Ewe won't let newborn lamb nurse

[Mini Horses]

Normally, once the babe nurses a couple times, the moms will do ok. Their teats may be tender and plugged at first. Warm wet mouth or warm wet washcloth helps with this. The relief the dam feels with letdown usually takes care of the drama a FF sometimes has. You need to get him nursing fairly soon, for their and your settling. They will absorb colostrum best within 12 hrs but will continue good absorbtion another 12 normally. Sooner the better. The things we've suggested normally work well!!! It's always best for most to mother raise ... Unless you're a dairy. Keep us updated, we are here for you!

 

[Rin]

I checked his mouth right away as suggested and he's good and warm and has a strong sucking reflex. I did examine her teats. Not hot or painful. Just very very full. Her bag is bigger than any nubian I ever had (she's a FL Cracker, sold my nubians after I got this job because of the hours). The minute I got a rope on her she held still for him to get a good fill up and eventually yanked the rope away out of my hand to pee a whole days worth of pee. It was flood gates. She was pawing like crazy too. After that I checked her genitals and nothing looks prolapsed or anything. She seems physically fine, just very anxious. I couldn't find anything to make a small pen out of so I just ran a long lead of baling twine off her halter so I can just step on it to catch her and let him feed as needed. Not sure how frequently I should catch her in this way for him. Every 2 hrs? Same at night?

 

[Mini Horses]

Newborns drink only a couple ozs, then jump a little, lay down to nap...repeat, repeat.
Generally a few nursings and mom gets ok with it. So do again in hr or two, check her response as to his approach and nursing. She should start to relax and nuzzle his butt. You can gently rub/scratch his back just at his tail, encourages him to suckle. Do again, if she isn't ready to accept. The first day is critical to bond.

How does she tend to him, interact when not nursing? Wish you had a shed you could use for overnight, to watch them and get mom comfy with being a mom. Usually they are "connected" by then.

 

[Beekissed]

Bottle feeding is out of the question, I work 10 hr shifts. I will try to see if confining them together will work though I'm pretty sure that will just increase the likelihood of her stomping on him by accident. She's not avoiding him, just avoiding any feeding attempts by swiveling her butt away. I was thinking restraining her in some way if I had to intervene, but I guess not?

Yep...you can devise a head gate just using Tposts and such. Put her in a headgate wherein she can lie down, drink and eat but cannot swivel away from that baby. If she stomps at him, hobble those legs. Best to make her feed him....won't take long before you can let her out of the headgate and she'll do it herself.

 

[Baymule]

I think you are doing a great job. You are working with what you have and have devised a way to let him suck. His mouth was warm, excellent! You may check him a couple of times and let him feed, let him feed in the morning before you go to work. I think they will be ok after that.
Cow panels are your friend. Two cut in half make a small pen. Hog ring chicken wire around the bottom to keep the babies in. Use one half as a gate, pound T-posts in the corners and you have a perfect jug. I don’t know why the small pen is called jug, but that’s what it is.
This is how we learn. You will be better prepared next time and will know what to expect.
Keep us posted on how he is doing!

 

[Rin]

Yeah nothing. Sold all my stuff when I sold the nubians because FL Crackers are pasture lambers.

Behavior wise: She sniffs and nuzzles him frequently and lays with him. Will not leave him. She nearly lost it when I caught him to check his mouth because he started crying loudly.

She seems to hold still for him now as soon as I catch her. Until she turns her head to sniff his butt, and for some reason he has a smell that makes her swing around trying to get face to face with him. Doesn't act aggressively. Just sniffs his face and talks at him as if confirming it's for sure him.

 

[farmerjan]

Give her a day or two, make sure he eats, and she will get it.... She is still trying to figure all this first time stuff out. As long as she is not butting him away but just keeps turning to check him out you are halfway there...
Try feeding her as soon as you step on her "long lead" so she associates feed with the feeling of the lamb nursing. He will get smart quick and realize that if she is eating he will be able to get a good nursing in too.... But I think she will get it soon.

 

[Rin]

Yep...you can devise a head gate just using Tposts and such. Put her in a headgate wherein she can lie down, drink and eat but cannot swivel away from that baby. If she stomps at him, hobble those legs. Best to make her feed him....won't take long before you can let her out of the headgate and she'll do it herself.

Ohh I like this idea. Stick them parallel with each other and tie off the top with food and water directly in front of her that she can reach? I'll try this tomorrow before work.

 

[Rin]

Give her a day or two, make sure he eats, and she will get it.... She is still trying to figure all this first time stuff out. As long as she is not butting him away but just keeps turning to check him out you are halfway there...
Try feeding her as soon as you step on her "long lead" so she associates feed with the feeling of the lamb nursing. He will get smart quick and realize that if she is eating he will be able to get a good nursing in too.... But I think she will get it soon.

I've actually been giving her sheep cookies (ground whole grains moistened with a lil mollases and rolled into a ball or just squeezy buns if I'm lazy) so her reward is extra special for letting him nurse. Should I be trying to get her to eat pellets too while I have her?

 

[farmerjan]

No, I would just do one or the other.... anything to get her to stand and as she gets used to the feeling of being nursed, and the relief in the udder pressure.... plus he is going to get stronger and more determined quickly and she will just "give in" anyway. I think you are doing fine.