# Our first lamb...have a few questions.



## Molly

We have a 3 day old Est a Laine ram, we got him at one day old.  His mother didn't have enough milk for both babies, so the man who owned him was giving him away.  He was able to feed from the mom for the first day, so he must have had colostrum.  We have 3 mini goats that we will eventually move him in with.  For right now he is in the kitchen in a big dog kennel.  We have been feeding him every 2-4 hours 80 - 100ml of lamb milk replacer.  I have a few questions as this is our first lamb.

1) When will his umbilical cord fall off?

2) He has pooped, both before we got him and in the past day or 2, it looks normal, formed and dark brown.  He pees lots too.  Should he be pooping more?

3)When is it best to castrate and what is the preferred method?

4)Should I dock his tail?  I would rather not, but is it more sanitary?

5)I have been offering him water, but he doesn't drink yet, is this normal?

6) I know he will be on the milk for about 8 weeks, but when do I start offering him food? and what kind?

7) When do I deworm and with what? (I have Safeguard for goats) and does he need vaccinations?

He is very cute.  His name is Duffy.  I'll post a photo when I can.


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## Four Winds Ranch

For a few of your questions, everyone has different ways they like to do things, so I will tell you how I usually do these things.

His umbilical cord should fall of in about 10ish days.
As long as he is pooping and peeing, he should be fine, the color will start lightening because he just gets milk, and as he starts eating solid foods, it will darken up abit. Just keep an eyeout for constipation, or runs which sometimes happen with bottle lambs!
I usually castrate at 3-7 days. and I use the rubber bands. 
I dock all my lambs tails with the rubber band as well, the same time I castrate. You don't have to it is your choice. Most people don't dock hair sheep tails.
He probably wont eat or drink any thing but the bottle for a week or so, then I would make sure he had water, hay and a creep lamb pellet avaliable free choice.
I am not sure when would be the youngest you could worm. I usually do mine at about 2 months old. I have never used Safegaurd so am not sure if it can be used, I use Ivomectin. You could phone a vet and ask.
Up to you on the vaccinations too. I vaccinate at 1 month old, some people do it earlier, and I know of quite a few people that don't vaccinate at all!

Hopefully this will help you a bit!
I am looking forward to the pictures of Duffy!!!!


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## Molly

Thanks for your advice, he is pooping more now, and it looks healthy.  I have been trying to post a photo of the little guy, but can't figure it out.  I have uploaded a photo, but can't get it to post. :/


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## SheepGirl

I'm not familiar with the Est a Laine breed--had to look them up!

But to answer your questions...

1. His umbilical cord will fall off by the time he is 2 weeks old. If you hold him a lot it may end up coming off that way, through you accidentally pulling on it.

2. As long as he's pooping & peeing he's alright. Keep checking his rear end to make sure manure isn't building up. When a lamb nurses off a ewe, their tail wags, encouraging their mothers to sniff/lick/clean their behinds. So if he doesn't have his mother doing that, then it's up to you.

3. I castrate by the time they are a week old and I use the rubber rings/elastrator. I have castrated up to 3 wks.

4. Since he is a wool breed, it is HIGHLY recommended you dock his tail because if he ever has runny poop his manure will stick to his wool which will stick to his tail and then it's NASTY, SMELLY, and his anus is blocked off and he cannot poop, causing a medical emergency. We use the rubber ring/elastrator method for this also. The earlier the better, and we do it by 3-4 days old, but usually as soon as possible after birth so no one is forgotten.

5. He likely won't drink it until he starts eating solid foods. He would normally watch his mother or other sheep drink and that's how he learns, so it may take him awhile to figure it out on his own. Keep offering fresh water daily.

6. You can start him on leafy hay and lamb grower/starter creep feed at about 2 weeks old. Offer both the hay and grain to him free choice and give him fresh feed daily. When he's weaned you can then start to limit his consumption of grain and also hay.

7. Because he's not on solid foods yet nor is he eating grass, you likely won't have to deworm him any time soon. Watch his health (BCS, manure, anemia) for signs of parasitism and deworm as needed with the dewormer labeled for the type of parasite he has. We vaccinate our lambs with CD/T at 30 days and 60 days old. I'm not sure where you're located, so your vaccination schedule may be different.

Good luck!


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## Four Winds Ranch

To post a pic., once you upload it, you click on "submit" and the picture will apear on your page. Under the pic., there should be 2 links, copy the "Image" link and paste it into the comment you want it in. Once you have pasted the link where you want the pic., highlight the whole link and click on "Img" above the smilies! That is how it works on my computer anyway!
Good luck!!


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## finns&fjords

Great advice by the previous posters. The only thing I might add is a BOSE shot in the first week, especially if you live in an area with selenium deficiency. I usually just pick them up from my farm vet. Good luck and hope to see pics soon, I'm gonna have to look up this breed as well.


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## finns&fjords

Wow, just looked up this breed, very neat!!


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## Molly

His cord is now about  2 inches long.  I think he will have horns, there seems to be horn buds? little black hairless spots.  Thanks for all the advice.  He is getting strong and feisty.


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## Four Winds Ranch

He is such a cutie!!!!!!
Now I can't wait for my lambs to be born!!!!!!


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## Eteda

you can worm him with safeguard as early as two weeks or pyrantel pamoate. both have a wide margin of safety. thats why its called safeguard. ivermection does not have a wide margin of safety.  I would take him to a vet and have him fixed properly since you have children.  I just had a 4 month ram lamb castrated by the vet. with gas it was only 75.00 It took him 17 days to forgive me. treats helped. I do not band tails on hair sheep but I do band tails on wool sheep it is a good thing for them. If they are a cross of both I band the tail since winter will be lambing and it will not be as sanitary as if I do band the tail.
            I prefer when they are 3 days old. however after shearing I have banded two year olds and older ewes for a friend on his farm. That is what he did. A qualified person with experience can do that for you. but if your going to the vet any way they probably wouldn't charge you.  a tetanus shot is a good idea. their are tetanus antitoxin and tetanus toxoid.  you can study those to see which you will need. depending on what shots he has had or has not and when.
           If you want to keep him as a pet what ever you do get him fixed. they younger the better don't wait until he is 5 months old and mounting the dog. let me put it this way. the younger you have it done the less you will have to explain to your children. most intact pet rams become dangerous at some point. usually between year 2 and 4. With kids its better to be safe than sorry. I have two fixed rams. Iram is 4 1/2 and Malachi is 5 months. He was suposta be sold with all the other ram lambs but he was so calm and gentle and was not mounting ewes though he was the largest of the lambs. he was just different he is an exception to the rule. 
        start taking him out now in with the goats but don't take your eyes off him, and stay on top of him. a collar and lead will help him not get away from you where you can't protect him. be watchful, their goal will be to see who can tag him the hardest and most regardless of how nice they act. go in with him and stay. when they come to sniff him let them know he is off limits and they are not allowed to touch him.a rolled up newspaper doesn't hurt but will get your point across. As soon as they realize they can eat your weapon you have lost the war.LOL  Oh experience, ......hindsight is 20/20.  put your hand up and back them away. if you insist they will listen. you will also be establishing his hierarchy in the herd as you are alfa. eventually they will acept him after a few head buts and they roll him down the hill once or twice. he is way to young for that roughhousing right now. but he needs to learn that they will hurt him if they can. but he cant stay in the house forever.  its just a goat thing. but i got a feeling he will be at the top of the herd soon as they try to but heads with him when he older. 
         it looks like he will wear size 3 or 4 diper. the belly part on a human child goes up on the back of the lamb. 
fold the diaper in thirds no matter the size. cut an 1/2 inch slit on the fold. when opened it will be 1 inch. cut a hole for the tail. stand lamb between legs with head facing behind you. put tail through hole and put diaper on the lamb. belly band of diaper should face up toward ceiling. pull diaper back away from anus about 1 inch to allow room for manure to fall away from body. stick a thin maxi pad to the diaper under the belly for a ram or wrap another diaper around belly.  average is one diaper every 4 hours. 


A used playpen usually can be picked up at around 25.00 in almost perfect condition. old towels put in the bottom can be changed out. a day pen outside next to the goats but with fencing holes to small to put his head through is a good thing weather permitting.  lambs start tasting feed, water, salt, minerals, grass and hay at around day 3 or 4.            you will have to teach him this. he will copy the goats if you put water containers back to back on the shared wall of their pens. 

  it is not the nature for herd animals to be alone.  anything with eyes and a face will do. hear size 13 husky slippers baby set. the other one is out in the lamb pen in the barn. prevents having to bring it back and forth. The lambs have the run of the house but are put in the play pen to train to a milk bucket. usually by day 3 they will get up during the night and drink milk. the play pen is in the bedroom so I will know when they have learned to feed themselves. this way they will have milk all day while I am gone to work and don't have to stay in a cage.


 
hear you can see I have labeled the diaper size. they are twins. the ram wore a size 5 at birth but the ewe wore a size 3. most of the diapers are not labeled and it is hard to tell what size they are when out of the package. these lambs are probably 7-8 lbs each. I had 6 orphans one time the triplet barbado wore preemie the 11 day old dorper squeezed into  size 6 with help from some duct tape.  LOL 


 lambs exit the creep area. when they get to big to get out with a full belly they quit coming in.


this trough comes un just below my kneecap. still young lambs have a hard time reaching it. I often put cement pads under it for them to stand on. but Iva solved her own problem. 


 
play time for the orphans. no lamb is taken from its mother unless it will die if I leave it. no lamb is sold as an orphan before three days old unless the person is experienced. 


this is 12 year old Ree Ree. with her twin ewe lambs. she only has one side of her bag that is good. I raise her other lamb every year. however this year I did not separate the twins or break their bond. she would not nurse her but allowed her to lay with her and her sister and ultimately raised her for me just as if she had nursed her. Kia though not nursed by her mother was the good lamb that always came when mom called. They still hang out together and sleep beside each other. she was born in june in south mississippi. cold weather would not have permitted me to leave her outside as I did. by day three she was trained to the bucket and  had all the milk she wanted.  


 
Kia and Kay Kay learn how to get milk.  Hear you can see the diaper falling off. it dose this when it needs changing. The diaper should not be so tight to cause sores on the inside of the thigh. the average diaper stays on about 4 hours. I get up during the night and change their diaper and encourage them to drink milk from the bucket. I show it to them every 4 hours or when they ask for something to eat. I prime the nipple for them with warm milk to make learning easy and fast rewarding. I rub their sides or lift their tail. sometimes I make a 'V' with my fingers and put it across their nose causing them to shut their eyes. it usually makes a lamb excited and want to nurse. small breeds like the barbados are usually a week old before their jaw muscles are capable of drinking from the bucket.
their is a one way valve that helps. it keeps the line primed. I forgot what it is called. I think caprine supply sold them. I would think by now most livestock companies will carry them.


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## AimeeDx

Though I don't have any information about caring for an orphan lamb, I'll just add that he is a very cute little bugger!
I'm sure he's your childrens new favorite toy?


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