Weaning Cade Lambs

[Loadabullocks]

When and how? Any tips or tricks?

thanks

 

[PhilipB]

I'm told at 35 days old and eating 250gm a day concentrate.

 

[Timbo]

As above - make sure they have free access to clean water and fresh creep. The stop the milk and turn your back to the balling.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Keep them on good nuts, hay & straw. I like to put mine outside on grass as long as you have a small paddock. I never put them with the main flock until weaning the main flock so at least 90 days. Mine have shelter (old railway cabin). Def keeping them on nuts keeps them going. Tried different things but nuts essential with pet lambs find they shrink otherwise. Abrupt stopping of milk. Salt block and any thing they can lick like old molasses bucket (add a touch of water). They are not as hardy as properly kept lambs so putting as much in as in nutrician and help as possible to prevent illness.

 

[Loadabullocks]

Keep them on good nuts, hay & straw. I like to put mine outside on grass as long as you have a small paddock. I never put them with the main flock until weaning the main flock so at least 90 days. Mine have shelter (old railway cabin). Def keeping them on nuts keeps them going. Tried different things but nuts essential with pet lambs find they shrink otherwise. Abrupt stopping of milk. Salt block and any thing they can lick like old molasses bucket (add a touch of water). They are not as hardy as properly kept lambs so putting as much in as in nutrician and help as possible to prevent illness.

Good to know. Thanks

 

[Becs]

I agree with Chasingmytail. Go cold turkey at 6 weeks (pre-covid used to make sure it was on a weekend when I’d booked to go and visit the kids!). I’ve found that even if they’ve only been picking at the creep prior to this, they soon start tucking into it once the milk isn’t available. Mine go out onto grass and join the main flock of the lambs when they’re weaned Off the ewes.

 

[True North]

Can I ask about why some of you wait until turning them out with weaning the rest of the flock.

I have got 5 and only 1 should really be on a bottle at this point. I need them outside asap really and just keeping two inside, one lamb for company.

I was thinking maybe a pen in the field where the ewes can smell them during the day?

 

[True North]

Keep them on good nuts, hay & straw. I like to put mine outside on grass as long as you have a small paddock. I never put them with the main flock until weaning the main flock so at least 90 days. Mine have shelter (old railway cabin). Def keeping them on nuts keeps them going. Tried different things but nuts essential with pet lambs find they shrink otherwise. Abrupt stopping of milk. Salt block and any thing they can lick like old molasses bucket (add a touch of water). They are not as hardy as properly kept lambs so putting as much in as in nutrician and help as possible to prevent illness.

So access to a mineral lick? Never thought of that really until they were intriduced to main flock.

 

[Timbo]

Can I ask about why some of you wait until turning them out with weaning the rest of the flock.

I have got 5 and only 1 should really be on a bottle at this point. I need them outside asap really and just keeping two inside, one lamb for company.

I was thinking maybe a pen in the field where the ewes can smell them during the day?

IMHO, turning them out is the worst possible thing you can do. No milk at 6 weeks , good quality starter pellets from week 4, and keep em going flat stick indoors til fat.

 

[Estate fencing.]

IMHO, turning them out is the worst possible thing you can do. No milk at 6 weeks , good quality starter pellets from week 4, and keep em going flat stick indoors til fat.

I never let them out either. Start drawing at 12 weeks light and get them all gone fat in shed. Poor thing being let out with no immunity onto field that have had ewes and lambs on.

 

[twizzel]

We’re keeping ours in this year too. Previous years we turn them out looking great then they melt away with cocci worms etc. So giving it a go keeping in till fat. Do people carry on feeding just straw and pellets or move onto hay and pellets after a certain age ?

 

[Estate fencing.]

We’re keeping ours in this year too. Previous years we turn them out looking great then they melt away with cocci worms etc. So giving it a go keeping in till fat. Do people carry on feeding just straw and pellets or move onto hay and pellets after a certain age ?

Just pellets and bed down every morning.

 

[neilo]

I wean mine (cold turkey) at 5 weeks, putting them into another pen with a creep feeder, so trying to keep their change in environment as small as possible.

If I am going to get them grazing later, I will move them to a small paddock with a creep in it after a few weeks, then mix them with the other lambs at weaning. If you are turning them out then you need to be on top of cocci and nemo, as they will be naive to them.
Alternatively, keep them in a shed and push them out fast, as posted above.