Yearling ewes love lambs but won’t let feed

[DJHay]

Had 2 yearling in a row, pedigree Texels, mother the lambs (both twins) but won’t let them feed. I have had one in an adopter for the last 3 days (out in the night) doesn’t flinch when they feed. As soon as they are out, won’t let them. Any advice?

I know 2 doesn’t sound many but we don’t have big numbers.
Thanks

 

[yellowbelly]

 

[BAF]

They normally get over being proud fairly quickly. I've previously had to suckle lambs of errant mothers that love them too much but usually after a day they get the idea they don't need to stand and look at them all day. Might just be the adopter of shame for a bit until they decide to behave. Or like @yellowbelly stick a bucket hat on them.

 

[neilo]

I was about to post similar, but made of a plastic feed sack…

Not a great photo, but you get the idea.
Cut a feed sack to make a tube, tie round the neck with some string, then leave in a pen for a few days until they’ve settled to the idea (& the muck from her milk has gone through the lamb).

 

[yellowbelly]

Cut a feed sack to make a tube,

What a criminal waste of a perfectly good feed bag - at least my bucket had a hole in it and wasn't fit for purpose any more.

Jeeez, there must be money to burn, yon side of Offa's Dyke

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I had to resort to tying one ewe up and also fitting a (previously cracked and therefore virtually useless) bucket to her once.

She just kept going round and round and round in bloody circles in the pen trying to mother the little tike. Give him his credit, he kept up with her going round and round and round with her on every lap.

That year I had made the mistake of using what I thought would be some ideal spring barley straw. It was soft and looked good enough to bed down in myself.

However, all it did for this daft pair was twist up into a great big rope which the lamb eventually became tangled up in until he couldn’t walk any more. All this in about an hour.

Oh! What fun….. and I’m still missing it!!!

 

[Bury the Trash]

They normally get over being proud fairly quickly. I've previously had to suckle lambs of errant mothers that love them too much but usually after a day they get the idea they don't need to stand and look at them all day. Might just be the adopter of shame for a bit until they decide to behave. Or like @yellowbelly stick a bucket hat on them.

This not being fostering genrally were talking about, but
in maiden lambers its ticklish they find it, even the mothering bond is there , ie they like the idea but....
and quite likely wont get over it .(this time)
could be a culling offence with high cull values as long as they are fit to kill, or record their history as give one more chance next year

 

[andybk]

got one at the moment , shearling lost 2 lambs (with the thick bag as per other thread) now has skinned lamb on her tied with halter for a few hours till novelty has worn off , then maybe the bag as above , they usually come round , would avoid the headstock adopter just so she can smell lamb and get acquainted . your in trouble if an older more experienced ewe wont take it though

 

[andybk]

This not being fostering genrally were talking about, but
in maiden lambers its ticklish they find it, even the mothering bond is there , ie they like the idea but....
and quite likely wont get over it .(this time)
could be a culling offence with high cull values as long as they are fit to kill, or record their history as give one more chance next year

why i lamb hoggets , they make better mothers as shearlings , may loose a few lambs , and have a few bonus ones to sell , but get all the nonsense out the way , or cash in as fats

 

[Bury the Trash]

why i lamb hoggets , they make better mothers as shearlings , may loose a few lambs , and have a few bonus ones to sell , but get all the nonsense out the way , or cash in as fats

yes ive got one atm, tbf single i had to give a tug bit on the big side,no real trauma though, didnt go to ram /settle inlamb last year like her mates did.
she shouts if you take him away but wont let him suck unless i stand there.

 

[ladycrofter]

I had to resort to tying one ewe up and also fitting a (previously cracked and therefore virtually useless) bucket to her once.

She just kept going round and round and round in bloody circles in the pen trying to mother the little tike. Give him his credit, he kept up with her going round and round and round with her on every lap.

That year I had made the mistake of using what I thought would be some ideal spring barley straw. It was soft and looked good enough to bed down in myself.

However, all it did for this daft pair was twist up into a great big rope which the lamb eventually became tangled up in until he couldn’t walk any more. All this in about an hour.

Oh! What fun….. and I’m still missing it!!!

We had that one year, long straw. Maybe someone arable can comment. We always get a few bales from the same farm. Is it a different variety? Or is wheat straw different from barley straw, for bedding?
It was useless. Lethal actually. I pull handfuls to check now before the bale comes off the trailer.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Just frequent suckling when you are passing will soon educate her.

If you're worried about the lambs getting knocked about, just put them behind a hurdle across the corner of her pen so she can see them but can't favour either of them.

 

[yellowbelly]

Is it a different variety? Or is wheat straw different from barley straw, for bedding?

It depends a lot on how fit it was when combined, how much rain it's had on it (before and after combining), variety, fungicide use, growth regulator use, how hard it had to be thrashed to get the grain out, combine driver, type of baler and about 101 other factors.
Generally wheat straw breaks up more than barley straw.
Nice spring barley straw takes a lot of beating, IMHO.

 

[Jonp]

gpt one at the moment , shearling lost 2 lambs (with the thick bag as per other thread) now has skinned lamb on her tied with halter for a few hours till novelty has worn off , then maybe the bag as above , they usually come round , would avoid the headstock adopter just so she can smell lamb and get acquainted . your in trouble if an older more experienced ewe though

I've lambed quite a few shearlings this year, most have been fine, but some get a bit confused as to what they should do. Clamp the ewes head between my knees and encourage lamb onto teat. After a while they both get the hang of it, especially the ewe.

 

[BAF]

That sort of behaviour will get you in trouble. Making the poor old ewe latch on to your teat