Bottle fed lambs.

[yoki]

Previously, the only lambs that were bottle fed were ewe lambs that we were retaining for breeding so I wasn't that worried about the cost of a bit of milk powder and probably kept them on it longer than necessary.

This year however I'm keeping any excess lambs (triplets, etc), inc tip lambs, and rearing them myself, so would like them off the milk and on to solid food asap, but equally don't want to compromise their growth by being too stingy. Not worried about the labour/hassle aspect.

Assuming quality hay and a top quality coarse feed available ad lib from an early stage, what would people consider an optimum age for reducing and then getting them off the milk replacer?

Thanks.

 

[aangus]

Previously, the only lambs that were bottle fed were ewe lambs that we were retaining for breeding so I wasn't that worried about the cost of a bit of milk powder and probably kept them on it longer than necessary.

This year however I'm keeping any excess lambs (triplets, etc), inc tip lambs, and rearing them myself, so would like them off the milk and on to solid food asap, but equally don't want to compromise their growth by being too stingy. Not worried about the labour/hassle aspect.

Assuming quality hay and a top quality coarse feed available ad lib from an early stage, what would people consider an optimum age for reducing and then getting them off the milk replacer?

Thanks.

35 days on milk and pellets then weaned off milk, but they should be eating 200g of hard feed

 

[neilo]

And no hay until after weaning, just fresh bedding straw each day.

Giving them hay just reduces creep intakes and they can't digest it anyway, it's just fibre in a pre-ruminant animal, the same as straw.

 

[David.]

My experience suggests that they don't properly hoover up the creep until you knock the milk off.

 

[steveR]

And no hay until after weaning, just fresh bedding straw each day.

Giving them hay just reduces creep intakes and they can't digest it anyway, it's just fibre in a pre-ruminant animal, the same as straw.

Used to feed a lot of calves and had a hell of a struggle keeping my old Uncle from putting hay in to them. He hated my just feeding straw.

Exactly the same principle

 

[steveR]

35 days on milk and pellets then weaned off milk, but they should be eating 200g of hard feed

Bloody rats are the big problem ad-lib feeding pellets for lambs here. Mind, the Terriers love the sport!

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Used to feed a lot of calves and had a hell of a struggle keeping my old Uncle from putting hay in to them. He hated my just feeding straw.

Exactly the same principle

Gives them big bellies as well

 

[Devil's advocate]

Bloody rats are the big problem ad-lib feeding pellets for lambs here. Mind, the Terriers love the sport!

Went to a small holder delivering hay once & there was a row of rats up on their back legs eating at the creep feeder.

They called me out to a lambing & they were pouring out of the stone barn wall.

 

[steveR]

Went to a small holder delivering hay once & there was a row of rats up on their back legs eating at the creep feeder.

They called me out to a lambing & they were pouring out of the stone barn wall.

Air rifle time....

 

[Jaffa Cakes]

Just spotted a pair of lambs both empty and thin. Think milk has dried up on ewe despite getting a lot of hard feed.

Nearly a month old and no foster ewe available, will it be possible to get them.on to a bottle or feeder?

 

[steveR]

Just spotted a pair of lambs both empty and thin. Think milk has dried up on ewe despite getting a lot of hard feed.

Nearly a month old and no foster ewe available, will it be possible to get them.on to a bottle or feeder?

Bottle with warm milk... be a PITA, but hunger ususally wins out.

 

[yoki]

Just spotted a pair of lambs both empty and thin. Think milk has dried up on ewe despite getting a lot of hard feed.

Nearly a month old and no foster ewe available, will it be possible to get them.on to a bottle or feeder?

I've had the odd one like this that would near take the bottle out of your hand, and I've had ones that would never take a bottle, most get there eventually with varying amounts of time and effort.

Alternately, you could put her in a pen on her own and give the lambs access to a good quality coarse feed.

I reared a triplet lamb out of the commercial flock a few years ago that they didn't spot until it was too weak to stand. It lay for about a fortnight and I dosed it with small amounts of milk from a syringe but primarily it would eat coarse feed, could never get it to suck a bottle. I was gifted her as she wouldn't have lived otherwise and she's the only crossbred ewe I have, she's lambed for the forth or fifth time this year.

So with a bit of effort they can also be reared with very little milk if necessary.

 

[Jaffa Cakes]

Got them in out of feild and into a pen in shed. Bigger one drank no bother, Smallest weakest one fought against me all the way. Debating one 2 options,

1. Pull them off the ewe and give access to course feed and keep working with the bottle. Cash ewe in asap.

2. Leave in pen with ewe and keep working with the bottle. Cull her after they are weaned

 

[yoki]

Got them in out of feild and into a pen in shed. Bigger one drank no bother, Smallest weakest one fought against me all the way. Debating one 2 options,

1. Pull them off the ewe and give access to course feed and keep working with the bottle. Cash ewe in asap.

2. Leave in pen with ewe and keep working with the bottle. Cull her after they are weaned

Personally, I'd persevere with 2 for a week or so, and revert to 1 if 2 isn't working out.

Have you had a decent look at the ewes udder yet to see what's going on there?

 

[neilo]

Got them in out of feild and into a pen in shed. Bigger one drank no bother, Smallest weakest one fought against me all the way. Debating one 2 options,

1. Pull them off the ewe and give access to course feed and keep working with the bottle. Cash ewe in asap.

2. Leave in pen with ewe and keep working with the bottle. Cull her after they are weaned

I'd go option 2, but make a little creep pen up for them to get some coarse feed too. Once they're eating it, wean.

 

[Jaffa Cakes]

Personally, I'd persevere with 2 for a week or so, and revert to 1 if 2 isn't working out.

Have you had a decent look at the ewes udder yet to see what's going on there?

One side has nothing, other very little and a bit warty

 

[ladycrofter]

Got them in out of feild and into a pen in shed. Bigger one drank no bother, Smallest weakest one fought against me all the way. Debating one 2 options,

1. Pull them off the ewe and give access to course feed and keep working with the bottle. Cash ewe in asap.

2. Leave in pen with ewe and keep working with the bottle. Cull her after they are weaned

Keep them with their mother, she's more to them than just a milk dispenser.