# Need advice - rescued babydoll lambs underweight and bloated - help?



## applefoxfarm (Apr 13, 2013)

I hope this is the right forum section for this, if not please advise. Thank you

Last night I unexpectedly came home with two babydoll wethers. They are very small, quite underweight (the backbone and hips are quite noticeable even with the little bit of wool). I was told they are 12 weeks old but I feel they are closer in size at least to about 8 weeks or less. This is coming from limited knowledge but I have seen other babydoll rams and feel these two are quite small overall and underdeveloped.

Their tails have been docked and obviously they are fixed. 

From what I was told they were pulled from the bottle at least two weeks ago, but they are VERY interested in the idea of nursing. They are expecting me to have a bottle when I come near them 
They are drinking some water and eating. I'm unsure of their hay consumption previously, but they seemed quite interested in eating lots of hay and were gobbling it up. I gave them a very limited ammount of 2nd cut and let them munch on first cut as they pleased. 

They were being kept outside on dirt and sawdust previously with a small run in I think (we are in New England, so it has been cold, rainy and 30s or less at night). I have them in a barn on straw/first cut hay and within eyesight of two full grown sheep. They seem to have calmed down some with the big sheep chatting back to them. They seem healthy outside of how skinny and how bloated they are. They are alert and looking for more food.

I have given them a small dish of the pellet sheep food the previous owner had for them. I mixed a little lamb chow in with it but have otherwise kept it the same. 

I put coats them also, which seemed to help them from shivering so much, but they often are doing full body shakes (the sort that fur animals do to fluff up their coats). 

This afternoon I gave them a tiny dose of probiotics each.

So ... now I need some help. Anything is greatly appreciated. I do not know very much about sheep but am very willing to learn and try anything!

Would it be good to put them back on the bottle? At least until they can catch up? I can gladly run out to a Tractor Supply, I saw they carry lamb/kid milk replacer and small milking nipples. I can weight them but offhand they are maybe 15 pounds each.

I was told they have been wormed, I figure they need to be of better weight first before doing that? Also, I was thinking of running fecals to check their worm/egg loads. They have been away from other sheep for a while and were full bottle babies, so I'm not sure of how much contact they even had.

Should I give them unlimited hay? If so, would first cut (mostly timothy and orchard) or second cut be better? The second cut has a lot of clover and orchard grass in it. They are dropping solid pellets right now but they have some dried scouring stuff under their tails (I was going to trim it off).

What about the grain? The previous owner was giving them a full bowl of food a day (not sure of the bowl size). I'd like to switch them over to the lamb chow fully but still unsure of how much they should be getting.

And, should I try to keep them warmer? I can move them into a heated area no problem. I wasn't sure about doing it last night when we got home since they had been outside for quite a while and it could maybe shock them? So I just put small coats on them for last night. They hung out inside the barn with the two pet sheep and several horses (in their own little enclosure of course).

Aye! Sorry for the all the questions. Thank you in advance!


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## doxiemoxie (Apr 13, 2013)

First of all, given their poor condition I would be suspicious of any information the original owner told you and would proceed as if the babies hadn't received any care.  First and foremost you need to get them in a warm environment where they aren't shivering.  This might mean inside your house.  Keep them warm or you'll lose them.

2nd.  Bloat:  are you sure it is bloat or just a large tummy?  In a sheep bloat has very specific connotations.  I am going to assume they just have large tummies.  A fecal should be done and all parasites treated.  Different infections need different treatments.  Free feed hay.  I would stay with Timothy or other lower protein as opposed to alfalfa since you are free feeding.  You don't say how much they weigh so I will suggest feeding about 1/2 cup of lamb chow three times a day to see if it affects their poop.  After about 4 days increase it to about 2/3 cup at each feeding.  If they are eating well I would avoid bottle feeding.


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## applefoxfarm (Apr 13, 2013)

Thank you very much for the reply and information. I was planning to collect and drop off a fecal for the vet on Monday. As for the owner, I don't think she had any reason to lie, but yes I'm taking it with a grain of salt. She got the babies she said three weeks ago and could not keep up with their care level (had them in the house for a week, but they were too messy so put them outside). I have the contact information for the "breeder" and have left messages trying to at least get some information, however they were more or less from a town owned zoo (a petting section I'm guessing? I honestly do not know).

Tonight's forecast is for a low of 35 or so It should stay a little warmer in the barn though. I can go ahead and move them into a heated area. Do you have a suggestion for how warm? I have a heated tack room in the barn (its probably at 65 to 70 in there, or maybe a lil warmer). Would this be good? I assume if that is alright, I should take their little jackets off.

They are currently eating very well and drinking. They are interested in the hay, lamb chow and water. They do have large tummies, but I think they are bloating a bit in additional. The left side of the belly is puffed out more. I can take and post some photo's and also try to weight them.


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