Re: [blackbelly] baby sheep

[Britt]

Ok that gives me a good idea. I'm new to sheep and one of my ewes had a baby
ram 3 weeks ago. He's very playful and eating a lot of grain and cracked
corn, I often see him grazing out in the pasture and he nurses very little.
He's big and looks healthy but now I know he still has another 5 weeks or so
before he's completely weaned.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol J. Elkins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2005 12:01 AM
Subject: Re: [blackbelly] baby sheep


> Britt,
>
> I usually wean my lambs at between 8-12 weeks old. I move the ewes out of
> the pen (leave the lambs where they grew up) and as far as I can get them.
> Unfortunately, sometimes that means that only a fence separates them,
which
> makes things a bit more noisy.
>
> A lot of people recommend not feeding the ewes or at least not giving them
> any grain for a few days after being separated from their lambs to help
> their milk dry up. Because I often wean during the winter when grain
> supplementation is necessary, I just continue feeding them their normal
> feed (the amount they eat when not pregnant and not lactating) and they do
> fine.
>
> I leave the lambs separated for two weeks. For the first two days and
> nights, ewes and lambs will do their best to convince you they are dying.
> The noise can be tremendous. It is a good idea to let your neighbors know
> in advance the dates you plan to wean and then take them a 6-pack
> afterwards as a peace offering.
>
> My lambs will eat grain at about 2 weeks, although they play with it
sooner
> than that.
>
> For a really good book about lambs and lambing, I highly recommend Laura
> Lawson's "Managing Your Ewe and Her Newborn Lambs" available at
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/096339231X/critterhavenesta
>
> Carol
>
> At 02:58 PM 5/5/2005 -0400, you wrote:
> >How long does it take for a baby lamb to be weaned? How old do they start
to
> >eat solid food?
> >
> >Thanks,
> >Britt
> >
> >_______________________________________________
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> >nfo
>
> Carol Elkins
> Critterhaven Estate
> Registered Barbados Blackbelly Hair Sheep
> (no shear, no dock, no fuss)
> Pueblo, Colorado
> http://www.critterhaven.biz
> T-shirts, mugs, caps, and more at the
> Barbados Blackbelly Online Store http://www.cafepress.com/blackbellysheep
>
>
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