Best way of Rearing pet lambs

[Kazak]

Getting set up for the next lambing season.

Looking at what is best on the market to rear lambs on automatic machine. Looking at feeding 20 ish lambs on machine. ( so not huge numbers)

Just want to know what machine works best? There seems to b the sheperdess, ewe2 but probably there is something else that works for people here.
I need as hassle free system as possible.

Thanks in advance.

 

[goodevans]

Milkmaid far superior to shepherdess and heatwave in my opinion but 20 lambs probably wouldn't justify one,wont be long before somebody comes along and says get them to market and let somebody else have the problem

 

[CopperBeech]

Wooden board, teats, tubes, non return valve and a bucket of milk, cheap and works.

 

[Kazak]

Wooden board, teats, tubes, non return valve and a bucket of milk, cheap and works.

Would you bother with the resistance to keep milk warm ish?
Or cold mill would be better?

 

[CopperBeech]

We only use warm stuff to get them drinking and then it’s straight into, not ‘cold’ but just ambient temp, whatever comes out the hose, but then we are lambing April / may so it’s not freezing cold water. Warm milk causes all kinds of problems with bacteria proliferation, bloat etc. You can buy little kits and bits to make them from fame valley - think brand is Hiko. We rear probably 50 or so lambs a year like it.

 

[Spuddler]

Tropical fish tank heater tubes are good for keeping milk warm.I think that’s what’s in the shepherdess feeders anyway.

 

[Tim W]

Getting set up for the next lambing season.

Looking at what is best on the market to rear lambs on automatic machine. Looking at feeding 20 ish lambs on machine. ( so not huge numbers)

Just want to know what machine works best? There seems to b the sheperdess, ewe2 but probably there is something else that works for people here.
I need as hassle free system as possible.

Thanks in advance.

Give them away = Hassle free and cost effective

 

[Al R]

Give them away = Hassle free and cost effective

I was gonna say put them on other ewes

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Get a Pyon 'heatwave' system. Cheap to buy easy to use . Good results

 

[Cmoran]

I used the heatwave for two years and 22 lambs drank €1100 of shine milk replacer the last year. now I just adopt them or sell them for €25 definitely a lot less hassle and let someone else have the trouble of trying to keep them alive

 

[CopperBeech]

I was gonna say put them on other ewes

We just use the pet pen as a storage unit lol, they go in for as long as it takes for a ewe to appear with dead lambs etc

 

[Al R]

We just use the pet pen as a storage unit lol, they go in for as long as it takes for a ewe to appear with dead lambs etc

That’s all I use adopter units for, put a ewe with copious milk in the headlock and use that as the spare pen until other ewes come along, quicker than tubing

 

[CopperBeech]

That’s all I use adopter units for, put a ewe with copious milk in the headlock and use that as the spare pen until other ewes come along, quicker than tubing

Our lambing ‘shed’ consists of two rows of adopter pens, a sick pen, a pet pen and a test pen for adoptees ready to go out. That’s mainly what lambing here is really - catch anything that’s got dead lambs and give it new ones, and odd sick ewe or lamb. Everything else looks after itself in theory. Two of us manage pretty much everything, me touring groups and catching, the young lad following my directions, and travelling about with a quad and wee trailer, picking up the hobbled stuff and taking it back to get a new lamb and then chucking them out.

 

[aangus]

heatwave

 

[The sheep dipper man]

Getting set up for the next lambing season.

Looking at what is best on the market to rear lambs on automatic machine. Looking at feeding 20 ish lambs on machine. ( so not huge numbers)

Just want to know what machine works best? There seems to b the sheperdess, ewe2 but probably there is something else that works for people here.
I need as hassle free system as possible.

Thanks in advance.

I put all of mine of dairy goats they do a fantastic job !

 

[Devil's advocate]

I put all of mine of dairy goats they do a fantastic job !

Do you milk the goat & then feed the lamb?

 

[CopperBeech]

I believe he lets half a dozen suckle each goat.

 

[Mc115reed]

Last year had about 30 cades.. managed get about 20 of them on too singles pretty much straight away... the other 10 I took through too killing... cost me £76 too get them too fat without including Labour and rent and they sold for average £80 so I lost money on them really..... sell them through Facebook or market this year £10 a pop first loss is the best loss and all that....

 

[Moors Lad]

Heatwave here (if needed!). At east the milk is mainly cold until needed by the lambs. Not too difficult to keep clean.

 

[quavers]

another heatwave here , could not cope with pet lambs with out it , if its cost effective thats another argument