Bummer lamb question??

RedBrush Farm

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A friend had a ewe have a lamb yesterday 5am. and she had no milk. I took him and gave colostrum etc. as I had read. ( I've never raised one) My question is.....
I had a ewe who gave birth to twins a little over a week ago and she left one in the field and I didn't find it in time. She has tons of milk. I put her and her lamb in a jug yesterday with the bummer. She initially butted him when he would try to nurse. This morning I event to feed him and he is not "yelling", totally warm, wagging tail and was not totally "empty". Cory is no longer agressivly butting him away and he did not take his full bottle. Do you think she will take him? How long should I leave them in jug to find out? Is there anything else I can do?
All help appreciated! Thanks in advance..... Also, for those who helped me out when the vet wanted to put down Mrs. Kay - she is FINE:) thanks for telling me to wait it out.......
 

purplequeenvt

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I'd leave them together as long as the ewe is not being aggressive to him. Sounds like she might have let him nurse. Good luck!
 

M.L. McKnight

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I haven't had any experience with sheep (yet) but I might have something for you to try. When I need to switch around some pigs for whatever reason, I give the sow a quick squirt of lysol right in the snout. Then I mist the babies real quick and the 'new additions'. As long as she can't smell the difference she doesn't care. Its not the nicest thing to do but I'd rather irritate a sow for a minute than lose a baby.
I have noticed with my goats that they smell the kids' butts when they start to nurse, I kept that in mind when I needed to find a new goat momma for a kid (this one's momma had triplets and was a tiny thing). Instead of doing the lysol trick, I rub the doe's kid on the butt then rubbed all over the new kid. I squirted a bit of her milk on him and then rubbed her kid's butt all over the new one. Then I watched. She did the sniff test and after looking confused for a minute she ended up letting the baby nurse and raise it as her own.
If your ewe is claiming the lamb then that is awesome, if you get worried or it happens again keep these tricks in mind.
 

Bossroo

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Old shepard's trick... smear some of the dead offspring's poop all over the rear end of the orphan. Or, skin out like a pull over sweater the dead offspring's hide and place it over the new orphan. Smells like the mamma's own offspring and adoption done. ;)
 
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