Orphan lamb feeding .

HappyShep76

Member
Location
Suffolk
Hello all.

As our ladies are now only 4 weeks away from lambing I thought I’d ask the question of how you all go about feeding your orphan lambs.

Last year we peaked at 101 orphans. All was going well until about 4 weeks into rearing. The lambs then started to randomly blow after being fed, regardless of age. If we were not present to let them down they unfortunately died. We changed nothing in our routine to bring this about, other than a change of milk powder brand. They were all on teat feeders and fed warm milk each feed. The previous season I had 63 orphans and only lost the 2 due to blowing after a feed (both overnight).

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 

Bob c

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cotswolds
thinking of the same
upload_2018-2-18_18-12-30.png
 

HappyShep76

Member
Location
Suffolk
101 orphans !!!!
Give them away/sell them cheap --- let someone else loose money /time
We had almost 300 sets of trips and 14 sets of quads. That, coupled with a high local fox population, caused a few issues for that particular group of ladies. Nothing worse than the morning check when you find the fox has been rearranging your newborns.
 

andybk

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Mendips Somerset
feed cold asap , add yeast to milk powder mix , restrict protein (lamb pellet) untill weaned at 5 weeks , offer straw, rolled barley and sbp or any distillers for protein (contains yeast) any looking blown , 2ml white ab intra muscular , its the protein (soya) in the pellet that causes the issue until rumen is working .
 

Tim W

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
Best advice i can give is ---
short term --- sell them asap
long term ---reduce fecundity

But that's my approach (which is profit driven )
I am sure if you don't value your time and you take plenty of care you can show a tidy profit by raising them
Sorry i don't have any better advice on how to stop them blowing
 

debe

Member
Location
Wilts
Legally lambs cannot be transported between holdings under a week of age, you're then in the awkward position of having done all the work training them to a year and still have something worth nothing.

Feed them ab-lib, and get them on to cold milk asap. Some people are using a tiny amount of formalin in the milk to prevent bloat, I think there might be a thread somewhere
 

shearerlad

Member
Livestock Farmer
Legally lambs cannot be transported between holdings under a week of age, you're then in the awkward position of having done all the work training them to a year and still have something worth nothing.

Feed them ab-lib, and get them on to cold milk asap. Some people are using a tiny amount of formalin in the milk to prevent bloat, I think there might be a thread somewhere
:mad::mad:(n)
I’d rather transport lambs under a week old than put any amount of formalin in the milk!!!
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Hello all.

As our ladies are now only 4 weeks away from lambing I thought I’d ask the question of how you all go about feeding your orphan lambs.

Last year we peaked at 101 orphans. All was going well until about 4 weeks into rearing. The lambs then started to randomly blow after being fed, regardless of age. If we were not present to let them down they unfortunately died. We changed nothing in our routine to bring this about, other than a change of milk powder brand. They were all on teat feeders and fed warm milk each feed. The previous season I had 63 orphans and only lost the 2 due to blowing after a feed (both overnight).

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

I’ve been using a Britmix machine like the one posted by @Bob c for at least 20 years, and wouldn’t like to do it any other way tbh. I have to admit that the Cade pen isn’t my highest priority over lambing time, so I need a reliable machine that will feed them for me. I reduce the temperature to around ambient as soon as they are all feeding (not so simple over a prolonged lambing of course) but I don’t hold with the protein argument that @andybk suggests. I feed the very best, most palatable creep that I can find, to get intakes up as early as possible. I don’t feed hay, but give fresh straw for litter every day, even if it’s only a handful or two. Make sure they are vaccinated for clostridials asap, which is especially important if any haven’t had a good feed of proper ewe’s colostrum. Wean abruptly at 5 weeks, keeping on good, palatable creep and introduce hay then.
I very rarely lose any before 5 weeks, when they will start to blow with Redgut if not weaned.

As to the formalin inclusion, I can’t see any reason for it other than to stop bacteria growing in the milk container. If that’s really an issue, then clean it out properly instead! I should add that I only ever wash my Britmix feeder when I get the chance, which is more often weekly than not, with no problems arising.

