Weaning bottle fed lambs - please help ! :)

[Bex_85]

Hi !
So I'm bottle feeding some orphan lambs this year for the first time. I am in need of some help specifically as to how I should wean them off. At what age, but mostly how much I need to be feeding them and do I altogether stop or reduce ??

I have seen a post on another forum with measurements according to age etc, but does it matter as to which brand of ewe milk replacement you are using ??

Any help would be much appreciated !

Thank you.

 

[Wood field]

We put a tub of creep feed and a bite of hay plus water in with bottle lambs from a week old , stop milk abruptly at 7-8 weeks and give ad-lib creep and hay if in a pen or let them run with the flock if outside

 

[GAM]

We put a tub of creep feed and a bite of hay plus water in with bottle lambs from a week old , stop milk abruptly at 7-8 weeks and give ad-lib creep and hay if in a pen or let them run with the flock if outside

As above..
I asked the same thing... bottle fed three times a day for three weeks, then twice a day for three weeks, then once a day for a week or so, then stopped abruptly, they call a bit or follow you in the field, but that soon wears off..

 

[neilo]

Mine are on ad-lib on a machine. Creep, water and straw is available from about 10 days old.
I wean abruptly to creep, water, straw bedding and hay at 5 weeks, but know people routinely weaning at 4 weeks too.

If they are going to go out to graze, I put a creep in a paddock after another 4 weeks, then cut them off it after another month of transition. I think I will keep most of them on ad-lib creep until finished this year though, apart from the odd ‘keeper’ amongst them.

 

[Estate fencing.]

As above..
I asked the same thing... bottle fed three times a day for three weeks, then twice a day for three weeks, then once a day for a week or so, then stopped abruptly, they call a bit or follow you in the field, but that soon wears off..

That’s not stopped abruptly, the slowly weaning. Mine are on ad lib then weaned at 35/40 days.