Thank you Mary. If you can find the picture that would be great. I've been looking through the plans and have found a portable stanchion which would probably work.
Sandy ----- Original Message ----- From: Mary Swindell <mswin...@siu.edu> To: blackbelly@lists.blackbellysheep.info; SHession <slhess...@yahoo.com> Cc: Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 9:29 AM Subject: Re: [Blackbelly] Rejected lambs Sandy, Yes, I strongly suggest a stanchion gate on the front side of your lamb pen. Put the mother's head through it (sticking ouward through the stanchion into the hallway outside the pen). Place a tub of nice dry hay and a bucket of water just under her head so she can always eat and drink. The stanchion bars should be tight enough so that she cannot pull her head out, but she should be able to move her head upwards and downwards to eat, drink, and (if needed) change to a lying down position. You can leave her in there from a few days to as long a 2 weeks! Talk to her sweetly and softly when you're checking on her, and make sure she can always reach her hay and water. If you want to feed her a handful of grain once per day that is fine, but don't worry about the other things (minerals, salt) during this period. Pretty much just leave her alone and quiet. Keep a watch on whether the lambs are getting milk from her. She will try to kick them at first with her back legs, and they may be discouraged at first. You may want to feed each lamb a bottle dose of colostrum right away to make sure they at least get that. Part of getting her to accept her lambs is that as she feeds them, they will begin to smell like her as her milk penetrates them. One reason she may be rejecting them (other than the fact that she is young) is that her teats may be tender or sore. Be sure to check them, and to milk both sides to be sure there is good milk, and no signs of mastitis, sores, or infections that could be causing her pain. Another thing to look out for is the teeth of these lambs. Particularly if she is rejecting the ram lamb, be sure to check his teeth for overly sharp or pointed front teeth. I have never done this, but I have heard from an old-time breeder friend that sometimes if a lamb's teeth are overly sharp, and if he is an aggressive nurser, it hurts the mother's teats. So this man says you can hold the lamb and gently file down the top edges of his front teeth with a small file. As for the ewe, do not be discouraged with her if she seems mad or depressed. She must get with the routine to save the lives of her lambs. Don't let her out of the stanchion unless her lambs are fully nursing and she is not doing anything to show anxiety or aggression to them. This may take 3 - 5 days. Or it may take 7 - 10 days. Or 12 - 14 days. Don't feel sorry for her and let her out too soon. More time, rather than less time, is better. Provide fresh bedding under where she is standing, so that she has a clean place to lie down if she chooses. Then after you finally do release her from the stanchion and exchange it for a normal pen front side, be sure to keep her and the lambs in there for a few more days to make sure she has really bonded with them and is dedicated to accepting them. Bottle feeding lambs to weaning is a huge task, and I always want to avoid that choice if possible. The stanchion gate has worked for me many times, turning "psycho" mothers into dedicated moms who support and nurse their lambs fully, up to weaning age. I have a handbuilt stanchion gate (made from the Midwest Plans blueprints), but you can also get some very nice ones through Sydell or D-S Livestock. If I can find the photo of my handmade stanchion gate, I'll send it to you. Mary Swindell At 06:52 AM 5/11/2012, you wrote: > Hi all: > > I just had my second ewe lamb last night. She had twins, a ram and a ewe > between 2:45 and 3:45 AM. When the first one (the ram) was born she began to > clean him off, but once he moved she began butting him into the wall. > Fortunately I was there to rescue him. She did a little better with the ewe, > but not much. This is her first lambing. > > I have been able to hold her and let the lambs nurse several times. Is there > anything I can do to help her bond with her babies? She is not nickering to > them at all. Her twin sister who lambed Wednesday, and also had twins, has > been talking to the babies, and they have been trying to get in with her. > Her sister is a great mom. > > > I was wondering about constructing some sort of a stanchion ( I know they > make something like that) to make it easier to restrain her while they > nurse. Could she be left in something like that for some extended periods of > time so the babies could be with her, without her being able to hurt them? > If so, is she apt to let them nurse without the necessity of my being there > every time? > > These are my first sheep, and any advice would be welcome. > > Thank you. > > Sandy Hession > > _______________________________________________ > This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list > Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info _______________________________________________ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
