Sometimes, you may have to feed the lamb using a pacifier bottle. The lamb may be alone because its mother may die in childbirth, or it may not want to care for its young for some reason. Start feeding the lamb as soon as possible so it can survive. There are a few rules to understand when feeding a lamb.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Formula
Step 1. Consult a veterinarian
One of the reasons you should breastfeed your lamb using a pacifier is when the mother is dead or doesn't want to take care of her young. Take the lamb to the veterinary clinic before starting to care for it. The vet will tell you what the lamb needs. Your vet will also help you choose the right milk and colostrum substitute for your lamb. In addition, the doctor will ensure that the lamb gets the vitamins and minerals it needs.
Step 2. Get a colostrum replacement
Colostrum is the first milk a sheep produces after giving birth. Colostrum plays an important role in maintaining the health of the lamb.
- Colostrum is very important because it contains many nutrients and can protect lambs from various infections. At birth, lambs do not have antibodies. Therefore, lambs need colostrum to produce antibodies and prevent infection.
- Lambs need colostrum as much as 10% of their body weight. Therefore, a lamb weighing 5 kg should consume 500 grams of colostrum during the first 24 hours after birth. If the lamb has just been abandoned by its mother, give it colostrum replacement as soon as possible. If you are breeding sheep, you should always have a colostrum substitute that can be used in an emergency.
- Colostrum substitutes are generally sold at the nearest animal feed store.
Step 3. Purchase a sheep's milk substitute
Lambs need a milk substitute for the first 13 weeks.
- Sheep milk substitutes are commonly sold at animal feed stores. Once opened, milk substitutes should be stored in sealed gallon bottles. You can cover the top of the bottle with bay leaf to keep out insects.
- Make sure the milk substitute is specially formulated for sheep. Do not replace sheep's milk substitute with cow's milk substitute. The nutritional and vitamin content of cow's milk substitutes cannot keep lambs healthy.
Step 4. Create your own formula whenever possible
If you can't find a substitute for milk or colostrum, you can make your own. Instead, try to buy a substitute for milk or colostrum that is usually sold in the market. These milk or colostrum substitutes generally contain the appropriate nutrients for lambs. Therefore, use materials that are at home as an alternative.
- A colostrum substitute can be made by mixing 740 ml of cow's milk, 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp. cod liver oil, and 1 tsp. glucose. A colostrum substitute can also be made by mixing 600 ml of cow's milk, 1 tsp. castor oil, and 1 beaten egg.
- Lamb formula can be made by mixing 1 tsp. butter, 1 tsp. Black corn syrup, 1 can of evaporated milk, and liquid lamb vitamins can be purchased at your nearest animal feed store.
Step 5. Prepare the teat bottle
Lambs should be fed using a 250 ml bottle with a rubber nipple.
- Initially, you should fill the bottle with colostrum as much as 10% of the lamb's weight for the first 24 hours. For the first 24 hours, give the lamb milk every 2 hours.
- After consuming colostrum, lambs need 140 ml of milk substitute. Fill the bottle with the appropriate amount and then warm it until it is warm enough to the touch, like milk for a human baby.
- Sterilize bottles and teats regularly using a Milton cleaning solution or a special autoclave for baby bottles. The remnants of milk on the bottle is a source of bacteria. Do not use bleach when cleaning bottles and teats. Bleach can damage the pacifier.
Part 2 of 3: Breastfeeding the Lamb
Step 1. Create a feeding schedule for the lamb
After the first 24 hours, make a feeding schedule for the lamb.
- During the first 24 hours after feeding the lamb colostrum, the lamb should consume 140 ml of milk every 4 hours. Thereafter, the lamb should consume 200 ml of milk 4 times a day. Lambs still have to drink milk every 4 hours. Record the timing of feeding and make sure that the timing of feeding the lamb is correct.
- After 2 weeks, you can increase the amount of milk given to the lamb at regular intervals.
- Don't forget to warm the milk substitute until it's warm enough to touch, but not too hot.
Step 2. Point the lamb's head up, let it stand, then start feeding
Once the milk is measured and prepared, you can breastfeed the lamb.
- Make sure the lamb is suckling standing up. Do not hug or hold the lamb while nursing it. This can cause clotting in the lamb's lungs.
- Most lambs will start sucking milk on their own. If the lamb won't suckle, you can press the pacifier in its mouth. This can encourage the lamb to start suckling.
Step 3. Give the lambs water, hay and grass after the first week
After giving the lamb colostrum and milk for 1 week, the lamb should start eating solid foods.
- Give the lamb water, hay and grass. Let the lamb eat and drink as it pleases.
- When the lamb is strong enough, let it forage with the flock. This is done so that the lamb can socialize with other sheep.
Step 4. Increase the amount of milk every 2 weeks
You must increase the amount of milk that is given to the lamb as it grows.
- After giving the lamb 200 ml of milk 4 times a day for 2 weeks, gradually increase the given milk to 500 ml.
- After the next 2 weeks, increase the amount of milk given to 700 ml. Give the lamb milk 3 times a day.
- After 5 or 6 weeks, reduce the amount of milk given. Give the lamb 500 ml of milk 2 times a day.
Step 5. Make sure the lamb stops suckling after 13 weeks
Once the lamb is 13 weeks old, it should stop consuming milk. Lambs should start consuming hay, sheep feed, grass and water. Always record the timing of feeding the lamb and follow the schedule that has been made to reduce the amount of milk given after the lamb is 5 or 6 weeks old.
Part 3 of 3: Preventing Problems
Step 1. Watch the lamb after eating to make sure it is getting enough food
Make sure the lamb is not overeating or underfed. There are several ways to ensure that your lamb is getting enough food.
- After eating, the belly of the lamb should be in line with the loin and ribs. This is one indicator that the lamb is getting enough food.
- If the side of the lamb's stomach swells after eating, reduce the amount of milk given at the next meal. A swollen belly is one indicator that the lamb is eating too much food.
Step 2. Prevent hypothermia
Bottle-fed lambs generally do not have a mother or are neglected. If the flock cannot warm the lamb's body, the lamb's body temperature will drop, causing hypothermia. There are several ways to prevent hypothermia.
- When newly hypothermic, lambs will appear weak, thin, and hunched over. A rectal thermometer can be used to take the lamb's body temperature. A healthy lamb generally has a body temperature of 38-39°C. If the lamb's body temperature is below its ideal temperature, it may have hypothermia.
- Wrap the lamb in a towel to warm it. You can also use a hairdryer to warm the lamb. You can also buy special sheep jackets. This jacket is specially designed to protect the sheep's body at night. Do not use heating lamps as this may cause a fire.
- Make sure there is no cold air in the barn, especially in winter.
Step 3. Keep pneumonia away from lamb
Pneumonia is one of the diseases that commonly affects lambs. Pneumonia tends to affect bottle-fed lambs. This is because lambs do not have antibodies to fight bacteria. Colostrum substitutes cannot help lambs produce antibodies.
- Symptoms of pneumonia are shortness of breath, increased heart rate, and fever. Sheep with pneumonia may not want to breastfeed their young.
- Cold and humid air is the cause of pneumonia. Make sure the barn is always clean, dry, and free from cold air to prevent pneumonia.
- If the sheep has pneumonia, buy antibiotics from the nearest vet and give them to the sheep as soon as possible.
