Lambars - not for us!

[helmstead]

I'd always thought one day I'd finally 'give in' and switch to lambars, since we've finally found our way to "free feeding" our bottle babies (letting them eat til full, within reason of course).

I purchased a near 2 month old kid from another farm who DOES use the lambar. She was everything I had expected and hoped for except...

She's as wild as a dam raised kid! And has NO IDEA how to take a bottle!!

I'm having to keep her in my little baby stall so I can catch her, and then force the nipple in her freaked out little mouth until she realizes, "Oh, she's not really trying to kill me...there's food in that thing."

:/

As much work as it will be, I'm sticking with HAND bottle feeding. Sheesh.

Last night I had to clean out the bottle baby pen because A) the barn is flooded, AGAIN and B) we came home with a light scour in a couple kids from the show as usual. I was able to turn MY babies loose, but I had to tie up little new girl. THAT was an experience, too.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

Oh sheesh, what a PITA. I noticed the same thing with the kids I transported... they were much spookier than bottle fed kids.

 

[helmstead]

I keep looking at the calendar, luckily I can wean her in a couple weeks. HOPEFULLY by then she'll be tamer...

And, don't worry, the producer is getting a snide email because well, they deserve it!! She'd best be a show stopper!!

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

I'd bet anything she will be! I can't wait to get ours in the ring next year and see what she's made of.

 

[chandasue]

That's odd because I have one now that was on a lambar and took right to the bottle with no trouble. Maybe it's the nipple difference?

 

[ksalvagno]

Did the original owner claim that she was friendly? Some of my dam raised kids are friendly and some aren't. I'm not spending time with them like I should but I think Egor's personality is coming out in a lot of them (which is a good thing). I'm hoping with downsizing the herd that I will have more time. I will bottle feed if needed but at this point, it just isn't a "can do" thing around here. But who knows, that may change some day. I make no guarantees about anything as everything changes.

 

[helmstead]

chandasue - dunno what nipple arrangement this producer uses but I would assume it's the Pritchard, as this is the nipple of choice.

Karen - the baby wasn't dam raised, it was bottle/lambar raised which implies tame baby...obviously a false implication!

 

[mossyStone]

I bought a babie this yr also raised on a lambar, she is the sweetest thing i have on the farm.

I don't raise my kids on the bar, she went right to the bottle, no major problems.

Good luck with your new girl!

 

[Roll farms]

A friend of mine bought a kid from a difft. friend who uses a lambar and she's as wild as a march hare.
I've read that they see the bucket, and not the human, as 'mom' and are still semi-wild if not handled a lot. A lot of people just hang the bucket over the fence / pen wall and walk off w/out spending time w/ them.

IMHO, it's the time / handling that does it, not just the feeding method.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

A friend of mine bought a kid from a difft. friend who uses a lambar and she's as wild as a march hare.
I've read that they see the bucket, and not the human, as 'mom' and are still semi-wild if not handled a lot.

A couple weeks ago after I'd finished feeding one of the bottle babies I set the empty bottle down and the kid ran over and attacked it like he might be able to manage the whole process by himself. Needless to say, he was completely unsuccessful.

Actually, Kate, maybe you just need to carry a bucket with you when you need to catch her!