# Ok, I got my meat lambs but have Q's



## country farm girl (Aug 16, 2012)

Hi all! I just got two 5 week old weaned ram lambs from an auction this past sat! Now I need to know somethings. Can they be castrated and can I dock the tails or is it too late not not even think about it??  what can I use to do it with as I don't have anything tools for this kind of work.   I ask as I had a ram 4 years before and he liked to head butt my knee! its creaks now and I am only 23!!  I did use water on him but I had to be fast and most of the time I was not!!  any tips on how to keep them from trying anything with me cause its X 2 now!    LOL!


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## SheepGirl (Aug 16, 2012)

What breed are they? If they are a hair breed or a rat tailed breed you don't need to dock them...if you do need to, I would recommend a hot docker over an elastrator. 5 weeks old is kind of young for being away from mom, so I would buy a small bag of milk replacer and offer it to them for 2-3 weeks. (I like to wean at 60 days.) But then again, if they are eating and drinking fine then I wouldn't worry about giving them milk.

As for castration, you can use an elastrator or you can use an emasculator. If you are going to eat them then I wouldn't worry about castration, especially if you don't have any ewes. But if you are going to keep them longer than market weight then I would go ahead and castrate them.


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## country farm girl (Aug 16, 2012)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> What breed are they? If they are a hair breed or a rat tailed breed you don't need to dock them...if you do need to, I would recommend a hot docker over an elastrator. 5 weeks old is kind of young for being away from mom, so I would buy a small bag of milk replacer and offer it to them for 2-3 weeks. (I like to wean at 60 days.) But then again, if they are eating and drinking fine then I wouldn't worry about giving them milk.
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> As for castration, you can use an elastrator or you can use an emasculator. If you are going to eat them then I wouldn't worry about castration, especially if you don't have any ewes. But if you are going to keep them longer than market weight then I would go ahead and castrate them.


They are a wool breed, but I did see that when they go, the tail go's up! LOL. I tried to give them pasteurized goats milk as when I got them it was too late to go to TSC but they wanted nothing to do with it and I can tell that they have not been on a bottle. but they are eating hey and drinking water fine as far as I can tell. how old is market weight? I forgot!


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## SheepGirl (Aug 16, 2012)

Age of getting to market weight is variable...it depends on how fast they grow...which is dependent upon genetics (breed) and nutrition. Do the lambs have black faces or white faces?

eta: and weight they finish at (market weight) depends on frame size, ie you wouldn't want a southdown (medium frame) being fed out to 140 lbs, because they'll be too fat whereas a suffolk (large frame) will be just right at 140 lbs.


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## country farm girl (Aug 16, 2012)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> Age of getting to market weight is variable...it depends on how fast they grow...which is dependent upon genetics (breed) and nutrition. Do the lambs have black faces or white faces?


white faced, I am trying to get my pic of them on here!


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## country farm girl (Aug 16, 2012)

http://i1259.photobucket.com/albums/ii547/javachickgirl2/quilts291.jpg


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 16, 2012)

Oh my.  Those poor things are rail thin.  I'd deworm them ASAP (should probably get a fecal ran and tested for coccidia too) and they're going to need good feed.  Make changes slowly, but I'd offer free choice good quality hay (a mix w/ alfalfa would be great) and some good sheep grain, about 16% protein.  Are you positive on their ages?  5 weeks is definitely too young to be weaned, which could be why they're so thin.  If you're definitely planning on putting them in the freezer you won't have to worry about docking or castrating, but if you think they may become pets I'd go ahead and band them ASAP.  

The one on the left looks like it may have some Southdown in it.  I think with some good care they'll grow fine.


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## country farm girl (Aug 16, 2012)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> Oh my.  Those poor things are rail thin.  I'd deworm them ASAP (should probably get a fecal ran and tested for coccidia too) and they're going to need good feed.  Make changes slowly, but I'd offer free choice good quality hay (a mix w/ alfalfa would be great) and some good sheep grain, about 16% protein.  Are you positive on their ages?  5 weeks is definitely too young to be weaned, which could be why they're so thin.  If you're definitely planning on putting them in the freezer you won't have to worry about docking or castrating, but if you think they may become pets I'd go ahead and band them ASAP.
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> The one on the left looks like it may have some Southdown in it.  I think with some good care they'll grow fine.


thats what the paper said so I guess so. I just wormed them. they are 15-20lbs?  they are eating a lot of hay, so no problems there! should I get med or non med feed? sweet grain or just plane grain?


