018

Outside wet fostering you need a wet, fresh born lamb to put on the ewe which has just lambed.

Just leave her go with one, it'll save a long fight - unless you're hell bent on twinning onto her.

neilo · Mar 16, 2018

jemski said:
I have a shearling that's had a dead twin and a live one. The waterbags were still intact so I tried wet fostering a triplet but she was having none of it.
Would you bother bringing her in and putting her in the stocks? Or just leave her alone to rear one? I think my normal instinct would be to leave her but I've got so many pet lambs this year and I'm used to having only one or two!

Is she a Highlander ewe? I have found them to be sods for trying to get another lamb onto, whereas my old Texels were a doddle and I never failed. The only success I've had with Highlander ewes is where I take theirs off and put two fresh ones on, but even then only at the time they're lambing.

I've always thought that was the downside of having such strong maternal instincts and the lack of mismothering with them normally.

If they've had one and it's gone more than a few minutes, forget it.

GTB · Mar 16, 2018

neilo said:
Is she a Highlander ewe? I have found them to be sods for trying to get another lamb onto, whereas my old Texels were a doddle and I never failed. The only success I've had with Highlander ewes is where I take theirs off and put two fresh ones on, but even then only at the time they're lambing.

I've always thought that was the downside of having such strong maternal instincts and the lack of mismothering with them normally.

If they've had one and it's gone more than a few minutes, forget it.

+1 Don't even bother trying with an Easycare any more. Complete waste of time.

jemski · Mar 16, 2018

@neilo yes she's a highlander x....

Jameshenry · Mar 16, 2018

Let her go with one, not worth the hassle and no point in making work !

P.O.T · Mar 16, 2018

I would say get her in, skin dead lamb and get skin on to twin on, will take it. Depends if you can be bothered. Not very often get rejection with skin on.

jemski · Mar 16, 2018

P.O.T said:
I would say get her in, skin dead lamb and get skin on to twin on, will take it. Depends if you can be bothered. Not very often get rejection with skin on.

I've done 2 skinnings this year and neither bloody worked. Never had it fail before.

jemski · Mar 16, 2018

I stripped a bit of colostrum off her and let her go with 1. I think the stocks may not have worked or would have taken weeks.

P.O.T · Mar 16, 2018

jemski said:
I've done 2 skinnings this year and neither bloody worked. Never had it fail before.

Is nothing worse than going through it all and for the ewe to reject it.

jemski · Mar 16, 2018

P.O.T said:
Is nothing worse than going through it all and for the ewe to reject it.

One of the ewes had laid on one of her lambs. I skinned it and put it on a quad lamb that I'd been bottle feeding and was a little bit attached to. She wasn't keen but not beating it up so I thought I'd give it a go.
I was marking up later that day in the pen opposite. I looked across and all I could see where the quad lambs back legs from under her. I've never leapt hurdles quicker. Got the lamb out but he was lifeless and floppy. Then I felt a faint heart beat. So I started mouth to mouth. Slowly he started taking gasps. I swore that if he lived he could be a teaser. Slowly he started breathing properly. He shook for about half an hour but he's fine now! And still a bottle lamb.... the bitch ewe is in the cull group.

steveR · Mar 16, 2018

jemski said:
......the bitch ewe is in the cull group.

Yes!!! Go for it and no second thoughts later in the year

jemski · Mar 17, 2018

Don't worry, once they are in the cull group there's no coming back out!

Greythundercloudys · Mar 17, 2018

Let her go with one, far less hassle

pgk · Mar 17, 2018

GTB said:
+1 Don't even bother trying with an Easycare any more. Complete waste of time.

Au contraire, ec ewe last yr lost her twins coming backwards, pulled them skinned lamb n put 3 day old pet on her, left pen in field overnight paired up by daylight.

Al R · Mar 17, 2018

neilo said:
Is she a Highlander ewe? I have found them to be sods for trying to get another lamb onto, whereas my old Texels were a doddle and I never failed. The only success I've had with Highlander ewes is where I take theirs off and put two fresh ones on, but even then only at the time they're lambing.

I've always thought that was the downside of having such strong maternal instincts and the lack of mismothering with them normally.

If they've had one and it's gone more than a few minutes, forget it.

As @GTB will know, welsh are horrendous for adopting onto. We’ve done a few skinnings the last few days and they will take them but not if you still have 1 of their own lambs alive.

We’ve got 4-5 triplets here now and have started skinning a dead twin and keep in 2-3 days, works ok with the mules and texels.

I have done a few wet adoptions in the field when I’ve had a first lamb dead, they’ve come in for 48hours then but with all the fluids on the floor we did it in the field.

I carry 3 Chinese takeaway boxes in the front box on the quad for small things(rings/tags) and needles/syringes etc, I had a twin ewe with 1 dead lamb the other day, yet her waterbag was on the floor intact, lifted into the Chinese box and drove a few mile back to the shed, splashed it over a spare triplet and it was taken instantly by her!

Al R · Mar 17, 2018

jemski said:
I've done 2 skinnings this year and neither bloody worked. Never had it fail before.

We do a fair few and very rarely have 1 fail, uncle did a calf once, when he took the skin off the calf he chucked it over the hedge and the cow flattened the fence trying to get to the skin

neilo · Mar 17, 2018

Al R said:
We do a fair few and very rarely have 1 fail, uncle did a calf once, when he took the skin off the calf he chucked it over the hedge and the cow flattened the fence trying to get to the skin

I’ve never had a skinning fail either, but i’ve Only ever tried it on single lambs, rather than letting the ewe run empty/hanging her up. I’ve never tried it alongside a ewe’s live lamb. :scratchhead:

Fostering and outside lambing

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