Lamb-help!

Evie91

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I’ve acquired a lamb- it was two days old when he arrived,now four days old.

Currently bottle feeding five times a day. Feed merchant is going to band tail and bits when delivers feed on Friday.

I’m on the lookout for a friend for him.

Took him for a walk in the garden three times today, to get fresh air. He is sleeping in a stable, on straw with covered dog bed, heater and fan heater. He has water available in a shallow dish, straw and a bit of hay on the floor.

Ive registered with Defra for CPH.

Any advice on how to successfully rear him much appreciated!
 

SOS

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Make sure he gets banded by a week old. It’s illegal to band male lambs for the purpose of castrations without anaesthetic if they are over a week old.

Sheep like friends and love dying. Get some more to help you both! Any more specific advice I will try answer. Getting a small holder or farmer friend is really useful when it comes to foot trimming, worming, shearing etc. As can always pop yours over when they are doing these things.
 

Evie91

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He’s called Peter. He’s very friendly, went for a walk today on a lead and harness!
He will be banded on Friday :)
I am looking for a friend for him currently.
A chap has sheep across the road, so may have to befriend him!
Thank you :)
 

Errin Paddywack

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I have a small black lamb, smallest of triplets, still on mum but not doing well, the other two are much bigger and getting the lion's share of the milk. He is older than yours born 21 Mar but still tiny and no idea if he would take to a bottle. If you want to take a gamble on him you are welcome to him. I am just over the border into Northamptonshire.
 

Pearlsasinger

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He’s called Peter. He’s very friendly, went for a walk today on a lead and harness!
He will be banded on Friday :)
I am looking for a friend for him currently.
A chap has sheep across the road, so may have to befriend him!
Thank you :)


I wouldn't have his tail banded, it's not really necessary and they do find the process traumatic enough without that added pain in the tail.
 
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I wouldn't have his tail banded, it's not really necessary and they do find the process traumatic enough without that added pain in the tail.
though you will find especially in the spring when the grass is rich they tend to get very messy bottoms that can cause discomfort for them and are harder to sheer with a long tail
may i ask what breed he is/
 

twiggy2

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I see both banded and non banded in my line of work, personally I would band but as soon as they are up on their feet feeding well would be my preference.
A long tail can get mucky and they can end up with fly strike from that area, especially bottle fed lambs seem to get shitty back ends, changes in grass can cause it as can very prolonged wet grass (weather), I would rather band a tail than deal with maggots.
 

Moobli

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Where are you? I am in the Scottish Borders and am likely to have plenty of pets in the next few weeks.
What breed is your lamb? We don’t dock the tails of hill breeds as the tail is generally needed as a draft excluder in various situations.
 

twiggy2

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Where are you? I am in the Scottish Borders and am likely to have plenty of pets in the next few weeks.
What breed is your lamb? We don’t dock the tails of hill breeds as the tail is generally needed as a draft excluder in various situations.
You don't dock your hills stock at all?
Around here they all do, they don't tend to get as shitty as the low lying stock on the richer grass, they do leave thwm pretty long most places I work though and they leave tups and rig lambs tails long.
 

Evie91

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Thank you all for replies, just at work so having a quick peak here but will reply properly later.
Errin could you message me whereabouts you are please? If too far I’ll give him a miss but if doable distance with lockdown I might be interested :)
I’m in Midlands
Think he might be a Texel - he’s big!
Will reply again later, thanks all!
 

Errin Paddywack

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Errin could you message me whereabouts you are please? If too far I’ll give him a miss but if doable distance with lockdown

Hi Evie, I have attempted to PM you and totally failed, don't know what I am doing wrong. Anyway, I am in Rugby and the lamb is at Barby, 5 miles away. As I said I have no idea if he will drink off a bottle. He is a scrawny little thing at the moment. He is an Easy Care so should shed his fleece. His tail isn't banded, no wool = no need. His bits are done.
If you are close enough and willing to take a risk on him you are very welcome to have him. I really can't spare the time to hand rear a lamb. If I could bring him home I might have done but one on its own is never good.
 

Moobli

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You don't dock your hills stock at all?
Around here they all do, they don't tend to get as shitty as the low lying stock on the richer grass, they do leave thwm pretty long most places I work though and they leave tups and rig lambs tails long.

