Is it worth saving a weak lamb?

[shepherdO]

The title probably sounds very cruel and heartless. However, I'm currently sitting with a tiny lamb in a box with a blowdrier, having already soaked it in hot water for 5 minutes

The blasted thing is coming back to life, and whereas earlier it did nothing but lie motionless with very little sign of life, it now had the gsll to try to stand. Mind you it's nowhere near that stage yet. It like to weigh about 5 lbs from a 2 00 lb rambouillet x Suffolk crossed texel Shropshire...

I was dribbling in 1or 2ml of of colostrum at a time,, when it started sucking from the syringe, plunger depressing all by itself. I think it probably frank about 50-60ml in a couple minutes? Not bad for a mostly dead lamb...

Anyhoo, is it worth saving a weak lamb? Assuming this guy even makes it, is it worth the work I might need to put in? Ie, will he be healthy in the long run. Will he grow like the others, etc etc etc..

Also will his mum even accept him back tomorrow? I'm not putting him back with her tonight as he's way too weak, so tomorrow at breakfast time is the earliest... Although technically he can't even Stans right now, and I presume that's the absolute minimum he'd need to be able to do. How he's going to suck off his mom's cowsized tests I don't know....

 

[shepherdO]

Here's a pic. He looks a little better now... Holding head up. Etc. I hope I'm not wasting this colostrum ..

 

[promiseacres]

Depends.... most people I know it is worth an attempt. Even when the odds are against you. Not just for the bit of income the lamb can potentially bring but if only that you as the farmer made his or her being happen so you feel a responsiblility for that life.
I suppose some say move on to the next one I don't have time to attempt when there's no chance

 

[Sheepshape]

My avatar....Lleila...... weighed under 1lb ....too weak to stand. Brother weighed 14lbs. LLeila in now 2 years old and about 150lbs (well probably more as she is heavily pregnant). She was not strong enough to suck from the teat or, of course, to compete with her hefty brother. Bottle fed, she has never had a days illness.

I am not made of the stuff which can 'just let something go' if a little effort on my part could potentially save them. But, 'different strokes for different folks', and I can understand the busy farmer who sees no commercial potential in a weakly lamb.

Every year a good 50% of my 'lambing time' will be spent trying to secure the survival of 5% of the lambs. I have a probably brain-damaged and virtually blind ewe of 3, for instance. The quality of life of Becky, this ewe is truly great. She is able to follow her little flock, answers to her name, is 'spared' the yearly lambing, and, like Lleila, has never had a day of sickness.

As promiseacres said....we have some responsibility for the lives which we oversee. What we may or may not choose to do is down to how we interpret that responsibility.

 

[Daxigait]

Some just start out a little slow but do great. Sometimes unfortunately it comes down to how much time you have. If you don't have time they're often people that will take or buy bottle kids. I had to do this last year with a pair of early born lower kids I just simply didn't have the time or energy left to deal with anymore and they weren't going to survive without intensive care. I called my local vet who referred someone who takes in kids and is willing to take the chance. I worked real hard on one earlier in the season but by the time those two came along I just wasn't getting enough sleep as it was and it had been too long since I had had any consistent sleep so I refused to take on another project that would be hard on my sleep.
the lamb may or may not take her the baby back it will depend on her experience and snow. I heard you can stick a dryer sheet on their nose and on the baby's butt rub it around before you try to reintroduce them. I honestly don't know because I've never tried it.

 

[Baymule]

I pull out all the stops to save a lamb. I have lost more than I saved. But I won’t give up. I hold them as they die in my arms. It is gut wrenching but I won’t give up until they are gone. I saved 2 this year, both are small runty things. One is growing pretty good now, the other, younger one is still small, but growing. They lived. They make me smile.

I spent 3 hours teaching the runty ewe how to suck her mommas teat. I sprawled out on the ground in sheep poop, it was cold, drizzly rain, and momma stomped all over me. I call it a wild Sheep rodeo. My husband helped hold her against the fence and got his toes stomped by sharp Sheep hooves. I called him for help and he ran out in flip flops. LOL She may never catch up to the other lambs, that’s ok. I don’t have to keep her for breeding, I can send her to slaughter or sell her as a pet. Either way, it’s better than a dead lamb and nothing at all.

 

[Baymule]

If you are milking out the momma, she will smell “her” scent in the lamb’s Poop/butt and recognize that it is hers. Maybe.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Glad to hear you got the lambs out. When I went to bed last night I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. See if you can get more than 2 cc's at a time into it. It needs much more...

I say definitely give it your best shot to save it. It may bring income in the future or be a breeder or even a freezer filler - but it deserves a chance. Also, it will give you good experience in learning what and how to try to save a lamb. Raising animals rarely goes as we expect. Not all babies are born healthy and raring to go - so as a farmer it will help you to gain experience in caring for a weak one.

There are lots of sheep people who can offer their advice and wisdom. Good luck!

 

[shepherdO]

Here goes nothing. I'm going to build a permanent stanchion and milk o out the ewe until the baby is old and strong enough to drink of h his own volition. Let's set for that goes!

 

[Baymule]

I'm going to build a stanchion for the next lambing season..... it would make things a LOT easier! I plan on building it more like a chute with drop down sides for access. Plans are still swirling around in my head. LOL