# New owner to a TINY katahdin lamb... and I do mean tiny!



## crazyland (Jul 3, 2012)

I went to pick up some guineas for a neighbor that wanted me to raise them for him... long story short... I came home with a lamb too! 
The local farmer raises Katahdin sheep and gave the kids one of his lambs. 
I know some very few things about sheep. I have lots to learn! 

We named the little girl Lacey. She is 3 months old and 14 inches at the withers. So a very special little girl. 
She was a twin, and while her twin was 6 lbs at birth, Lacey was just 3 lbs.
She is still on milk replacer. They were worried so they pulled her and bottle raised her. She is eating some grains. 
I have her fixed up in her own stall. 
I was amazed at the size different between Lacey and the other spring lambs. Anyone else ever have a tiny lamb?


----------



## Bridgemoof (Jul 4, 2012)

Oh my gosh, so cute! 3 months old and so tiny! She's like a miniature Katahdin! I think most bottle babies just don't have the bulk that regular milk fed lambs have. My bottle baby Lottie, and Sandy's bottle baby Zoey are both petite, especially in their legs. But not as small as your little one. She's precious. Lucky you. Good luck with her!

I LOVE LAMBS!!!!


----------



## boykin2010 (Jul 4, 2012)

I've heard of lambs being that small if they were a quadruplet but not from a twin. The mother must have been small also. It's amazing that she lived.  Congrats!  You could start your own line of miniature Katahdins! 

You need to get her a buddy


----------



## crazyland (Jul 4, 2012)

She will live with the goats. I have all different sizes. I also have two alpines a month older than her. 
Lacey will just be fed any grains seperate. 
Maybe I can get the kids to show her in 4H. Not had much luck getting them interested in 4H. They don't want to do project books. 
It is all about showmanship at their age. Lol 
Breeder said he doesn't give people the boys for pets. Way to temperamental.


----------



## shawnfisher (Jul 4, 2012)

most often these tiny born lambs are the result of an abortion virus- that wasn't strong enough to abort, most commonly vibrio in adult ewes.  The result is one normal sized lamb, and one tiny lamb that's either dead, alive, or mummified.  

I have seen some grow out of it, and some not- some have health problems, some are normal.  In any account, this lamb will need extra good nutrition throughout life.  

She's not miniture, she's dwarf-- and she doesn't need to be reproducing.  I wouldn't suggest taking it to a fair, without feeling embarrassed, and most certainly not someone you want to have fund-- instead of stand dead last and get made fun of by the rest for doing so..

ETA: sorry, I thought this was the original post, and for some reason my post had disappeared....  disregard my thoughts.


----------



## Sheepshape (Oct 20, 2012)

Last year we had a tiny lamb and a huge lamb born to a ewe who looked identical apart from size. The tiny one grew very fast, though we did have to give him a help onto mum's udder in the first couple of days as the larger lamb tended to 'hog' it. By 4 months there was very little size difference in the two.

Usually twins are in two separate sacs in there mum's womb, but occasionally they share a sac and have a single placenta. In this case one lamb may have a much bigger share of the placenta and grow much bigger in utero. Provided the little one is born alive, they will often catch up when they are free living.  I hope this is the case with your little lamb.

If the lamb is just genetically tiny, but not otherwise ill, then it is just amazingly cute.

Good Luck.


----------



## Southern by choice (Oct 20, 2012)

Cutie! If you are keeping her with your goats be very careful, their feeding requirements are not the same as goats. Something to do with copper I think. I don't know anything about sheep and I want one but my farm partner is adamant about the issue. NO sheep, because of the feed issues.

She is the same size as the cat!


----------



## Alice Acres (Oct 20, 2012)

We've had little dwarf lambs - and they stay tiny and fine boned.
They make it, but off to market they go...and we track the ewe too and if she repeats, she needs to go too.


----------



## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Oct 20, 2012)

Don't keep her with goats, sheep can't have the same amount of copper as goats, but if you have a creep feed her minerals, I'd imagine she'd choose those over goat minerals. 

Cuty ! But I agree, don't show her. Its like showing a 40in. Nigerian dwarf, and expecting everyone to say 'What a big baby!', people won't like it, and you'll get teased I'm sure. Sorry to say, but everyone isn't as nice as us, and even so, not all of us are nice all the time, lol !


----------



## CocoNUT (Nov 1, 2012)

OMG She's soooo tiny! And she IS the same size as the cat! Good luck with her...she's adorable! (I don't have sheep...but I'm picking up a bottle lamb this evening - one of a quad - so I'll be in your shoes here before too long!)


----------



## Cornish Heritage (Nov 6, 2012)

Maybe it is the angle of the photo but she looks stunted to me. I definitely would not breed from her. Great for the kids as a pet. I have to say though, like Alice, if they don't do well here they are gone & we also keep notes on the mothers to see if it happens again. 

Liz


----------



## EllieMay (Nov 7, 2012)

Cornish Heritage said:
			
		

> Maybe it is the angle of the photo but she looks stunted to me. I definitely would not breed from her. Great for the kids as a pet.  *I have to say though, like Alice, if they don't do well here they are gone & we also keep notes on the mothers to see if it happens again. * Liz


Same here!

Although I can see how a cute *tiny* lamb would make a nice pet for people with young children.


----------

