Ask The Expert


 New Topic  |  Go to Top  |  Go to Topic  |  Search   Newer Topic  |  Older Topic 
Grafting Rejected Lambs
Author: Gail 
Date:   04-19-04 11:52

I have an older Southdown cross ewe who has previously been a good mother that twinned & rejected one of her lambs. I generally lamb on the pasture & then bring the ewes & lambs into jugs in the barn. It was a crazy day when she lambed with 4 ewes in labor at once. She tried to steal 2 different ewe's lambs before she finally lambed. She had her first lambed & cleaned it & let it nurse with about 45 minutes between lambs. After her 2nd lamb, she rejected the first.
I put her in a grafting gate - the first time I've had to use one - and she has let them nurse after a couple hours of being non-cooperative. It is a week today that she has been in the grafting gate - I have tried to let her out twice during which she would not let either lamb nurse. While not as seriously, she would butt both the lambs. She sniffed them & butted them away. I put her back in the grafting gate both times.
Any advice on how long to keep her in the grafting gate or anything else I could try? I had the impression that 1 week was typically adequate for even the most obstinate ewes. Other people have suggested putting her into a small community pen to try to make her motherly instincts kick in.

Thanks for your thoughts.
Reply To This Message
 
RE: Grafting Rejected Lambs
Author: Philip 
Date:   04-19-04 20:25

I was wondering if your grafting gate was soild in the front with plywood or metal. You want your grafting gate to be solid in the front so the ewe can't see or smell the lamb though the panel, cuz they can usually can still smell the lambs when they are nursing. Another thing that works good is don't bed down the pen either, The lambs and ewe will get dirty but this will make it this much harder for the ewe to tell the difference between the lambs. I usually let the ewe locked up for five days and than try my luck. If she rejects try it again.
Reply To This Message
 
RE: Grafting Rejected Lambs
Author: Gordon 
Date:   04-20-04 12:23

Sometimes when ewes lamb all together in a group a ewe can become confused and not except any lambs. She thinks all the lambs are hers and none of them at the same time. I have seen this happen before and will leave the ewe in the grafting gate for up to two weeks before she gives in.

Gordon
Reply To This Message
 
RE: Grafting Rejected Lambs
Author: Gail 
Date:   04-20-04 12:54

Thanks for the feedback.

I actually needed to take her out of the gate last night and she accepted one of the lambs (the one she originally rejected), but was still pushing the other away - although not as violently. I held her while he nursed a few times & while she wasn't happy, she really didn't put up a big fuss. I put them in an area where the lamb can get away from her if he needs to & am planning to return her to the grafting gate if she still won't let him nurse tonight.

Thanks again & I'll let you know what kind of success I have.

Gail
Reply To This Message
 Forum List  |  Threaded View   Newer Topic  |  Older Topic 


Reply To This Message
 Your Name:
 Your E-mail:
 Subject:
Image Verification: