Pet lambs

Grueller

I am getting a few here for the young ones to rear. I have never had sheep and am clueless. I am off to buy a bag of Lamblac and a lambs tit. What else is needed. Ta.

Lambman

Make sure the farmer your buying off has it vaccinated... also rubbered it's tail although you might have a bit off explaining till do when the lambs tail falls off in the garden some day haha... have you somewere inside for it or them if so a few bales of straw for bedding would be handy and in a few weeks try them with concentrates sooner there eating them the better.

Grueller

Lambman wrote: »

Make sure the farmer your buying off has it vaccinated... also rubbered it's tail although you might have a bit off explaining till do when the lambs tail falls off in the garden some day haha... have you somewere inside for it or them if so a few bales of straw for bedding would be handy and in a few weeks try them with concentrates sooner there eating them the better.

Vaccinated and rubbered. Have the world of straw here for the cattle. Sheds are no problem.

ganmo

A bit of meal. (Not cattle meal)
A few 500 ml bottles
Patience

roosky

you will also need a good accountant to ensure you dont get screwed by the tax man........the pet lambs are a serious money spinner ! Best of luck !

Hagimalone

Vaccinated for what exactly?

gctest50

Hagimalone wrote: »

Vaccinated for what exactly?

Mint sauce ?

davidk1394

Hagimalone wrote: »

Vaccinated for what exactly?

Pulpy kindney is a big problem in twins.

Grueller

Hagimalone wrote: »

Vaccinated for what exactly?

Clostridia diseases with heptavac p afair

farmerjoe50

make sure when buying a lamb that it has a flat back as healthily possible as an arched back means the lamb has little in fat reserves and may not have received colostrum making it much more susceptible to disease and infection. Lambs need to trained to a bucket or bottle which makes them time consuming, that's the reason why Donedeal and the Dealer have so many pet lambs recently. I find that the bucket fitted with teats is much more convenient than bottle feeding each individual lamb. Good luck with the pet lambs. PS was after them myself not so long ago and was given a price of 150 euro for a pedigree lamb, thought I could get it for less than half that

Dylan collins

Any man got any pet lambs for sale in donegal

KatyMac

If you have a couple of pet lambs do you need a flock number? My young one wants one for her birthday, so I was considering getting a couple (female) as company for each other. Only problem is they will probably be a permanent fixture until they die of old age (if she is anything like me). There have been no sheep here since the late 70s so my knowledge of the paperwork/regulations is very out of date although I do know how to deal with sheep (I think).

White Clover

KatyMac wrote: »

If you have a couple of pet lambs do you need a flock number? My young one wants one for her birthday, so I was considering getting a couple (female) as company for each other. Only problem is they will probably be a permanent fixture until they die of old age (if she is anything like me). There have been no sheep here since the late 70s so my knowledge of the paperwork/regulations is very out of date although I do know how to deal with sheep (I think).

Just ring your DVO and ask them to add flock number to your herd number. They will send you out some information and a dispatch book.

padowado

My vet told me if pet lambs DO NOT get milk from their mother
they have 2 be vaccinated at 3 weeks old of age with hep p or covexin 10 good luck

Green farmer

Have accumulated 8 pet lambs here at the moment. Mostly due to no foster mothers being available when I wanted them. Kids are over the moon and naming them so I'm kinda goosed. Feeding them a baby's bottle 4 times a day about. Any or the correct amount I should be feeding ? And when can I get them on meal. I usually try and avoid them but stuck with em now.

ganmo

Green farmer wrote: »

Have accumulated 8 pet lambs here at the moment. Mostly due to no foster mothers being available when I wanted them. Kids are over the moon and naming them so I'm kinda goosed. Feeding them a baby's bottle 4 times a day about. Any or the correct amount I should be feeding ? And when can I get them on meal. I usually try and avoid them but stuck with em now.

i'd try to feed them 3 times a day once they've got the hang of sucking the bottle
meal/nuts asap only give em a small bit to start with as they'll waste a good bit of it. and a bit of straw for them to nibble on

rangler1

Green farmer wrote: »

Have accumulated 8 pet lambs here at the moment. Mostly due to no foster mothers being available when I wanted them. Kids are over the moon and naming them so I'm kinda goosed. Feeding them a baby's bottle 4 times a day about. Any or the correct amount I should be feeding ? And when can I get them on meal. I usually try and avoid them but stuck with em now.

