Lamb Can't Find Nipples To Suck

[kuntrygirl]

I have a lamb that was born a couple days ago. I watched it carefully to make sure that it was eating as I always do when I have new borns. I noticed that this baby could not find it's mother's nipples to suck. It was placing it's lips and mouth all over her but not finding where it needed to go . At first I thought it was blind but I checked it out and watched it walk around with no problems. I finally caught the mother and placed the baby near the nipples and it sucked like a champ as long as I was there with it. The problem is that when I am not around it, I cannot find the nipples. I placed them in a secure pen with just the two of them. I'm afraid that I will have to bottle feed it. I have a full time job, so I am not there to know if it is actually sucking. I am at a lost on what to do. I desperately need suggestions on what to do. I will prepare myself to bottle feed this baby, so I will be buying a bottle and some milk at TSC. What milk replacement formula do you all recommend for bottle feeding?

Thank you for any advice. I don't want the baby to starve to death.

 

[SheepGirl]

I had the same thing happen this year with my ewe. My lambs were looking up too high for my ewe's teats, which were long and low-placed. So what I did was twice a day (when I fed the sheep) I would hold my ewe and hold the teats for the lambs to find them easily. They only nursed off my ewe two times a day because they never did nurse when I wasn't there. After 3-5 days (can't remember the exact day, but I know the ewe lamb got it before the ram lamb), they were able to nurse on their own.

eta: I would let them nurse until I saw their belly noticeably fuller. This would last them the 12 hours until I was able to go back out and help them nurse again.

 

[EllieMay]

I had the same problem with one of my lambs this year.
The poor little guy kept sucking all over mom; always missing the teat.
I just kept helping it find the teat.
I knew it musta found the teat during the night because in the morning it was still alive and not weak.
I sitll helped it out a little the next day also since it wasn't very aggressive in nursing.
By the third day it knew what to do.
He's two and a half weeks old now and doing fine!

 

[kuntrygirl]

An update on my lamb. I penned the mom and lamb up over night to ensure that the baby would eat. I'm not sure if it ate or not though. However, I was prepared with the milk replacement. Last night was my first night bottle feeding. It sucked about 2 ounces of milk with no problem. This morning I went back out and it immediately got up and started licking my leg as to look for the place to suck. It sucked 5 ounces of milk this morning. So, I don't know if that was a sign that it's not eating or not. So, I guess I will go out twice a day with a bottle and feed. If it accepts the bottle, then that is great. If not, then that means that it's eating.

Thanks for your input everyone.

 

[SheepGirl]

If the baby's belly was empty looking/hollow/sunken in, then it's not eating. (Scroll down to the 3rd & 4th photos to see what I'm talking about: http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=319408#p319408 ) I would not be bottle feeding the lamb if you want him to be on the ewe full time. Some ewes are finicky and if the lamb doesn't smell completely like them (the milk replacer will change the smell of the lamb), they will reject it. Sometimes the lamb will forget about the mom and just want the bottle. And other times you have it where it works out perfectly where the lamb will take the bottle and the ewe.

 

[kuntrygirl]

If the baby's belly was empty looking/hollow/sunken in, then it's not eating. (Scroll down to the 3rd & 4th photos to see what I'm talking about: http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=319408#p319408 ) I would not be bottle feeding the lamb if you want him to be on the ewe full time. Some ewes are finicky and if the lamb doesn't smell completely like them (the milk replacer will change the smell of the lamb), they will reject it. Sometimes the lamb will forget about the mom and just want the bottle. And other times you have it where it works out perfectly where the lamb will take the bottle and the ewe.

That is exactly how the belly looks. It is sunken in. The belly looks scary looking like it is malnourished. I do want it to be on the ewe full time but at the same time, I don't want it to starve to death. I can continue to monitor the belly. I have been having sheep for about 7 years and this is the very first year that I have seen a lamb NOT feed on the mom. This is freaking me out because this is not normal for me to see. I don't want the mom to reject the baby due to the way it smells but I can't let it starve.

How often should a lamb feed on the mom?

 

[kuntrygirl]

UPDATE:

I am bottle feeding 2 of them.

