Ewe not letting lambs feed

[Fourofakind]

We have a yearling ewe, lambed twins, mothers them brilliantly except for the fact she wont let them feed. Every time they go under her she will move away. No signs of an issues with the udder. We tried locking her in today which allowed them to feed but as soon as she was out of the restraints she wouldnt let them feed. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

[spin cycle]

leave her in adopter for few days

 

[sherg]

Get her tied up for a few days

 

[tepapa]

Tie her up for a few days and put in a cull tag and one in any ewe lambs.

 

[yellowbelly]

We have a range of buckets with different sized holes cut in the bottom to suit all breeds.

 

[primmiemoo]

That's the version that leaks, is it, @yellowbelly ?

 

[neilo]

First thing I’d try is to tie her in the pen with a halter for an our or so. You may have to repeat it.

Chances are she’s just confused by what’s going on and will settle as soon as the endorphins kick in from suckling.
I certainly wouldn’t cull her for it, she’ll almost certainly never do it again. Just a confused first timer.

 

[neilo]

We have a range of buckets with different sized holes cut in the bottom to suit all breeds.

A scandalous waste of a perfectly good bucket.

I do the same by cutting the base out of a plastic feed sack to make a tube. Just taken one off tonight, having done the trick.

 

[yellowbelly]

A scandalous waste of a perfectly good bucket.

Steady on there - you know I'd never waste a good bucket

Have another look at the pic.............you'll see that it's one that leaks - it's even written on it in case anybody tried to fill it with water. Couldn't risk wasting any water

 

[Old Shep]

You could try pinning her against the hurdles and letting her lambs have a really really good suck, until they are really full. Then pen them up with her but behind a board or something so they can't suckle her for a couple of hours. Her milk will hopefully come through and her udder swell and become a bit uncomfortable then pin her again and let them suckle - be real gentle with her, no stress, and she might realise that her lambs suckling is a relief. If that doesn't work tie the bitch up !

 

[Ryan774-80]

Steady on there - you know I'd never waste a good bucket

Have another look at the pic.............you'll see that it's one that leaks - it's even written on it in case anybody tried to fill it with water. Couldn't risk wasting any water

Is it a coxi bucket?,why DB made them with 2 small holes in I’ll never know

 

[Anymulewilldo]

We have a range of buckets with different sized holes cut in the bottom to suit all breeds.

Patent pending??

 

[AftonShepherd]

Nobody said it was easy. Got one Texel (3rd crop) lambed early here, lamb doing great for two days then looked hungry. She keeps moving away when it tries to feed. Bag feels fine and milk looks and smells A1 so no idea what's happened. Holding her up 3 times a day and she doesn't seem that bothered but lamb not keen to suck when I'm not there.

 

[yellowbelly]

Patent pending??

Saw somebody post the idea on here years ago so can't claim to have invented the idea.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Saw somebody post the idea on here years ago so can't claim to have invented the idea.

That’s never stopped people trying for a patent!

Must admit I’ve not done it for a year or two. Last time we did the ewe got turned out with it on. Took it off again at lambs first worming! She did get a cull tag for that

 

[andybk]

Had one shearling last year , tied on a long halter for 2 weeks +, every time i let her off she would have a go at lamb and jump out the way every time it tried to suckle , got fed up in the end and let her out in big pen thinking will just bottle lamb , yes you guessed it she bellowed after lamb while i carried it out and stood and let it drink , she lambed again last month no problems at all ,
dont ask me what goes on in their heads ?

 

[neilo]

Steady on there - you know I'd never waste a good bucket

Have another look at the pic.............you'll see that it's one that leaks - it's even written on it in case anybody tried to fill it with water. Couldn't risk wasting any water

Looking at the size of the split in that bucket, one has to wonder at the quality of your lambing staff if you need to write ‘leaks’ on it....
Perhaps you should deduct a Jaffa Cake from his wages as penance?

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Had one shearling last year , tied on a long halter for 2 weeks +, every time i let her off she would have a go at lamb and jump out the way every time it tried to suckle , got fed up in the end and let her out in big pen thinking will just bottle lamb , yes you guessed it she bellowed after lamb while i carried it out and stood and let it drink , she lambed again last month no problems at all ,
dont ask me what goes on in their heads ?

Had cows with adopted calves do the same.
its infuriating but they are female... sent to test the best of us. I stole half my wife’s last chocolate muffin tonight when she wasn’t looking. I have now learnt the error of my ways and won’t do it again.

She threatened too pour my brew down the sink if I didn’t apologise...

 

[AftonShepherd]

Had one shearling last year , tied on a long halter for 2 weeks +, every time i let her off she would have a go at lamb and jump out the way every time it tried to suckle , got fed up in the end and let her out in big pen thinking will just bottle lamb , yes you guessed it she bellowed after lamb while i carried it out and stood and let it drink , she lambed again last month no problems at all ,
dont ask me what goes on in their heads ?

In a previous job, tried to twin an orphan calf onto a cow. For 5 weeks she would only let calf suck if she had a bucket of cake. Eventually had another dead calf so gave the calf to the other cow. Original adopted mum went mental and wrecked two gates to get back in shed. The calf spent all winter suckling two cows and was the dearest calf we ever sold lol.

 

[AftonShepherd]

Had cows with adopted calves do the same.
its infuriating but they are female... sent to test the best of us. I stole half my wife’s last chocolate muffin tonight when she wasn’t looking. I have now learnt the error of my ways and won’t do it again.

She threatened too pour my brew down the sink if I didn’t apologise...

Just before Christmas my wife "fell asleep" with a couple of centimetres of red wine left. After half an hour I drank it so.it wasn't wasted. I'm still not allowed.to forget it. I can't, however, promise to have learnt the error of my ways though.