Lambs not thriving

[Northeastfarmer]

ive had about 4 lambs that have all been born as doubles pining away....the other lamb on the ewes have been thriving and are fat but the other is going backwards....the ewe has not got mastitis, and has milk to spare...I’ve removed both lambs from the ewe over night, put them back with the ewe and the fat one went straight to suck but the poor one wasn’t bothered.....he won’t suck a bottle either....their coats seem dull too....never had this trouble before....is it cobalt deficiency? Would that be seen in such young lambs? Lambs will be less than 3 weeks old

 

[Nithsdale]

No answer for you, but I have the odd one identical.

I just put it down to the sh!t lambing.

 

[yellowbelly]

No answer for you, but I have the odd one identical.

I just put it down to the sh!t lambing.

Ditto

I've put our 2 down to a touch of cocci????
Maybe yours, at less than 3 weeks, are a bit young to be showing cocci symptoms

 

[Nithsdale]

Ditto

I've put our 2 down to a touch of cocci????
Maybe yours, at less than 3 weeks, are a bit young to be showing cocci symptoms

Not cocci IMO.

There may be a cobalt issue because of the severe wet winter, but I think (in my case at least), when the lambs were young the ewes didn't have enough milk for 2... the healthy one bullied and got first feed leaving the lesser lamb to become ill thriven.

 

[Bury the Trash]

stomach tube him with some powdered milk and electrolyte / scour stuff ...if nothing else than just to see how he copes with food stuff you know he's definatly had.

 

[jemski]

I had one similar. Have him a course of penicillin and he improved massively.

 

[jemski]

But I also had a single that was the same but it died.

 

[Green farmer]

Have a few the same, wonder is it linked to our thread on the mother only wanting to rear 1 or half heartedly reading the second ? I think it was to do with the hard winter, one of the lambs didn’t get as much nutrition as the other and it abit weak ? Don’t know but seen it in a few here as well unfortunately.

 

[cheviot53]

4 here , 2 died 1 fostered 1 pet lamb , mothers marked to cull

 

[Gulli]

Had a few the same here this year. Put it down the the shite weather. Once they go back a little bit (get bullied off or whatever) they just can't catch up again and the ewes have no interest in waiting for them when they have one strong lamb with them.
Soul destroying this year.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

If it’s not cobalt (never had this trouble before) then I’m putting it down to poor colostrum quality at lambing time, due to little grass, just can’t understand why the second lamb is thriving so well....anyway I’m blaming the weather for everything this year....roll on next years lambing....unless it’s a bad one then roll one the one after that

 

[copse]

I've more of them little buggers about this year !

 

[AvonValleyFarmer]

Just fecking sheep

I have a couple the same.

 

[Goatherderess]

I have a couple of kids the same, one from twins - mum quite old and not bothered although calls them both if separated. Might try penning her with the runt for a couple of days.

 

[Wooly]

I have a couple of kids the same, one from twins - mum quite old and not bothered although calls them both if separated. Might try penning her with the runt for a couple of days.

I hope you are talking about Goat Kids and not Children !

 

[Razor8]

Took a similar lamb from field and put him into pet pen. He looked a bit dehydrated. Had him in for 4 days but it wouldn’t suck a bottle. after giving him antibiotics I put him back with ewe with the notion he would die anyway but now he’s flying it. Still don’t know what was up with him.