[Jacob-list] Young ewe with low milk supply

[ARTHUR PARTRIDGE]

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>He is a strong lamb, and works very hard at getting his

>food, but honestly the bag is so small, and when I attempt to milk the ewe

>I hardly get anything out at all. I guess if this continues I can try to

>graft him on another ewe, and or supplement him. 

>Kate Barrett

>Ruby Peak Jacobs

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The same thing happened to me.  I bought a pregnant ewe that the previous
owner had bred too soon.  Like yours, the ewe was a year old when she gave
birth to a vigorous ram lamb, only there wasn't any milk to feed the lamb. 
The udder was very small and dry.  I fed the lamb some colostrum that had
been frozen and then took them both to the vets office.  All they could do
was give her a subcutaneous injection of a hormone called oxytocin which is
supposed to "let the milk down" (quote from Managing Your Ewe and Her
Newborn Lamb by Laura Lawson.  She suggests giving 2cc).  After a few days
I found out that the lamb was nursing even though I was bottle feeding him.
I call it double dipping.  So everything turned out just fine.  Looks like
the problem in both cases is a very young mother giving birth for the first
time.  My ewe never had the problem again.

Hope that helps, I don't know if the oxytocin worked or not.  There is a
note in the book to give oxytocin to ewes only AFTER they have given birth
to all lambs.

Cathy
Moscow, Idaho