One could argue lambing is the most beautiful time of the year but there is always a chance something could go wrong so it is important to make sure you have everything you need to intervene if necessary.
Having a lambing kit available is key. A few items to consider include:
First few days of life
Colostrum is essential to provide lambs with an adequate immune system. If they have been orphaned, not suckling on mum or do not look like they are receiving adequate amounts the best thing you can do is provide colostrum for them. Ideally use frozen sheep colostrum (or powder) but you can also use cow colostrum if needed.
Day 1 – give 5 warmed feeds spaced out evenly throughout the day. Lambs need a total of 10-15% BW of milk daily = 4kg lamb needs ~125ml per feed.
Day 2-4 – colostrum should be continued for the first 4-5 days before transitioning onto milk replacer. Larger well doing lambs can reduce to 3-4 feeds a day otherwise keep it at 5
Day 5 onwards – transition lambs onto cold +/-yoghurtised milk
Don’t forget as the lambs grow they will need more milk/day.
If your lamb is weak or collapsed give your vet a ring as a simple dextrose solution into the abdomen may be the thing that can save its life.
Bloat:
Abomasal bloat kills up to 30% of bottle-fed lambs before weaning but there is a simple fix to avoid it – yoghurtise their milk and feed small amounts more frequently rather than large ones. Bloat occurs when there is a proliferation of gas producing bacteria which feed off the lactose in milk.
Rearing lambs on cold yoghurtised milk will significantly reduce the risk of getting bloat as the bacteria in the yoghurt eat the lactose and can help reduce scouring as well. Give us a call if you would like the recipe for this method – its quick and easy and could make all the difference!
Rumen Development:
Lambs should have access to hard feed such as meal, nuts, hay from the first week of life to help develop their rumens. Provide ad lib and initially they will not eat a lot but slowly over time they will increase their intake which is critical for adequate rumen papillae development.
Tips and Tricks:
