Lamb ‘N’ Kid Orphan Feeding Buckets
New! Premier’s Lamb ‘N’ Kid Orphan Feeding Buckets include everything you need to feed milk replacer to orphan lambs and goat kids.
Bucket Kits include:
- Square bucket with pre-drilled holes and lid
- Bucket teat units and washers
- Bucket teat wrench
- Flat-back latex teats (natural color)
- Bucket holder
Need to customize? We offer DIY accessories for building your own bucket feeders.
California Residents: Proposition 65 Information
Instructions/Diagrams:
Specs
- Assembly required; wrench included
- 2 gal Bucket, 4 Teat Units (Item #564806Z)
- Dimensions: 13.5" x 12" x 8" (when assembled)
- (4) Flat-back Latex Teats
- 2 gal Bucket, 6 Teat Units (Item #564808Z)
- Dimensions: 13.5" x 12" x 8" (when assembled)
- (6) Flat-back Latex Teats
- 4 gal Bucket, 6 Teat Units (Item #564807Z)
- Dimensions: 13.5" x 13" x 12" (when assembled)
- (6) Flat-back Latex Teats
Orphan Feeding Kit includes:
- Square Buckets with Drilled Holes
- Square buckets hang flat against the side of a pen or a wall, so they're more stable. Square buckets are also less prone to leak because bucket teat units attach securely against flat sides. Buckets are pre-drilled with 4 holes or 6 holes.
- Bucket Teat Units
- Bucket teat units were first introduced to the USA by Premier over 30 years ago. They have been the “gold standard” design ever since. Premier’s teat units fit a wide range of teats for lambs, goat kids and calves.
- Flat-back Latex Teats
- Soft latex teats are easier than rubber teats for small lambs and kids, but they are less durable. We use natural latex teats to get orphan animals started and then switch them over to rubber teats (sold separately).
- EzeLid
- Removable lid protects milk from barn pests including birds and rodents. Easy grip tab to help remove lid.
- Premier Bucket Holder
- Welded wire bracket holds buckets securely. Drops easily into place on wire panels or 1" wood planks.
- Bucket Teat Unit Wrench
- If you’ve tried to loosen the plastic nut after use, you’ll know that it’s more difficult to loosen than to tighten. We supply a wrench to make it easier.
Need to customize? We offer DIY accessories for building your own bucket feeders.
How to Use
Tips
- What is the right height for a bucket teat?
- Position the teats as high as a normal mother’s teat, about 9"–12" above the ground.
Why so low? When a young ruminant stretches out its neck to nurse, their esophagus elongates and forms a groove that carries the milk into the 4th stomach (the abomasum).
If the neck is not stretched, the milk falls into the first stomach instead of the 4th. But the first stomach is intended for grass and hay. It doesn’t digest milk well. A first stomach with too much milk enlarges to form a “potbelly”—and the lamb/kid can’t thrive.
Position the teat(s) about 9"–12" above the ground so the lamb or goat kid must stretch its neck to nurse.Introduced by Premier 30 years ago, over 20,000 US sheep and goat producers rely on Bucket Teat Units to feed orphan lambs and goat kids. (Beware of cheap clones.) - Milk temperature—warm vs. cold?
- Mother’s milk is warm, but it is produced constantly in only small amounts—so lambs can’t take too much at one time. Orphan buckets supply milk in large amounts. If the milk is warm, healthy orphans consume too much. Warm milk spoils rapidly. So we use warm milk only for newborns. Then we switch to cold milk.
- How do I keep the milk cool?
- During warmer weather, we like to freeze water in plastic soda bottles and drop them into buckets. Cold milk forces lambs and goat kids to self-regulate their intake. (They become chilled and stop drinking.)
Keeping the milk cold also reduces the risk of spoilage.
Precautions
Do NOT leave empty bucket feeders in the orphan pen. Lambs and kids will chew on nipples (in an attempt to feed) and damage the teats. A habit that is not easily reversed.
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Feeding Orphan Lambs and Kids
Shepherd's Choice® Lamb & Kid Milk, 25 lbs
Item #780002 -Veterinary-formulated milk replacer that provides total nutritional requirements for baby lambs and goat kids.
$70.00 -
Feeding Orphan Lambs and Kids
Shepherd's Choice® Kid Milk, 45 lb bag
Item #780004 -Veterinary-formulated milk replacer with citristim that provides total nutritional requirements for goat kids. 50 lb bag.