They both are doing well. The 1st born is doing VERY well. The mom has totally forgotten about him and I don't know who the mom is anymore. I purchased this milk replacer (see link below) and have been feeding them 3 times a day. The male is sucking about 6 - 7 ounces each feeding. While the 2nd born is sucking about 3 - 5 ounces each feeding. Is that too much or too little for either? I noticed a little diarrhea in the 2nd born and did some research. I went out and purchased the colostrum supplement (see link below) to see if that would help would the diarrhea. Anyone know what could be causing diarrhea?

We had a very hot weekend and I was afraid that they would dehydrate, although I have plenty of shade, I gave the 2nd born some water in a bottle and she sucked 7 1/2 ounces of water. The 1st born weighs WAY more than the 2nd born but both are progressing fine. The mom of the 2nd born use to cry for her baby when I went in to feed but she stopped the crying. I don't understand why neither mom wants to allow them to suck. The mom of the 2nd one loves for her baby to be around her but she just won't let her suck. I read not to give water all the time because the baby will think they are full and won't suck any milk.

Anyway, this is my first time doing this and I just don't know what else to do. How long do I have to bottle feed them? When should I introduce feed to them and what kind of feed should they eat and at what age?

If anyone has any suggestions on what else I need to do, or suggestions on feeding, please let me know. I don't want them to die on me. I'm trying to do everything that I can for them. I am reading everything I can get my hands on about feeding them

Manna Pro Lamb Milk Replacer, 3.5 lb.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/manna-proreg;-lamb-milk-replacer-35-lb

Manna Pro Colostrum Supplement, 16 oz.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/manna-proreg;-colostrum-supplement-16-oz?cm_vc=-10005

Thanks for all of the help everyone.

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

With the situations of both of your lambs, I usually hold the mother so the lamb can suck, or hold the ewe and help the lamb find the tit. Every 2-3 hours just grab the ewe and hold her still. Most of the time it only takes 24-48 hours before either problem is solved! I try to do what ever possible so I don't have a bottle lamb, as they are very time consuming.

As for feeding bottle lambs, the milk replacer shoud have detailed instructions on how to mix and how much depending on how old the lamb is. I have found as long as the instructions are properly followed, the lambs are fine! I always make sure once the lambs are a week old or so, that they have a dish of water, hay/grass and some lamb creep feed available at all times.

Good luck!

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

With the situations of both of your lambs, I usually hold the mother so the lamb can suck, or hold the ewe and help the lamb find the tit. Every 2-3 hours just grab the ewe and hold her still. Most of the time it only takes 24-48 hours before either problem is solved! I try to do what ever possible so I don't have a bottle lamb, as they are very time consuming.

As for feeding bottle lambs, the milk replacer shoud have detailed instructions on how to mix and how much depending on how old the lamb is. I have found as long as the instructions are properly followed, the lambs are fine! I always make sure once the lambs are a week old or so, that they have a dish of water, hay/grass and some lamb creep feed available at all times.

Good luck!

As long as the diarrhea isn't like colored water, or has blood in it, I wouldn't be too concerned! Just keep your eye on it, it should clear up in a couple days.

 

[kuntrygirl]

With the situations of both of your lambs, I usually hold the mother so the lamb can suck, or hold the ewe and help the lamb find the tit. Every 2-3 hours just grab the ewe and hold her still. Most of the time it only takes 24-48 hours before either problem is solved! I try to do what ever possible so I don't have a bottle lamb, as they are very time consuming.

As for feeding bottle lambs, the milk replacer shoud have detailed instructions on how to mix and how much depending on how old the lamb is. I have found as long as the instructions are properly followed, the lambs are fine! I always make sure once the lambs are a week old or so, that they have a dish of water, hay/grass and some lamb creep feed available at all times.

Good luck!

Holding the mother is not an option. They refuse to have anything to do with them. I would have to literally tie the mother up and grab the baby and do it that way. That would take me about an hour to do. And I'm afraid they will upset the other pregnant mothers. Bottle feeding is not time consuming for me. It takes about 15 minutes. They can suck that bottle in less than 5 minutes. It takes longer to prepare the bottle.

Wasn't sure if there was something different that I needed to do. The directions are being followed to the T. I have a dish of water available and hay. Not sure what lamp creep feed is. What is that?