Best way to rear Orphan Lambs

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Im liking this idea of using formalin in the milk , google seems to back up the theory , though have to watch for someone forgetting to add it for one feed

I did hear of someone that has been mixing a little bit of yeast in the milk powder for years, and claims he never gets any scouring or loses any to redgut, even after leaving lambs on for a long time (pedigrees:rolleyes:). I keep meaning to try it but never get round to it.
 

andybk

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Mendips Somerset
think neil is about right with cost above about a bag of powder and couple of creep , you also have to factor better lambs left on the ewes , 3 carp that pick up every bug and worm going or two good ones and another decent cade ., I wouldnt buy them to rear (you dont know colostrum intakes for one ) but surely its all part of the job .and i wouldnt be breeding for proficacy over and above 180%,
 

andybk

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Mendips Somerset
I did hear of someone that has been mixing a little bit of yeast in the milk powder for years, and claims he never gets any scouring or loses any to redgut, even after leaving lambs on for a long time (pedigrees:rolleyes:). I keep meaning to try it but never get round to it.

yeast works well needs to be fine powdered stuff dusted on creep (distillers has it in already ) , but could be a bit hit and miss , the formalin would be sure fire and would keep milk fresh for longer , and maybe keep bugs from digestive upsets in check

http://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?type=pdf&article=ca.v026n12p8
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
yeast works well needs to be fine powdered stuff dusted on creep (distillers has it in already ) , but could be a bit hit and miss , the formalin would be sure fire and would keep milk fresh for longer , and maybe keep bugs from digestive upsets in check

http://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?type=pdf&article=ca.v026n12p8

This guy was mixing the powdered yeast (from Blue Merle IIRC) in the milk powder, which the machine would mix up each time. Far less hit & miss than sprinkling on the creep, as they'd get a bit in each feed, even before they were taking creep.:)
 

andybk

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Mendips Somerset
This guy was mixing the powdered yeast (from Blue Merle IIRC) in the milk powder, which the machine would mix up each time. Far less hit & miss than sprinkling on the creep, as they'd get a bit in each feed, even before they were taking creep.:)
yep exactly the same as i use , except i dont use a machine (be better with one ) as i dont do enough , i found it doesnt mix well in cold milk , be ok in warm though
 

CornishRanger

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cornwall
Actually puting formalin through there milk? Why Or have I missed something.
Yes, actually putting formalin in the milk, 1ml per litre apparently, but I only heard it second hand, guess it helps prevent the milk going "bad" when a quantity is mixed up and offered ad-lib over a period of time. It would prevent the milk being a favourable environment for bacteria to develop before be taken in by the lambs, reducing their exposure to harmful organisms
 

muppet

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Dorset
Appologies for hijacking, but thought it made more sense than starting a new thread with the same title...

Took a 24hr old weak triplet away yesterday and bought him in. Parrot mouthed, but taking a bottle and now sucking well. Ewe was the first to lamb and I’ve only got 11 so fostering not likely to be an option. So, for a novice, how long would you keep him in for? He’s currently in the kitchen but I don’t want him in here forever! Have got heat lamps etc to put him in the stable (old open sided calf pens) but it’s v drafty and wouldn’t trust the neighbours cat not to kill him straight away...
 

Longlowdog

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Aberdeenshire
If the wee lamb is healthy and full a lamp would not be necessary. If he is weary then it may get him over the rough patch. A few pallets with plastic stapled to them would make a draft proof pen in the corner of a shed. If the neighbours cat is a problem pop a chicken wire roof over him.
You want to stimulate his metabolism, too cosy and they get lazy and just lie under the lamp like lumps of lard.
A single pet is a pain, they need company and competition to develop normally or you end up with a head butting liability with no respect for humans. You could maybe foster him out to someone rearing a few more if you pay his keep in milk powder or just stick him on Facebook free to collect. He may end up at the mart as a fat lamb but you say he's parrot mouthed so he's not a keeper really is he?
Any pet would benefit from a squirt of Spectam to prevent watery mouth and other bugs lambs in confinement seem to pick up for fun.
I've never had a lamb in the house. There are various protocols to follow for hyperthermic lambs depending on how far down the line they are but they should be fully recovered in 4 hours and able to thrive in pretty much any UK temperature if they are healthy and have a full belly, are not wet, or in a heat sapping draft. I lambed my Oxfords a number of years back at -24 and once they were dry they just got on with it.
 

