# Lamb Trying to Find the Teet



## MyFather'sSheep (Mar 12, 2019)

So we got our first lamb ataround 6:10pm yesterday! He seems to be having a hard time finding the teet still (4am). Mom moves when he tries to latch in the wrong spot to help him get back into position. I have heard sucking twice, but she has a lot of wool. DH is staying out there with them and says sometimes he will be right next to the teet and not find it. How long could it take for him to find the teet consistently? Mom is actively trying to help him, so all good there.


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## Sheepshape (Mar 12, 2019)

Newborn lambs can be unbelievably stupid! 

Here's my advice. Get someone to hold the ewe so she can't move either forwards or back.....I usually do this in the corner of the sheep shed where there are two concrete sides meeting in the corner. The 'holding person' then puts  a leg in front of the ewe's chest to stop her moving forwards. Cut away any excess wool so the teats are visible on both sides. Pull some milk down to ensure that the colostrum is flowing on both sides and any wax plug is removed. If the teats are huge, get a clean jug and milk her down. (Milking.....bump your hand onto the udder and with a lubricated thumb and index finger, pull gently from the top of the teat with a slight twisting action....sometimes takes a couple of pulls to start the milk). Try to get the lamb to take the teat....if necessary open his mouth and push the teat into his mouth. If that doesn't work see if you can get the lamb to start sucking your finger and then transfer him onto the teat.

Once he's 'sampled the delights' of mum's milk a couple of times he'll suck like a pro.


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## mysunwolf (Mar 12, 2019)

Take his temp to make sure his body temperature is staying up, that would mean that he's nursing. You can also hold him up around the ribs with his body hanging down and check out his belly to see if it's getting fuller or flatter. And I agree with everything @Sheepshape said!


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## MyFather'sSheep (Mar 12, 2019)

Her udder is shaped like a V with super wide teets so he can't latch on. Going to get a bottle and try to milk her. I have cow milk replacer, can I give him that? It has been 18 hrs since he was born, is it too late for colostrum?


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## Sheepshape (Mar 12, 2019)

Milk down the ewe and give that via a bottle....should still be colostrum. (You may find he can feed from the teats once you have milked her down)


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## MyFather'sSheep (Mar 12, 2019)

We tried milking her, but to no avail. Her udder and teats are red, hard, and hot. It is as if there is a black plug that won't let the milk out. Our other ewe who lambed refuses to let the other lamb nurse, so we held her still and helped him latch. He dtank his fill then fell asleep and we ran to Tractor Supply for colostrum and milk replacer. We do notwant to give up on her nursing him. We tried milking her witg warm water with apple cider vinegar on a cloth, Any suggestions?


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## Sheepshape (Mar 14, 2019)

It sounds as though she has mastitis. An anti-inflammatory will help a great deal (from the vet) Bathe the teats to soften the black plug, get rid of the black plug, and then milk her ( after the anti-inflammatory). If it is mastitis and not just congestion she will also need some hefty antibiotics from the vet.

 If you could post a pic. then we may be able to say what the problem is.

You are doing the right thing by getting the lamb to take  a bottle of appropriate replacer (in the hope that mum may come good).

Oh and don't worry about all the 'Just milk her', 'just hold her' etc. stuff that we folk are saying.......it can be absolutely impossible (after being trample on , dragged around the sheep shed, and generally humiliated).

Good luck.


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## MyFather'sSheep (Mar 15, 2019)




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## MyFather'sSheep (Mar 15, 2019)




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## MyFather'sSheep (Mar 15, 2019)

I don't think it is mastitis. We removed the black plugs with a toothpick, but still nothing when we try to milk her. The redness has gone down, and they aren't so hot to the touch.


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## Sheepshape (Mar 17, 2019)

Sorry I have been so slow in replying....I've just had my (by now customary!) horrendous start to lambing.

That's an odd looking udder....there does look to be quite a bit of inflammation of the teats, but it doesn't look like a bag that's making much milk. I'd give her anti-inflammatories and try again to milk her after 12-24 hours. 

How is the lamb doing?


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## MyFather'sSheep (Mar 17, 2019)

We finally found a nipple with the right flow, so he is doing much better. He is energetic, but not as much as the other lambs. He doesn't play with the other lambs though and is very attached to DH, which distresses his mother.


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