# Switching nipples



## Kimberley (Mar 8, 2018)

ok so I’ve raised my lambs on 9oz dollar store baby bottles thus far. They are now ready for much bigger quantities so I got 1 quart bottles with lamb nipples and they hate them! I have to force feed them. I hate having to bringing out the extra formula and pour multiple bottles so how do I switch them? Also, at 4-6 weeks of age, how much should they be taking in?


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## Baymule (Mar 8, 2018)

I haven't had to bottle feed lambs, so can't answer your question. I do know there is a bucket with nipples called a lamb bar. I have a mental picture of you feeding lambs with a baby bottle.......


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## Mini Horses (Mar 8, 2018)

I got some nipples from TSC a couple years back that very much resemble the nipple on a baby bottle.  In fact, almost clear as one. They pulled onto the neck of a 16 or 20 oz water/soda bottle nicely.  That was the most I needed for a feeding of a full sized dairy goat kid.  Believe that were $3-4 for a pkg of 3.   Beyond that, take a couple xtra filled bottles with you and just switch them...a small cooler of hot water would keep them at a good temp.   Just like you were feeding 4 lambs, not 2.


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## Latestarter (Mar 8, 2018)

I used these right from day one throughout. They screw onto the top of a standard 28oz soda bottle. I'd fill the bottle full of mom's milk and let the baby drink what it wanted. Never had a problem. Just have to be careful not to cut too much off the end when they're babies or the milk comes out too fast.


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## babsbag (Mar 9, 2018)

That nipple that @Latestarter showed you is called a Pritchard nipple and it is the one I use with my goats for the first month. Then they get switched to the lambar bucket. 

Let's see if we can find someone to answer how much they should be eating...
@Sheepshape , @mysunwolf 

And @Kimberley you live in Anderson, CA ??? I live in Anderson, CA. We must be neighbors 'cause Anderson isn't that big.


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## Sheepshape (Mar 9, 2018)

I use lamb bottles which hold 500mls plus the 'dead space' (so about 600mls in total) and silicone non-vac teats made for lambs.(I'll take a pic. if you like)....they come with the tip having no hole and can be cut to the size desired to change the flow rate. They will actually fit onto a normal baby bottle.

At 4-6 weeks of age lambs are on their maximum input of milk and my lambs (medium sized ewes weighing 55kgish) will be getting about 2litres daily (over 3 feeds). Blue Faced Leicester lambs are huge and need 0.5 to 1litre more milk. At about 5 or 6 weeks I start cutting down the amount of milk and increasing the amount of solids available to them (lamb creep).

Lambs are quite variable in the amount of milk that they take.


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## Girlies' Mum (Mar 10, 2018)

Sheepshape said:


> I use lamb bottles which hold 500mls plus the 'dead space' (so about 600mls in total) and silicone non-vac teats made for lambs.(I'll take a pic. if you like)....they come with the tip having no hole and can be cut to the size desired to change the flow rate. They will actually fit onto a normal baby bottle.
> 
> At 4-6 weeks of age lambs are on their maximum input of milk and my lambs (medium sized ewes weighing 55kgish) will be getting about 2litres daily (over 3 feeds). Blue Faced Leicester lambs are huge and need 0.5 to 1litre more milk. At about 5 or 6 weeks I start cutting down the amount of milk and increasing the amount of solids available to them (lamb creep).
> 
> Lambs are quite variable in the amount of milk that they take.



I do similarly, though I do have creep feed available from an earlier age. Generally the lamb will take what milk they need. 
To demonstrate this point,  on the commercial farm next door, they have a pet lamb area with an automatic lamb milk production system (mixes up the powder and water when  needed which it warms to body temperature as the lambs demand it). (Much, much better than the bucket system with lots of teats, but not cost effective unless you have a huge number of lambs). Anyway, I digress.....You teach the lamb how to latch on to the nipple attached to the machine and where the machine is located and they just take what they want when they want They grow just fine (unless they are sick). Also very much how nature intended  as they take small amounts very often.  As they are different ages in one big nursery area,  creep feed is available to all and they take what they want of that too. 

 Maybe you could check roughly how much milk yours were taking by measuring how much they take using your old bottles over 24 hours, and that would give you an idea how much you could be aiming for out of their new bottles if you are worried?


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