Could the OP have had a clostridial problem in them last year?:scratchhead: I’m guessing you’ve changed milk powder brand again this year?;)
 

HappyShep76

Member
Location
Suffolk
I’ve been using a Britmix machine like the one posted by @Bob c for at least 20 years, and wouldn’t like to do it any other way tbh. I have to admit that the Cade pen isn’t my highest priority over lambing time, so I need a reliable machine that will feed them for me. I reduce the temperature to around ambient as soon as they are all feeding (not so simple over a prolonged lambing of course) but I don’t hold with the protein argument that @andybk suggests. I feed the very best, most palatable creep that I can find, to get intakes up as early as possible. I don’t feed hay, but give fresh straw for litter every day, even if it’s only a handful or two. Make sure they are vaccinated for clostridials asap, which is especially important if any haven’t had a good feed of proper ewe’s colostrum. Wean abruptly at 5 weeks, keeping on good, palatable creep and introduce hay then.
I very rarely lose any before 5 weeks, when they will start to blow with Redgut if not weaned.

As to the formalin inclusion, I can’t see any reason for it other than to stop bacteria growing in the milk container. If that’s really an issue, then clean it out properly instead! I should add that I only ever wash my Britmix feeder when I get the chance, which is more often weekly than not, with no problems arising.

Could the OP have had a clostridial problem in them last year?:scratchhead: I’m guessing you’ve changed milk powder brand again this year?;)
I’ve been using a Britmix machine like the one posted by @Bob c for at least 20 years, and wouldn’t like to do it any other way tbh. I have to admit that the Cade pen isn’t my highest priority over lambing time, so I need a reliable machine that will feed them for me. I reduce the temperature to around ambient as soon as they are all feeding (not so simple over a prolonged lambing of course) but I don’t hold with the protein argument that @andybk suggests. I feed the very best, most palatable creep that I can find, to get intakes up as early as possible. I don’t feed hay, but give fresh straw for litter every day, even if it’s only a handful or two. Make sure they are vaccinated for clostridials asap, which is especially important if any haven’t had a good feed of proper ewe’s colostrum. Wean abruptly at 5 weeks, keeping on good, palatable creep and introduce hay then.
I very rarely lose any before 5 weeks, when they will start to blow with Redgut if not weaned.

As to the formalin inclusion, I can’t see any reason for it other than to stop bacteria growing in the milk container. If that’s really an issue, then clean it out properly instead! I should add that I only ever wash my Britmix feeder when I get the chance, which is more often weekly than not, with no problems arising.

Could the OP have had a clostridial problem in them last year?:scratchhead: I’m guessing you’ve changed milk powder brand again this year?;)
Some food for thought there. We will be going back to our original powder this year.

What vaccine do you use on your orphan lambs as we tend not to vaccinate until lambs are weaned off their mum. We then use Ovivac. We also wondered if giving the orphans a drench for coccidiosis would be worthwhile as we treat all calves as standard when we get them (around 250 Hereford X hfrs each year).
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Some food for thought there. We will be going back to our original powder this year.

What vaccine do you use on your orphan lambs as we tend not to vaccinate until lambs are weaned off their mum. We then use Ovivac. We also wondered if giving the orphans a drench for coccidiosis would be worthwhile as we treat all calves as standard when we get them (around 250 Hereford X hfrs each year).

I jab mine with Ovivac starting at 3 weeks (any earlier and any lambs with antibodies from colostrum won’t take it IIRC), then again 4 weeks later. Definitely need doing younger than when weaning the ‘normal’ lot.

I would certainly dose for cocci at 4 weeks, as with any housed lambs, as they are in a very hiss challenge scenario.
 

Bob c

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cotswolds
We have a few ladies, yes. We scanned 1620 this time at 185% average across the lot. They should keep us out of mischief for a little when they start to pop .

I want milk machine for 30-40 lambs
Only lambing 300
You must have plenty of staff about

I have also got a day job
And only 2 of us
 

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