SageHill Ranch Journal

[Ridgetop]

Great job saving the second lamb! So happy for you and he is very cute.

 

[SageHill]

Not sure if the little ram lamb will make it. I don’t like the look of him, a bit hunchy, and not active enough. He seems to move around a bit, nurses some (I do see that a lot). There is communication between him and his mom. Mom’s got milk but not as much as Silver did at this point.
I stepped into this this morning- Caro syrup, milk replacer, and put him in my vest. Not because of cold - it’s not cold 50 something, but thinking heartbeat. Walking around with him
In my vest really perked him up. Went to the house with the bottle and things to wash and put him in the greenhouse thinking that all the dogs didn’t need to help. He was quite perky there! Looked a lot better. I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet, but perhaps taking a small step in the right direction.
In the last two pics he looks a thousand times better.

 

[Baymule]

Did you stick your finger in his mouth when you picked him up? He might have been cold and your body warmth perked him up.
Cold mouth is a cold lamb with not much longer to live. Always warm up before bottle feeding. Milk in a cold lamb is a death sentence.
Warm mouth is a lamb that being fed. But if he was all hunched up, the ewe may nohave enough milk. If you see him struggling, pull him and bottle feed him. Better a bottle baby than a dead baby.

 

[SageHill]

Did you stick your finger in his mouth when you picked him up? He might have been cold and your body warmth perked him up.
Cold mouth is a cold lamb with not much longer to live. Always warm up before bottle feeding. Milk in a cold lamb is a death sentence.
Warm mouth is a lamb that being fed. But if he was all hunched up, the ewe may nohave enough milk. If you see him struggling, pull him and bottle feed him. Better a bottle baby than a dead baby.

His mouth wasn’t cold but not warm either. I managed/ he managed about an ounce at best. Put him with the rest of the sheep while I taught detection (about almost 2 hours). Took him back to the house and greenhouse and he was Mr Hungry and drank down almost 5 ounces. I think I was pretty close to losing him. And again a step forward . I don’t think his mom has enough milk. Maybe she will and maybe she won’t - but I’m now part of the feeding plan.
Thank you for the heads up on the cold mouth though, I didn't know that. Someone upstairs must've been guiding me.

 

[Baymule]

I didn’t know that either and took 2 cold lambs to the vet. He didn’t know to warm them up first . He tube fed them and together we killed them. They died in my arms at midnight.
The Good Shepherd was with you.

 

[Baymule]

I used a large dog crate. I used towels to start with. Where did those tiny little things get all that PEE? Adult incontinance pads in the tray and baby diapers so they could run around the house.

 

[SageHill]

ROTFL OMG the tape and the pads - way too funny, I almost needed to wipe off my screen! LOVE the pics though
I've been checking the sheep cam and the lil' guy was laying where I'd put him after feeding. He looked so forlorn. I had things to do around the barn (thank God we don't have cold like you are having (42-65 today). So I put him in my vest again and carried him around. Put him down thinking he'd pee, but noooooo. Sigh. He followed me around pretty well and maaaaa-ed. I'd either sing song lambie lamb lamb or maaaaa back. When I was done with things I put him back in the corral with the ewes. He found mom and went to nursing - wagging tail and all - oh and he peed when he found mom - an ocean . So at least she hasn't rejected him so far, but I'll still supplement him. A team effort would be best if it will work. Put him on the scale and he's 7.4 lbs. He'll get a name next week.
Looking better brighter and not hunched - a step in the right direction..........

 

[Baymule]

It sounds like he’s not getting enough. I know you will keep a close eye on him. If ewe is being a good mom and can raise him with yo supplementing bottles, that’s a win win.

 

[SageHill]

It sounds like he’s not getting enough. I know you will keep a close eye on him. If ewe is being a good mom and can raise him with yo supplementing bottles, that’s a win win.

Keeping fingers crossed and telling her the better she mothers the longer she can stay here. Ya' think she'll get the idea???
PM update -- I've seen him nursing on mom - yay, but took a bottle over around 5pm - he easily took down about 2 1/2 oz. His intake so far first try ~ 1 oz, second try ~ 5 oz, and third about 2 1/2 oz. My thinking is he is getting about half of what he needs from mom. At least getting something based on the last bottle. The last supplement he took to the bottle like a pro. I'll probably do a feeding before I turn in later tonight. On the cam he is up and about in the stall with the others and sometimes nursing.

 

[farmerjan]

His continued nursing will help to bring her milk in... as much as she is capable to produce. Some just do not have enough... but first time mom, being accepting of the lamb, is a definite plus. Keeping the lamb with her will also make him a "sheep" as opposed to totally bottle fed / pet type that sometimes do not make the transition to being a real lamb/sheep.... he will learn the grazing and eating patterns of the sheep... this ewe is the prolapse one right? So, not worried about a 2nd lambing so she can do as good as she can do this time, and you can do some supplementing... and that will be the best of the situation... I would do the supplementing 2 or maybe 3 x a day, but let the lamb work on her during the evenings and nights...
Glad someone isn't in the "frigid" temps...