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 16, 2012)

country farm girl said:
			
		

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It's up to you on medicated or non. It won't hurt for them to have the medicated,and it may help keep them from getting coccidia too badly.  Shame on their previous owners....lambs should be way heavier than that at 5 weeks.

Oh, and it can be either sweet feed or pellets.  Sometimes you can also find a textured grain that doesn't have molasses, but isn't pelleted. Whatever you can find locally would be fine.  Again, it's personal preference.


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## country farm girl (Aug 16, 2012)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

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SHOULD I TRY to bottle feed them or not?


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## country farm girl (Aug 16, 2012)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

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hmm, southdown? could they be minis and thats why they are small?


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 16, 2012)

country farm girl said:
			
		

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Well, you could try, but I hate to see you go out and spend money on milk replacer and them not want it.  If you have some already, then you could try to bottle them or put some in a pan for them.  If not, I'd just start them on grain.  And definitely deworm them and treat for coccidia.


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 16, 2012)

country farm girl said:
			
		

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I think they're small because they've been starved.  If they're Southdown crosses, there isnt' much in there..maybe 25%. Hard to tell with sheep!


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## country farm girl (Aug 16, 2012)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

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well they are drinking water out of the bucket, so maybe if I put the milk replacer in place of the water? will that work?  sssooo sorry for all of the Q's!!    I just want to see them do well!!!


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 16, 2012)

country farm girl said:
			
		

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I'd try offering them a second bucket of replacer (small amounts until they drink it so it won't go bad) and keep their water there but separate.  If they've been weaned for a while, they may not drink the replacer.    Don't worry about the questions, that's what the forum is for!  And keep us updated on how they do!


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## SheepGirl (Aug 16, 2012)

I agree that the one on the right is a Southdown X. He looks like some of the half Babydoll Southdown x half Montadale lambs my neighbor had. The one on the left though has the face of a hair sheep, but the woolliness of it is throwing me off.

They both look like they could have potbellies, so yes I would deworm them and get them started on some sheep feed. I feed 16% textured sheep feed from Southern States and the lambs do really well on it. I would also give them some really good quality grass hay (my lambs liked the timothy because they liked the heads moreso than the stems) or you can get them some nice alfalfa hay. Also minerals.


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## BrownSheep (Aug 16, 2012)

I wouldn't bother trying to bottle feed them. If they haven't been ' trained' to it it would b a huge waste of time seeing as they are pretty close to typical weaning age ( 8 weeks) .while I agree 5 weeks is very young to wean it isn't outrageously young. Lambs can be on a solid diet at two weeks, not I said CAN notSHOULD  .  I'ld dock and castrate ( if they havent been) as soon possible. the younger they are the better they bounce back. I typically use a bander. Tail docked to the point wear the flesh is visible o the under side of the tail. Make certain the testes are actually IN the scrotum if you do end up banding. I highly suggest castrating ram meat tastes different then wether and ewe
They are a little thin but  pretty typical of bottle babies that the farmer had no time for.They look like IMHO that 115-130 would be a good weight. Wich would be around 8 month. I most definatly woulb butcher at 1 year at the latest. They look similar to my horn Dorset and Rambouillet cross lambs. 
Good luck should be a fun rid. 
Please excuse the spelling errors it's late and auto correct is being dumb.


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 17, 2012)

Lambs start nibbling on solid foods very early, but rumens don't really begin to function properly until around 6 weeks.  Just because lambs may eat solid feeds at 2 weeks doesn't mean they're digesting it properly.


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## BrownSheep (Aug 17, 2012)

Which is why I said can not should. Will the three weeks with out milk kill them ? No. Is it an ideal situation? No. I just wouldn't bother with trying milk replace because of A) the time it would take to train them and B) the stress that it would inflict upon them. 
I see what you are sayin though and I do understand that they don't digest very well at that age. I have seen it done though....mostly on a few dummy ads on Craigslist.


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## aggieterpkatie (Aug 17, 2012)

BrownSheep said:
			
		

> Which is why I said can not should. Will the three weeks with out milk kill them ? No. Is it an ideal situation? No. I just wouldn't bother with trying milk replace because of A) the time it would take to train them and B) the stress that it would inflict upon them.
> I see what you are sayin though and I do understand that they don't digest very well at that age. I have seen it done though....mostly on a few dummy ads on Craigslist.


I totally agree, which is why I first said don't bother w/ the milk, then said maybe try a pan if she/he really wanted to try it out!


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