Sheep rejecting lamb

karolmc100

I have a ewe with twins but is refusing to take up with one,they are almost a week old I am sucking the lamb and hav fostering gates so lamb good and strong but once out of lock she still refuses

IH784man

Just keep her in until she does take the lambs.
Matey your too late for this and it should be done at birth but spray deodorant all over the lambs and into the ewes nostrils,she will smell it and think it's her smell.

IH784man

Just keep her in until she does take the lambs.
Matey your too late for this and it should be done at birth but spray deodorant all over the lambs and into the ewes nostrils,she will smell it and think it's her smell.

razor8

Used a bucket on ewe last year and worked a treat after she refused to take lamb, see photo, they can still eat and I took it off after 10 days and no bother after

razor8

Used a bucket on ewe last year and worked a treat after she refused to take lamb, see photo, they can still eat and I took it off after 10 days and no problems

razor8

Photo

razor8

Won't let me add photo

Cran

At over 10 days old I would be inclined to give up and rear as a pet. You can wean the lamb in 4 weeks anyway once on meal

Nekarsulm

Leave the oul bitch in the adoption crate till she learns. I had the same two years ago, she took nearly a month before she would let one of the lambs suck. The lamb she liked was an all black one, the other was all white with a black spot like a saddle on his back. Only I decided that I could be as thick as she was, I could have sold him as a pet.

MayoAreMagic

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Leave the oul bitch in the adoption crate till she learns. I had the same two years ago, she took nearly a month before she would let one of the lambs suck. The lamb she liked was an all black one, the other was all white with a black spot like a saddle on his back. Only I decided that I could be as thick as she was, I could have sold him as a pet.

Probably could have fostered the lamb onto another ewe 10 times over in that time in fairness. No point being so bull-headed that it is costing you that much hardship, not to mention the ewe and the 2 lambs.

The best way I have found is skinning a dead lamb, if available of course, and fostering across that way. Ewe never butts the lamb and I have often been able to take off the skin within 2 hours, job done. Put the feet up for the other 30 days and 22 hours!

Username John

If she's not taking to the lamb after a bit of effort - then sell them as a pet.
Get 20euro or more for them, no hassle...

ganmo

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Probably could have fostered the lamb onto another ewe 10 times over in that time in fairness. No point being so bull-headed that it is costing you that much hardship, not to mention the ewe and the 2 lambs.

The best way I have found is skinning a dead lamb, if available of course, and fostering across that way. Ewe never butts the lamb and I have often been able to take off the skin within 2 hours, job done. Put the feet up for the other 30 days and 22 hours!

easier to skin them when theyre warm

stantheman1979

Personally id leave her off with the one lamb at this stage. She aint gonna take the lamb. keep feeding the pet I'm sure there will be another chance to foster him on to something else. If it happens again I would put the ewe in a head stocks for 3 days don't let her out until then then let her out stand back and check what her reaction is if she still rejects it straight back in. this usually works for us.

Green farmer

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Leave the oul bitch in the adoption crate till she learns.

I'd go further and say if she kept messing like this, send her to factory later in year when cull prices are high. Plenty of young ewe lambs to be had that would be quiet and won't break your heart. had a ewe like that before , used to have twins but was lazy and felt she only needed to raise one. She ain't around no more.

J.O. Farmer

She's probably not going to take to the lamb now. Did the one she's rejecting get away from her when she was having the second one.
The foster gate should work if she's left in it for the best part of a week and can't see the lambs. She might be alright next year but is any sheep worth risking the hassle.