$132.00 -
Teats and Nipples
Red Rubber Teats
Item #565200 -Attach nipples to Bucket Teat Units to fed orphan lambs and goat kids. Rubber is more durable for sharp-toothed orphans than latex.
$2.10 -
Teats and Nipples
Flat Back Latex Teat (with washer)
Item #565818 -Soft latex teats are a good choice for newborn lambs and goat kids. Flat-back design fits Premier’s bucket teat units and mountable teat feeders.
$2.20 -
Teats and Nipples
Natural Latex Teats
Item #565300 -Latex teats for nursing lambs and goat kids using bucket teat units. Best for weak animals, or newborns under 10 days of age. Easy to clean.
$2.10 -
Teats and Nipples
Red Latex Teats
Item #565400 -Latex teats for nursing lambs and goat kids using bucket teat units. Best for weak animals, or newborns under 10 days of age. Easy to clean.
$2.10 -
Teats and Nipples
Dairy Kid Latex Teats, long
Item #565815 -Elongated latex nipple for dairy goat kids or other livestock accustomed to nursing from a longer teat. Easy to clean.
$2.20 -
Teats and Nipples
Dairy Kid Long Teats, rubber
Item #565817 -Orphan dairy goat feeding teat with elongated rubber nipple. Mimics size and shape of dam’s teats. “Flat-back” design for use with bucket teat units.
$2.20 -
Teats and Nipples
Calf Teat
Item #565700 -Fits onto Premier's bucket feeding units for a milk source to bottle and bucket calves.
$2.10 -
Buckets and Troughs
Whisk
Item #623000 -Heavy duty, stainless steel whisk. Use to whip eggs or mix milk replacer for lambs or kid goats.
$7.00
-
Teats and Nipples
Bucket Teat Unit
Item #565000 -For feeding orphaned lambs and goat kids via milking buckets. Attach a rubber or latex teat for the animals to nurse.
$3.50 -
Teats and Nipples
Extra Washer
Item #565100 -For feeding orphaned lambs and goat kids via milking buckets. Attach a rubber or latex teat for the animals to nurse.
$0.50 -
Buckets and Troughs
Premier Bucket Holder
Item #564700 -Hanging bracket for securing round buckets and square buckets to wire panels or a 1" wood plank.
$4.00 -
Buckets and Troughs
Square Bucket with drilled hole(s), 4 gallon
Item #564804 -Pre-drilled square buckets are ideal when building DIY feeders for orphan lambs and goat kids. Holes can be customized to support up to 6 teat units.
$19.00 -
Buckets and Troughs
Square Bucket with drilled hole(s), 2 gallon
Item #564805 -Pre-drilled square buckets are ideal when building DIY feeders for orphan lambs and goat kids. Holes can be customized to support up to 6 teat units.
$13.00 -
Buckets and Troughs
EzeLid
Item #564802 -Fits Premier’s 2 and 4 gallon square buckets. Easy to put on and off.
$5.00 -
Teats and Nipples
Flat Back Latex Teat (with washer)
Item #565818 -Soft latex teats are a good choice for newborn lambs and goat kids. Flat-back design fits Premier’s bucket teat units and mountable teat feeders.
$2.20
Write a Review
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Kenneth & Dianna F from Minnesota
The two gallon bucket with four teats was exactly what we needed. We’re very satisfied with the product and Premier’s customer service.
Kara R from Idaho
I really like how much time this bucket helps to save. My only complaint is that it leaks between the nipples and the nuts. It doesn’t matter how much we tighten them. Three nipple junctions always leak and three don’t. It makes using it kind of messy and somewhat wasteful. I would give it a 5 star if it wasn’t for this.
Cheryl J from New Jersey
Love this for my goats! Have had issues with other milk feeding buckets, but this one is great. Easy to clean. A frozen water bottle fits in to keep milk cool. The lid keeps out dust, hay and active kids!
Julie P from Oklahoma
Great buckets!
Emily P from Iowa
This bucket is a life saver! I didn’t even have it set in place before my bottle lamb was sucking on the nipples. No training needed! Love this bucket, it is saving my life on sleep. Fantastic that it comes as a kit with extra parts and the bucket hanger. Keep up the great work of providing great products for sheep producers. Highly recommended!
For new sheep producers I would almost say get one of everything available at Premier 1 Supplies, then you will be ready!