This is from lamlac
Day 1-3: 1 litre split into 4-5 feeds
Day 4-7: 1 litre split into 4 feeds
Day 7 to weaning: 1.5 litres split into 4 feeds initially, reducing to two feeds until weaning.

A small amount of fresh meal every day from a week old, get rid of stale meal
wean them when they're
1.at least twice their birth weight
2. eating .25kg meal/day for 3 consecutive days.
3; at least 35 days old

Fresh water every day too

Green farmer

I'm around day 3-7 and getting 1ltr into em, so unwittingly got it right. Coincidently , the ones that are really thriving are the ones that got adequate colostrum into em from either their mothers or myself, and the ones that are poor suckers/ struggle to feed are the ones who didn't. Hugely noticeable difference.

Green farmer

One of the pets I picked up from field yesterday about 3 days old ( mother died suspected grass tenant ) is scouring abit, treatment wise, antibiotic ?

kk.man

KatyMac wrote: »

If you have a couple of pet lambs do you need a flock number? My young one wants one for her birthday, so I was considering getting a couple (female) as company for each other. Only problem is they will probably be a permanent fixture until they die of old age (if she is anything like me). There have been no sheep here since the late 70s so my knowledge of the paperwork/regulations is very out of date although I do know how to deal with sheep (I think).

You must get a pink slip from the purchaser and inform your DVO that you now have sheep. Think best to do that in reverse order!

john1976

Is there any difference in feeding Lamblac or Golden Frisky?

Both available around here, and our pet is a week old on Golden Frisky at the minute, but wondering if it would be better on Lamblac.

TITANIUM.

john1976 wrote: »

Is there any difference in feeding Lamblac or Golden Frisky?

Both available around here, and our pet is a week old on Golden Frisky at the minute, but wondering if it would be better on Lamblac.

The lamblac is easier to mix anyway and lad's tell me that there less likely to bloat on it aswell.

ganmo

john1976 wrote: »

Is there any difference in feeding Lamblac or Golden Frisky?

Both available around here, and our pet is a week old on Golden Frisky at the minute, but wondering if it would be better on Lamblac.

don't think theres much between them, both come out of the same factory anyway

Green farmer

Weaned here Yesterday. Not sure if it's too early or not, but their all over a month old now. Yesterday they spent all day giving out, but much quieter today. Have them on fresh grass, meal and water. They've the heads down eating grass today. Must vaccinate as well. All still alive, so fingers crossed.

Farrell

Green farmer wrote: »

Weaned here Yesterday. Not sure if it's too early or not, but their all over a month old now. Yesterday they spent all day giving out, but much quieter today. Have them on fresh grass, meal and water. They've the heads down eating grass today. Must vaccinate as well. All still alive, so fingers crossed.

Have 2 here, out to grass during the day (bar rain) & in at night, not touching either the nuts or water.
What would you recommend?

charolais0153

Farrell wrote: »

Have 2 here, out to grass during the day (bar rain) & in at night, not touching either the nuts or water.
What would you recommend?

Crunch instead of nuts to he them interested

Green farmer

Farrell wrote: »

Have 2 here, out to grass during the day (bar rain) & in at night, not touching either the nuts or water.
What would you recommend?

I'm not great on pet lambs, try what Charolais says and see what works on them. I've the starter pencils. Used pick them up individually and fed little bits to them, to get them used to it. The water, left it in a little dogs dish, and over time they'd be curious and start sipping it. You could also fill the bottle with water and they'd get the taste for it. They'd be discussed initially, but would still get the taste.all you need is one to take an interest, and the other will follow

Farrell

Green farmer wrote: »

Farrell wrote: »

Have 2 here, out to grass during the day (bar rain) & in at night, not touching either the nuts or water.
What would you recommend?

