Lethargic 3 day old lamb

[SteepedInSheep]

My ewe gave birth to twins Sunday morning. Both lambs have appeared fine up to this point. This morning one us laying down and has very little response to stimulus and will not stand and the other one looks weak but is still able to stand and bleat.
Their mother is attentive to them but I haven't seen them nursing in the last day or so.
This is my first lambing so I'm not sure what's considered normal as far as frequency of feedings and such.

 

[Mini Horses]

Does the ewe have milk? ARE the lambs nursing? Does she let them? Sounds like they need groceries! Check tummies...full? You may need to bottle. At this point, from what you say, it would be my guess -- not nursing.

They need colostrum. Be sure mouth is warm before you try to feed. If not, warm them first. Wrap in warm towels, on heating pad. DO NOT WAIT!! They are in trouble.

Let us know how they are..

 

[SteepedInSheep]

I don't know if the ewe has milk or not. I am completely unprepared because we had no idea she was pregnant.
Her udder is very full looking but also appears hard. I caught her and tried to get milk from one of her teats and nothing happened.
Their tummies are definitely not full. I did the pinch skin test and they are dehydrated. my husband and I were able to get electrolytes into them. I don't have any milk replacer or colostrum.
Their temperatures are both good, despite being lethargic.

 

[SteepedInSheep]

I appreciate the help. I'm completely out of my element here. Should I pick up some colostrum or milk supplies next? I guess I could try to milk the ewe and see if she even has any.

 

[SteepedInSheep]

We do purchase raw milk, but it's cows. Could that be fed to lamb's?

 

[Finnie]

@Baymule has a recipe for lamb milk replacer somewhere on the forum. I will see if I can find it for you. Yes, it has cow’s milk in it.

Colostrum is very important, so you should try to find some ASAP. If you can’t milk any out of the ewe, do you know of any other sheep breeders in your area that you could ask for some? A lot of them store extra colostrum in their freezers for emergencies such as this. If you can’t find anybody who has any, I think you can buy it powdered from a feed store. You can call them and ask if they have it. From what I have read, if the babies don’t get any colostrum, it severely undermines their chance of survival.

 

[Finnie]

Found it:

Bottle feeding a lamb

So the ewe who gave birth to Graham my ram has stopped producing milk I Need to take Graham off but not sure how it will effect his mum cause she quite attached Any ideas what I could do

www.backyardherds.com

It doesn’t say so specifically in that post, but Baymule keeps all the 3 cups she pours out because it will add up to another gallon quite quickly. Might want to hang onto a couple of empty gallon jugs too.

 

[Finnie]

One other thing, it sounds like the mother may be in trouble too, if her udder is hard and you can’t express the colostrum and/or milk. Aside from being painful, it can lead to mastitis. You are going to have to wait for some of the experienced people to come on and tell you how to manage that. I am just a poultry person.

@rachels.haven
@Ridgetop
@frustratedearthmother
@Mike CHS

My two cents would be hot compresses, keep trying to milk it out, and call a vet. If you find any breeders with colostrum in their freezer, they would be an excellent source of help for the ewe as well as the lambs.

Good luck, fingers crossed!

 

[Mini Horses]

Yes!! Ewe must be milked out! Hot, damp compresses. A human breast pump can help. Got one? Ewes normally have short teats that make hand milking difficult, especially if you're not experienced. If another sheep person in area, or goat owner (like me) they my help you.

Person you bought from close? Vet may have people/farms if we you know no one.

ETA: We're anxious because you may lose the whole little family if they aren't fed and ewe milked out!
Your new but, this is serious stuff right now.

 

[SteepedInSheep]

I know it's serious... that's why I'm here.
We've been trying to milk her and have gotten no where. I'll try the hot compresses.
We have a Milker for our cow that has smaller cups for goats and sheep