New here and new lambs

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7 years 9 months ago #519424 by softhearted16
Hello from the USA!!! I just found this group. I'm also new to raising sheep, they came with the house I bought. We have 1 buck, 7 ewes, 1 yearling castrated male. One ewe had 3 strong lambs 3 weeks ago, all are great!! Today while I was at work, my ewe birthed twins. They are beautiful black face boys.
They are a bit weak, one more so than the other. The mama has so much milk that her teats stick out. They were not having any luck suckling.
We milked mama, and helped them latch on. Were giving the littlest of the two mamas milk in a bottle, he's so weak he can hardly stand and only sucks mama for a second. He also won't quit shivering. We have two heat lamps in the jug but he is still shivering. Looking for suggestions, praying he doesn't die:(
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7 years 9 months ago #519444 by Ronney
Replied by Ronney on topic New here and new lambs
There probably isn't a lot you can do about his shivering if you already have heat in the jug. Carry on with what you're doing with regards to feeding him. If you feel that things are not improving for him your other option is to take him off the ewe altogether, put him in your house until he is stronger, and hand rear him.

Is he drinking strongly from the bottle?

And sorry, but welcome :)

Cheers,
Ronnie
The following user(s) said Thank You: softhearted16

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7 years 9 months ago #519447 by softhearted16
He is sucking but I wouldn't say that he's doing a great job. He doesn't drink very much in a 30 minute period. He's still too weak to get on his feet, if I stand him he will stand and urinate. He isn't even trying to suckle mom:( after adding another heat lamp he stopped shivering. He's still getting Her colostrum because we milked a decent amount off her right away. Prayers for him:) Thanks for listening

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7 years 9 months ago #519456 by spoook
Replied by spoook on topic New here and new lambs
Would mum object of you gave the little one a coat? Even a plastic bag, in NZ it would be a bag a loaf of bread came in. A sleeve off an old sweatshirt with holes cut for the legs etc. is good warmth. This would help ensure all the energy from the food goes into the lamb, not into keeping warm.

Keep giving him the colostrum as long as you can, it is a rich food apart from the immunity it passes on.
Can you add some glucose the the feed? This may help give him the energy to try harder.

There are no bad questions only those that are not asked.
"You are responsible, forever, for what you have tamed"

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7 years 9 months ago #519497 by LongRidge
Replied by LongRidge on topic New here and new lambs
We have had great success stomach tubing weak lambs. Phone your vet and ask if he has a lamb stomach tube. Also ask what the iodine and selenium status is like in your area. Here they are both low, so if that lamb were mine, here, I would be adding one drop of a selenium drench and one crystal of potassium iodide to one bottle of the milk he is getting. Then again in a month. And all the ewes would be given a selenium and iodine drench.
You lamb at the moment needs at least 750 mL of milk, four times daily. When he is sucking in a few days he will be needing 1 L four times daily (250 mL per feed).

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7 years 8 months ago #519602 by LongRidge
Replied by LongRidge on topic New here and new lambs
Do you have an update? Have you been able to learn anything interesting, or did he just die - they often do, even after lots of help?

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