[FiB]

thank you oh wise ones!!!!  Having penned her up (on field) last night I made sure they had both had something (turned ewe over and with help of neighbour got milk going and latched them on) they didnt have much but I decided not to tube and left them snuggled up with everything crossed (me)!  wet night but both still fine this morning - gave some sneaky powdered colostrum (syringe in mouth, not tube) on advice of farmer frind and turned them out.  watched carefully all morning and they are feeding and sunbathing    phew.  Thanks you all for being there (here?)!!  Got off lightly.  Learn more each day... 

[Foobar]

Yay!

[in the hills]

    

[Bionic]

Well done 

[Remy]

Glad to hear that things seem to be hunky dory after all the worry!     I've learned not to be complacent with any of mine, it is very painful watching some of the first time mums with their newborns - I had one ewe this year who had twins. She was very attentive to one, but the other was lying in a corner in the stable and she hadn't even licked it dry.  When I tried to stand this little ewe lamb up it was evident it couldn't straighten one leg and kept falling over, so the ewe just hadn't bothered with it (they can be so heartless!).  I had to tie the ewe up and try to get the little lamb to suckle, but it was very frustrating and not very successful, even though she had a good suckling reflex.  I decided to tube her so she had something inside her (as I didn't know precisely when she was born).  The mother kept butting her so I wasn't hopeful of her accepting the lamb, but the next morning the lamb was still there although still not standing.  What made a big difference was getting some of the ewe's milk and covering the lamb with it - the ewe then started licking the lamb in earnest!  Happily she let the lamb suckle and it's now perfectly sound and healthy  .


I've also had some experienced ewes reject their lambs!  One had a twin which was born two hours after the first, and the ewe just would not have anything to do with this lamb, as it had bonded closely with the first born.  I tried everything but in the end had to bottle feed it.


Lambing each year (this is my 7th) has brought me different challenges, you never stop learning!

[FiB]

I cant tell you how much your stories help!  Thanks.  so much to learn, but by sharing your experiences it at least raises my novice awareness of problems and possible solutions.  She is still 'mothering the twins well (attending, shletering looking like they are feeding etc) but one is looking a bit hunched this morning (hard frost in night) and mouth was cold. so I slipped it some warm lam lac and hope that gives it a boost.  very sunny day here so at least we are not fighting the weather.  they look like little rats, so skinny - and Im very concious that they may be sucking wool (I keep lying down to see if I can see any actual latching on!!!).  At least everyone else is popping them out and proceeding as expected.

[FiB]

Right they are now on day 3, look as rat like and hungry by all the descriptions in tim tyne book - hunched, camel like, tuck head into flank when lying down) as ever, but are still looking like they are feeding (going under her one each side tails waggling etc) and mum looks after them really well. They will follow her and ears are up, head alert....
 
 She is quite a wild one so cant easily catch to see if she has plenty of milk, but she must have some or they wouldnt have got this far?   Age old question, oh when to intervene (pref before hungry become hypothermic)??  Can/should I  slip them a bottle whilst mums feeding?

[SallyintNorth]

Fi, have you been topping them up at all?  If not, then she definitely has some milk or they would be dead by now.

However, they do sound thin and hungry, so it's possible she hasn't enough milk to rear the two of them... in which case, your choices are to top them up in the field and leave them both with mum, or take one off and rear it on the bottle.

You couldn't get a pic or two of them, just to confirm that they do look hungry?

[FiB]

ha!  typical - they look a bit perkier on the photos than they do in really life!  As you can see still feeding or trying to feed...  The weaker one (whitest one) has been getting the odd end of the pet lambs bottle (no more the 20-50 mls once or twice a day) - but not that interested (weak suck compared to pet lamb) and other one not interested at all.

[Sbom]

They look to me like there not getting enough milk, I'd be topping up morning and night.

[SteveHants]

They look a bit hungry to me, but sometimes photos dont tell the whole story.


You can either top them up in the field, orphan them or you could stick a high energy & protien bucket out in the field and feed the ewes instead - might work and be a lot less labour/cost intensive .

[The Irish Shepherd]

Sally, I lamb between 2,000 and 3,000 ewes a year, and have done so for 20 years, never had a problem with putting a collie in front of a ewe and her lambs. Done it with blackies and swales, not a bother on the dog, may get a butt here and there, but thats the life of a working dog. Where people make a mistake is using the dog trick to get a ewe to take a set on lamb.

Back to the twins, I would suggest taking one off and bottle rearing it and then the other will prob get enough milk. Well done on your persistence and on getting them to day 3, be proud of what you have done.

[FiB]

Brill you are all such a comfort (and they do look worse in real life).  I'm going to top them up on field then.  Already a high energy lick on field (red chrytalix) - is there a better one?  wish I could take you all out for a thank you pint!

[in the hills]

FiB - have no experience myself but local farmers have loads of lambs that they are having to bottle this year ..... they say it is a hell of a year. They have lost loads too. They have said that the ewes just don't have the milk for them as there is no grass up here yet .... guessing your grass looks low like ours here. They are feeding their ewes double the average and have told me that their suppliers are even running out due to the demand.


Think you are not that far from me .... could this be the problem? 


Cross posted with you FiB. I found a lick that was for pre and post lambing specifically. Not sure if it is any better ..... previously had the red high energy one too. We are worried too .... as no grass here and local farmers having a hard time.

[SallyintNorth]

Yes, I agree with the others, they look hungry and need more milk.  Either top up as you propose and/or give the ewe more feed to help her produce more milk.

Red crystalyx is great for minerals and for ready sugars pre-lambing.  But it isn't feed.

Are the ewes getting cake?  Ours are still on twice a day - about .75kg between two feeds now, had been on 1kg per head per day until the grass has started to come and the temperatures have risen a little.

If you don't want to give them cake, you can get buckets which are a solid feed.  A smallholding friend uses Downland Sheep Natural Energy - her 6 ewes love it, and they are in stonking condition.  Mind, even they have been a little short on milk for twins this year - it's been a terrible 12 months for livestock.

You know, none of us need any more thanks than that - and seeing that we have helped you get through a difficult situation that was new to you is reward enough.  We all get help and support here, and offer it when we can.