CornishRanger

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cornwall
I used to when I was indoor lambing, or to be exact I had a pallet built raised floor pen for the smallest lamb, I never had large numbers or much trouble with infections anyway but it kept the pen straw far drier, so that would have helped.
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
I started advertising all my spares on Facebook a couple of years ago. £5 each no picking (a friend of mine was selling his at £5 but everyone wanted ewe lambs, turned out he had set one fella up with a flock of ewes over a few years) all triplets I don't need myself but mainly twin lambs off Hoggs, by the time they get going the single ewes have finished all but a handful. So they are all extra. £5 at 4 days old and I get a Hogg and lamb that go on and grow properly without the need for much corn over summer
 
I have quite a high scanning % this year so trying to think of the best way to rear orphan lambs rather than panicking at the start of lambing.

I have always reared them on milk powder on a shepherdess ad lib feeder. Ad lib creep and barley straw before moving on to a grower pellet. I always seem to have a few (usually the biggest, best looking ones) blow up on me and die overnight. What's the best way to avoid this?

Do folk turn them out at weaning (do you even wean?) Or is it best just to keep them motoring and sell them as early as possible from the shed?

Thanks in advance!
I rear all my orphan lambs if dairy goats they do a fantastic job no expensive milk powder needed and you have to goat to sell at the end so usally get your money back for it win win .

Also lambs dont get that belly on them like usual pet lambs do, plus if you need to adipt one onto a ewe it is ysed the sucking from a teat.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
I rear all my orphan lambs if dairy goats they do a fantastic job no expensive milk powder needed and you have to goat to sell at the end so usally get your money back for it win win .

Also lambs dont get that belly on them like usual pet lambs do, plus if you need to adipt one onto a ewe it is ysed the sucking from a teat.

The only pet lambs I’ve ever seen with a ‘belly on’ have been ones that have been done poorly, usually trying to do it on the cheap with cows milk (low solids & too much water) or mixing the powder at too low a rate. I’ve half a dozen at a month old just now and they are no different to those on the ewes.

I’ve heard of rearing lambs on pigmy goats, as they are supposed to let all and sundry suck? I did look into it once but Mv status, and lack of CAE free goats locally, stopped me going any further. I guess it wouldn’t matter if they were all killing lambs though.
 
The only pet lambs I’ve ever seen with a ‘belly on’ have been ones that have been done poorly, usually trying to do it on the cheap with cows milk (low solids & too much water) or mixing the powder at too low a rate. I’ve half a dozen at a month old just now and they are no different to those on the ewes.

I’ve heard of rearing lambs on pigmy goats, as they are supposed to let all and sundry suck? I did look into it once but Mv status, and lack of CAE free goats locally, stopped me going any further. I guess it wouldn’t matter if they were all killing lambs though.
Dairy goats are exacly the same will let anything suck. Fantast at rearing lambs
 

FIL46

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Aberdeenshire
I found the shepherdess waisted a lot of milk by keeping it warm all the time and the lambs did bloat, also lost of nasties in the milk after being kept at temp for 5/6 hours, 2 years ago I changed to a heatwave milk warmer it warms the milk as they drink it, I mix it in lick tub with a drill plaster shiske and that keeps them going all day,
as for other feed I put water, creep, hay silage and pulled grass to try and get them going after 5 weeks its out to the small lamb field and only get cold milk for a week then off the milk and push the creep, It's a cost a hassle but that's farming
 
Tags
dairy

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,285
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top