[Jacob-list] New mom rejecting lamb

[Kathryn Shirley]

I had a ewe with twins do this.  She had a favored lamb and the reject.  She
was a nervous ninny for either lamb trying to nurse--kept spinning away from
the lambs.  When the favored lamb finally latched on, she'd tolerate him
nursing for a brief period of time.  When the non-favored lamb tried to
nurse, she'd whack her into the next county.

Strangely, she could count to two and would holler her head off if both
lambs weren't there.  Then the non-favored lamb was rewarded by being
whacked again.

The lambs are bonded to each other, so I turned them out with the rest of
the flock.  The rejected lamb was bottle fed and then transitioned to a
nurser bucket.  Today, she refused the bucket and her tummy feels full.
Either she's learned to sneak from mom or she's a true bummer--bumming milk
from other ewes.

Kate Shirley
Humbug Farm

----- Original Message -----
From: "ARTHUR PARTRIDGE" <aztreaz at earthlink.net>
To: "jacob-list" <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 2:44 PM
Subject: [Jacob-list] New mom rejecting lamb


> Hi Marguerite,
>      I have heard this from others: the lamb might have a very sharp tooth
> or sharp teeth that is hurting the ewe.  If so, you can dull the tip(s) by
> a very light stroke with a nail file.  I also had a ewe reject the lamb,
> she was a first time mother.  This ewe is different than the rest, doesn't
> want me interfering at all.  I picked up the lamb to take it to the barn
> and the ewe went bonkers!  She yelled for the lamb and when I put it down
> in the barn she smacked it.  I ended up bottle-feeding the lamb and
holding
> the ewe so the lamb could nurse.  That was several years ago and I learned
> not to interfere with this particular ewe.  I think the fact she was a new
> mother had something to do with it.  Also this ewe seems to "not have a
> full deck of cards", "elevator does not go all the way to top floor", i.e.
> she is kinda dumb.
> Cathy
>
> ---Original message---
> My huntsberger ewe just had a ram lamb last night. Everything seem to be
> fine, she talked to him, licked him but when he tries to nurse she rams
> him. I stayed up all night, put him in a box next to her, and every two
> hours took him out and let him nurse while I
> held the ewe. But if I leave him in there with the box protection and he
> nurses on his own she rams him good. If I remove him she screams for him
> and him for her. I looked at the udder and it isn't sore or large (since
he
> is nursing). Any suggestions PLEASE.
> I was going to try to get TaWee her friend to take him since she also had
> her's last night but he screams for his own mom and she for him. Dear
> god!!! I did give her a 1/2cc of Banamine just now, maybe she was just too
> sore from lambing. I want to try tranquilizers
> but have no idea what kind.
>
>
>
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