Request: Feeding a Baby Lamb
Archived on 11/11/2008
We have a baby lamb who, at 48 hours, has not had its mother's milk. It is drinking baby formula with iron and raw eggs out of a bottle being squeezed into its mouth, and has been having a regular out-put. Does anyone have a formula recipe or advice on caring for this baby? We have been told that it will not live because of missing the mother's colostrum.
Vernon from Indiana
Answers:
RE: Feeding a Baby Lamb
Go to a feed store, or if you have a TSC in your area, they sell something with colostrum in it. My sister had to buy it one time when a cow died. Anyone in a feed store can help you. The sooner you get it in them, the better. (05/07/2008)
By Cindy in Texas
RE: Feeding a Baby Lamb
I used to raise goats, try using goats milk. Ask your local feed store if they know anyone that you can get it from. I would just take a plastic pop bottle and buy a nipple from the feed store, then it will learn how to suckle.
Good luck. (05/07/2008)
By diana1117
RE: Feeding a Baby Lamb
Please, whenever in doubt about animal care, ask your vet. Often a phone call is all it takes. It takes a while for answers to be posted on this site, and that might be too late. (05/07/2008)
By Linda
RE: Feeding a Baby Lamb
The lamb can live being just bottle fed. My cousins did it years ago. The only problem they had, is after being bottle fed in the house he wanted to keep coming in the house.
I think it is like with human babies, mother's milk is best but bottle fed is okay. I do think a call to the vet would be a good idea. In nature, babies often have to be raised by human hands, when the mother can't or won't feed the baby. I think love is a bigger factor. I will be praying for you. (05/08/2008)
By SunshineRose
RE: Feeding a Baby Lamb
My wife is raising a lamb with a baby bottle and goats milk. She is doing great. It's definitely working well for her. (05/15/2008)
By cj12765
RE: Feeding a Baby Lamb
I have raised hundreds of baby kids and lambs. Goats milk is best, I don't add any egg. Have it at blood temperature and feed from a babies bottle to start. You may have to make the hole in the teat a little larger. I try to cover the lambs eyes with my hand to start, they are less distracted by everything around them and start to think about the milk more.
Sometimes the lamb is abandoned by its mum because there is something wrong with it. These lambs often have no desire to suckle and nothing you can do will save them.
Just persist with the goats milk in a bottle, that's your best bet. Good luck! (06/05/2008)
By Steph
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Request: Feeding a Baby Lamb
Archived on 05/05/2008
Thank you to all who helped with my bunny with a scab on his back. It proved to be simply healed with some Betadine and Mercurochrome. My next question is an SOS. We found a little lamb on the farm that had been turned out by her Mom. She is one of twins and was obviously the weaker of the two. She was about a week old, hypothermic and at death's door.
We brought her in, warmed her up and virtually brought her back to life. We fed her with a syringe - this was a week ago. Now, at just over 2 weeks old, we still cannot get her to suck. We have put her milk into a squeeze bottle and literally squeezed the milk into her mouth and she then swallows it. Do I put the teat in the side of her mouth? She will not take it in from the front of her mouth. How do I get her to suck? I am feeding her the special formula for lambs. She has also had a runny nose. I was told to inject her with Penicillin every second day, 3 times. It is still a little runny. Thank you to anyone who is able to advise me.
Carolyn from South Africa
Answers:
RE: Feeding a Baby Lamb
When we raised goats, I often found that some babies would drink from a bottle, but some would drink only from a cup.
You might try putting the milk into a tall-sided container to see if your baby likes it better that way. WE successfully reared several abandoned ones, but sometimes not. (09/07/2006)
By Nancy from MO
RE: Feeding a Baby Lamb
We had a calf with the same problem,we had to force feed her she would not suck.We went ot the vet and he gave us a shot to give her to make her hungry.You would not have believed how fast it worked.She ate like she was starving.I don't remember what it was ,but you could call and ask if they had anything like it.Hope this helps. (09/07/2006)
By Jan
Feeding a Baby Lamb I NEED HELP!!!!!
What should I do.... I have just recently got a lamb and its mother died and she tries to eat the bottle... and only wants to eat creep feed shes only 2 weeks old. (04/13/2007)
By Sam
RE: Feeding a Baby Lamb
Rub under her throat and neck with the bottle in her mouth, it helps infants suck that way. (01/05/2008)
By daisy
RE: Feeding a Baby Lamb
I have a lamb and her milk does not come out. so what should I do if I have two baby lambs and don't know how to bottle feed them? Wat do I put in the milk? How do I mix it? (03/08/2008)
By Wendy
RE: Feeding a Baby Lamb
You do not need to put the bottle any certain way. I go straight from the front .I do hold the chin to the bottle a little. If she does not suck you may have to continue the method of forcefeeding. When she is 3 weeks old she will start to chew things she should be getting her teeth about now and you can offer a it of a mixed grain. She may nibble on it also make sure there is water around for her to go to. (04/17/2008)
By Barbara S.
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