What have we gotten ourselves into...

Julesstar

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Hello from Ohio! We are very new to herds. Coming from city life to country life has been so satisfying. We’re definitely not farmers, and in our late 50s, so I’m glad to have a forum like this. I’m already on BackyardChickens. Do you have an app?
SO we started with chickens last year and then the hubby wanted some goats. And then a friend offered us two bottle fed Dorset lambs. We have two Boer doelings and one Nubian doeling, and a eweling and wether. The goats are doing great, established the goat order and getting into mischief.

My lambs are not so good. The wether came with scours and sister got soon after. I expected them to be sad and scared, but they aren’t even playful with each other. They still get water by bottle, though one was drinking from the waterer today, which is a relief since it’s 91°. They were given one dose of cydectin Saturday, the day we got them. They are on lush grass, have good hay, got nutridrench and electrolytes. Tell me if I need to do something else. Poor little lambs 😢 I have other wormers and Corid.
Thanks in advance for any and all comments!
 

Baymule

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How old are the lambs, what are you feeding them and how much of that lush grass are they getting? Were they spunky when you got them or droopy? How long after you got them did they appear droopy? I have never raised bottle lambs, so let me call some others to your post. @Mike CHS
@secuono @Sheepshape @purplequeenvt
 

purplequeenvt

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More information is definitely needed.
Age
Are they weaned off the bottle
What are they eating
Body condition
Temperature
Any snot, coughing, raspy breathing

If they are weaned off milk, take away their bottles completely. Don’t give them straight water in the bottle.

Sheep are not as playful as goats so don’t be surprised if they seem less active.

Since they have scours, I’d be concerned about coccidia, especially if they are around 3 months old. Scours could also be caused by a feed change - new/more grain, fresh green grass, even new water.
 

Julesstar

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Well they are about 7 weeks old. They were weaning when we got them this past Saturday. Only drinking water. Everything has changed for them except the hay, which the owners gave us for them. One of them pooped just now. Green and mushy. We have well water. They are eating a medicated Kalmbach Start Right Lamb Feed pellet, different than what they had before. They were more energetic at their previous place. They were giving them water by bottle. Like I said, the wether started drinking from the waterer today. It’s pretty hot today, so they may just be warm. It’s the diarrhea I’m more concerned about than anything.
No breathing problems, coughing or snot. I don’t know what you mean by body condition and I do not have a thermometer to take their temp.
 

Beekissed

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Green and mushy could just be rich graze. Green and runny is more a concern. They could just be less active due to the heat. Mine are more playful in the cool of the morning and evening right now but opting out of activity during the heat of the day.
 

Julesstar

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Thanks for your replies. I just gave electrolytes to both of them. I see puddles of poo in their straw, dark brown. It’s going to rain, so I think I’ll keep them in their stall. As a newbie, I hate to leave them there because I think how lonely they will be all day. Haha. Such a Newb. They still seem sad and I’ve never seen them play.
 

Julesstar

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Can you contact the person you bought them from? Let them know what you are having issues with.
I just remembered how to reply to each of you individually. Duh. Yes. I have talked to her several times. She said to give them electrolytes. I know the wether came with a runny poop and the eweling did not. She got that the next day. They got cydectin dose the day we got them. So many changes in one swoop would do a whammy on an animal, right? I’ve kept them in the stall. They aren’t happy about it.
 

Julesstar

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If anyone is following, I did keep the lambs in their stall all but an hour yesterday. They only had hat and water. No more water from
Bottles. While I was out getting groceries I bought some plain yogurt. They each got 30 ccs and got some probiotics sprinkled on their tiny bit of feed last night. This morning I only saw pebbles and pine ones! Much relieved. Thanks for the welcome and the help!
 

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