Sorry should have said the blackies. Historically I think they had the ends taken off but not now. The Cheviots are banded at the hock. Herdys and Swaledales aren’t docked.
 

Woodsy94

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I’m in the same boat as you, we took on a lamb who was abandoned in our horse Feild ? as the mum had died so we took her on.. we bottle fed her same as you, and then when a little bit older she had some pellets that we got off Amazon. She loves them! She thinks she is one of the dogs because she was hand reared at home.. ?? If you want any advice feel free too ask and will help best I can as we had too learn ourselfs too ? have attached pic for everyone too see!
 

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Rokele55

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We had lots of tame lambs as children and loved it, will never forget the smell. They were usually picked up on the knacker round half dead and if mum could resuscitate with a tube, colostrum and possibly brandy we kept them to saleable or edible age (we had a few calves the same way). They generally lived in the kitchen to start with and were given strange names. They used to come out hound exercise which was great fun, they really thought they were part of the pack. Then we ate them!
 

Evie91

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Thanks all for your replies. Pic posted is lovely!
Errin - thanks so much for the offer (and I do know where Barsby is, as sometimes go to Tower farm) but I’ve been delivered a companion this afternoon.I was very tempted by your little lamb but don’t think I have time to teach one to bottle feed. Saying that the one I have is half the size of Peter, a week old and bottle trained BUT didn’t want me to feed her, so basically had to pin her down, she eventually drank most not all milk.
It seems Peter has spoiled me- he drinks all of his milk and follows me around, we’ve been in the garden a few times with the dogs. I think Piper is looking for her ‘mum’. I have a lot to learn!
I wouldn’t say she is scouring in the true sense of the word but her poop is a puddle- assume she is stressed so will see how she goes but any advice appreciated. Bit of a palaver as they are both of different brands of milk.
when should they have creep pellets?
 

Errin Paddywack

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Evie, you can start them on creep pellets as soon as they will eat them. Some take to them well others take longer. Not sure what to recommend about the loose motions. If it was one of mine I have a drench I can give them but you wouldn't want a whole bottle for one dose. It is something called Spectam. I have it to dose them with as soon as they are born and it is also for scours. You said there was a sheep farmer across the road, they might have some. Literally only need a couple of squirts. If it wasn't for the current restrictions I would bring some over and dose her for you.
Hope she goes on alright. I find some lambs get very tame and stay tame, others never do and revert to 'wild' once back with other sheep. Some can become downright nuisances as they won't leave you alone. My old boy that I lost at 12 about a month ago was hand reared in the house and stayed very friendly all his life, hence why he lived to 12. Still much missed. All the best and feel free to ask for advice any time.
 

Evie91

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Not sure what to do about banding either now! Was told it’s a welfare issue to leave tail long. Pipers is very long. Peter‘s is hock length. Saw how it’s also done on Yorkshire vet and made a feel a bit sick!
 

Evie91

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Thanks Errin- I‘ve got pellets on order for Friday. they have straw and I’ve put some hay in. Was taking Peter for a walk three times a day but leaving him in with Piper for now. I was thinking of building a small pen over the weekend so they could be on the grass- would that be a good idea?
 

Pearlsasinger

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Not sure what to do about banding either now! Was told it’s a welfare issue to leave tail long. Pipers is very long. Peter‘s is hock length. Saw how it’s also done on Yorkshire vet and made a feel a bit sick!


If you are going to be able to keep an eye on them when they are adult, which you should be able to if they are hand-reared, there will be no welfare issue. There is an argument that there could be if they are left to fend for themselves on the moors.

None of our 6 pet lambs had their tails banded and they don't get particularly messy. If they get mucky back ends, it's the wool on their haunches, that catches the mess, not their tails.
 

Evie91

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Thanks for that. Peter already has huge testicles (well I think so for a small lamb), so thinking may get them removed by a vet rather than banded! At least then he can had pain killers!
 

Errin Paddywack

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If he is still under a week old, get them banded. Yes it hurts but not for long. It could be months before any vet is willing to do it and he could be a real pest by then especially as you have a girl too. By all means leave his tail but be prepared to clip the wool off if necessary. A pen on the lawn is a good idea. At my old house I had several on the lawn one year.
 
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