Getting an orphan lamb to eat pellets

[AftonShepherd]

I don't normally have orphans for very long - don't have a huge scanning percentage and usually get any set onto other ewes.

This year I had an early pure texel who's mum hadn't any milk. He's been on a Heatwave machine for the last seven weeks and is doing really well. All the advice I read on here is to stop milk abruptly at 5 weeks if eating enough hard food.

I freshen the pellets regularly and there is clean water available but they (also got a 4.5 week old lamb in with him) barely touch them.

What's the best way to get them onto hard food without checking them? He's bred with the intention of using at home as a terminal sire so hoping he'll still turn out ok.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

Puzzling. If he is eating a lot of straw (which he should be) his rumen should be relatively well developed by now. I'd start to worry about gut twists at this age so it may be best to wean him abruptly anyway. There will be a fairly hefty Cocci risk due to stress so beware of that.

So basically, he will die suddenly from a gut twist, he will lose condition if he is hungry but it may force him to eat the pellets.

 

[Pistonbroke]

At seven weeks you're in the danger zone for blowing up. Take them off ad lib and feed them three times a day and they will start eating if they're hungry in between

 

[andybk]

needs abrupt weaning at that age dont get tempted to feed anything milk wise , huge risk of redgut if you do , they will shout for a day or so , loose a bit of condition , but will be sorted in a week , keep best pellets and water with them as long as possible before they go out

 

[AftonShepherd]

Can't say if noticed them eating much straw, even though they've always had plenty of clean stuff in the pen.

Smaller one will be 5 weeks tomorrow, too soon to just cut off milk for it as well?

 

[HarryB97]

Don't worry about keeping them on adlib, last year was the first year we used a heatwave for our pet lambs rather than bottles and we didn't loose any of them. Gradually decrease the temperature and then morning to lunch for 4-5 days just give them cold water then morning to evening cold water and then just water all the time.