Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Lambs born and help needed!

Well Nancy was right and Jewel had her lambs this morning. Twin HST girls' with plenty of flash. The only issue being that she has completely rejected the youngest and violently butts her away. We tried tying her up short so the little one would feed but she would just lie down on her. So we have taken her in and started bottle feeding her.

Here's where the help is needed. I've only bottle fed once, a few years ago, and can't remember much. How much and how often should I feed? I have dried colostrum that I am feeding now and will have milk replacer by the end of the day.

Anyway here is RF Celebration in her lamb warmer. Who could reject this face? She weighed in at 7 1/2lbs.


And RF Crystal who weighed in just over 7lbs and is doing very well with her momma.



6 comments:

  1. Congrats on the wee ones.
    I let them drink as much formula as they wanted 4-5 times a day, spaced out. First thing in the am, last thing at night, as much as I could during the evening when I was at home.
    I used Advance brand lamb formula from Farm & Fleet and had no scours.

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  2. Thank you. So I don't need to get up in the night to feed? Did you feed the milk warm or cold? Did you keep yours inside or out in the barn by themselves? We are worried she will be picked on and seems to crave body contact right now. Thanks again. She's doing well and has the hang of the bottle already which is good. She just wants to feed every 30 minutes lol.

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  3. OMG! They are SO beautiful, Shula! I wonder why Jewel rejected one. I've never bottle fed, so can't help you there.

    Maybe try keeping the two lambs together/near Jewel and only let them together at feeding time? Supervised of course! Probably a dumb idea but something I might try....

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  4. I tend to get up during the night with them for at least the first week or so, so you can keep the feedings small. And, if you could find some goat milk, I had great luck with that on my last baby. This baby I can't find any milk, so I'm adding some buttermilk to the formula and also sticking a little Probios in his mouth every night. Good luck!

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  5. I'm sorry about the rejection, Shula. She surely is a beautiful BIG girl, and well worth your efforts. I was always taught not to let bottle babies eat their fill as they can overeat and get sick, and my veterinarian husband confirms that. But I have no experiences to base that on, so maybe it's not true!

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  6. Nancy, thanks. I have no idea. I have tried putting her near Jewel several times but she just butts her away. She is not interested at all and doesn't even react that way to the other babies. I'm puzzled by it.

    Hi and thanks. I took your advice and got up in the night which worked out well for me...see next post. I did one day of colostrum and now she is drinking milk replacer. So far all is well food and digestion wise.

    Michelle, thank you. Yes, she is huge. Already taller than the lambs born last week. She is having issues with her legs when she stands still but is walking ok. I am trying to limit her to 2-4oz of milk every 2 hours.

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