Tips on adopting lambs onto sheep

[Unknown12]

Had a ewes lamb died and trying to mother on 2 pets who are keen to drink but sheep not like them at all any tips or tricks that could help me out cheers

 

[cheviot53]

Put the ewe in headyolk / tie it up with a head halter / cut the bottom out of a large bucket or feed bag and put it over its head to fix behind its ears , perseverance & time maybe watching the lambs suckle 3-4 times each day while distracting the ewe with feed . I assume its too late or you have no inclination to skin the dead lambs ?

 

[Jonp]

i made one out of ply, tie to hurdles.
Broom handle fixed pivot at the bottom and tied in position at the top to trap ewes head.

 

[puppet]

Skin the lamb every time. Soak them both in a bucket of warm water. Head yoke to restrict her smelling it.
Doesn't always work.

 

[spark_28]

I skinned one last year for the first time to foster ended up doing another 2 now wouldn’t consider any other way.

ftr don’t think I’d try foster two lambs onto a sheep that’s only dropped one.

 

[devonbrion1998]

Headstock works only takes around 48 hours, and ewe should take to the lamb, made mine out of a pallet with the middle slat
able to swivel to close the gap down on the ewe's neck.
Ewe will need to have access to water and feed at all times and be checked regularly.
Not for a novice in my opinion

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I am sure I have seen an adoption spray for sale too, to mask the lambs smell. I would always try to skin a dead lamb as a default method, then lamb adoptor if I haven't got a dead lamb to skin.

 

[Al R]

I skinned one last year for the first time to foster ended up doing another 2 now wouldn’t consider any other way.

ftr don’t think I’d try foster two lambs onto a sheep that’s only dropped one.

I gut the lambs instead, far quicker as can be done in seconds, smother the live lamb in the dead lambs blood - very similar to a skinning and they smell the same but instead of 5-10 minutes to skin your done in seconds, often out within 36-48 hours where as a skin needs a few days before the smell seaps into the lambs.

 

[Unknown12]

Put the ewe in headyolk / tie it up with a head halter / cut the bottom out of a large bucket or feed bag and put it over its head to fix behind its ears , perseverance & time maybe watching the lambs suckle 3-4 times each day while distracting the ewe with feed . I assume its too late or you have no inclination to skin the dead lambs ?

Thank you and yes too late to skin lamb

 

[Unknown12]

I skinned one last year for the first time to foster ended up doing another 2 now wouldn’t consider any other way.

ftr don’t think I’d try foster two lambs onto a sheep that’s only dropped one.

she had 2 but they both died just not at same time

 

[Al R]

Thank you and yes too late to skin lamb

How long has lamb been dead?

 

[andybk]

I gut the lambs instead, far quicker as can be done in seconds, smother the live lamb in the dead lambs blood - very similar to a skinning and they smell the same but instead of 5-10 minutes to skin your done in seconds, often out within 36-48 hours where as a skin needs a few days before the smell seaps into the lambs.

I thought the scent was on the skin from the birth fluids , whats sucess rate from guts ? havnt tried that , have skinned 2 this year all worked ok .

 

[Al R]

I thought the scent was on the skin from the birth fluids , whats sucess rate from guts ? havnt tried that , have skinned 2 this year all worked ok .

8-9/10, quite often do it when a ewe has 1 live lamb still with her but 1 twin born dead or something happened to it. It’s worth a try when you’ve got triplets galore. By guts I mean open the belly up of the lamb like a caesarean would be done and get some blood out. When you do a skinning do you not use some blood on the head and legs to get a scent onto the lamb?

 

[andybk]

8-9/10, quite often do it when a ewe has 1 live lamb still with her but 1 twin born dead or something happened to it. It’s worth a try when you’ve got triplets galore. By guts I mean open the belly up of the lamb like a caesarean would be done and get some blood out. When you do a skinning do you not use some blood on the head and legs to get a scent onto the lamb?

no just skin the lamb like a rabbit and tie it on , often leave the tail on as well , does get stinky after a few days though

 

[Pistonbroke]

I am sure I have seen an adoption spray for sale too, to mask the lambs smell. I would always try to skin a dead lamb as a default method, then lamb adoptor if I haven't got a dead lamb to skin.

I've done some with it,smother the ewes head and nose with it so she can't smell anything else. Not 100% results but if they really want a lamb badly it will. Dad used an old bottle of brut33

 

[tepapa]

If the lamb is born dead you will get a bit of amniotic fluid out of its stomach to rub over its head/back legs.

 

[Al R]

I've done some with it,smother the ewes head and nose with it so she can't smell anything else. Not 100% results but if they really want a lamb badly it will. Dad used an old bottle of brut33

Iodine has worked accidentally here, also spraying iodine from a distance over 2 lambs together confuses the ewe to which is hers

 

[Al R]

no just skin the lamb like a rabbit and tie it on , often leave the tail on as well , does get stinky after a few days though

A good skinning doesn’t need tieing This time of year you’ve got a week before it’s smelly, when your into late March early April 36 hours they can start smelling

 

[Forkdriver]

I am not an expert, but recently heard that spraying the lamb and the ewes nostrils with lynx or some other objectionable smell would work.

 

[Pistonbroke]

Iodine has worked accidentally here, also spraying iodine from a distance over 2 lambs together confuses the ewe to which is hers

We tried it on ewe that was hitting one of her own lambs and she ended up hitting both