I'm not great on pet lambs, try what Charolais says and see what works on them. I've the starter pencils. Used pick them up individually and fed little bits to them, to get them used to it. The water, left it in a little dogs dish, and over time they'd be curious and start sipping it. You could also fill the bottle with water and they'd get the taste for it. They'd be discussed initially, but would still get the taste.all you need is one to take an interest, and the other will follow

Have the water in a cut 3L carton, maybe they'll get interested soon.
Can't get sheep crunch locally, but what if I give oats too?

rangler1

Green farmer wrote: »

I'm not great on pet lambs, try what Charolais says and see what works on them. I've the starter pencils. Used pick them up individually and fed little bits to them, to get them used to it. The water, left it in a little dogs dish, and over time they'd be curious and start sipping it. You could also fill the bottle with water and they'd get the taste for it. They'd be discussed initially, but would still get the taste.all you need is one to take an interest, and the other will follow

Pet lambs need to be eating 250gms/day of lamb creep for a few days before you can consider weaning them off milk, grass isn't good enough on it's own for 5 -6 week old lambs

rangler1

Farrell wrote: »

Have the water in a cut 3L carton, maybe they'll get interested soon.
Can't get sheep crunch locally, but what if I give oats too?

Oats on its own is too low in protein and energy for young lambs, also you need to give them something palatable to encourage them to eat, they won't drink much water until they're eating meal but keep it fresh and clean to them anyway

Cran

rangler1 wrote: »

Oats on its own is too low in protein and energy for young lambs, also you need to give them something palatable to encourage them to eat, they won't drink much water until they're eating meal but keep it fresh and clean to them anyway

Agree with this and wouldn't really let them out in grass yet either, keep them in for few weeks after weaning on meal & straw only. They'll get the run if it quick enough

rangler1

Cran wrote: »

Agree with this and wouldn't really let them out in grass yet either, keep them in for few weeks after weaning on meal & straw only. They'll get the run if it quick enough

yea, grass will make them thin and pot bellied if they eat it in preference to the meal, they wouldn't be old enough for grass yet,

Green farmer

rangler1 wrote: »

yea, grass will make them thin and pot bellied if they eat it in preference to the meal, they wouldn't be old enough for grass yet,

Might have to rethink my ones. Their in a little pen in the garden at day and the trailer with straw bedding at night. Eating grass away, with adlib pellets.

Cran

rangler1 wrote: »

yea, grass will make them thin and pot bellied if they eat it in preference to the meal, they wouldn't be old enough for grass yet,

Can also cause bloat, should never give them hay either at this age

White Clover

Hi lads,
I've a week old lamb that was constipated a couple of days ago, she's a pet now, doing good but won't suck from a bottle for me, I'm tubing her 3 times a day. Any tips on how to get her sucking?

ganmo

White Clover wrote: »

Hi lads,
I've a week old lamb that was constipated a couple of days ago, she's a pet now, doing good but won't suck from a bottle for me, I'm tubing her 3 times a day. Any tips on how to get her sucking?

maybe changing the teat type
if you're using the red soft one switch to the black hard one

arctictree

Bought a few 3 week old pet lambs 2 weeks ago. Amazingly one has never sucked from the bucket. I put it out 4 times a day and the rest empty it but he won't touch it. Tried the bottle too but he wasnt interested. He's grazing and eating a few nuts but is very thin. Any advice?

Inchilad

arctictree wrote:

Bought a few 3 week old pet lambs 2 weeks ago. Amazingly one has never sucked from the bucket. I put it out 4 times a day and the rest empty it but he won't touch it. Tried the bottle too but he wasnt interested. He's grazing and eating a few nuts but is very thin. Any advice?

Similiar situation here.3 week old lamb.mother bad mastitis took lamb off her.cannot for the life of me get it to suck a bottle.not sure should i just tube it for week or 2?taking a bit of creep but not enough.also very thin.bought week old lamb home yesterday.took the bottle first go.