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Post by chooky on Aug 31, 2013 19:57:37 GMT 8
We just had a ewe lamb today. Odd thing is the her udder is not showing at all. I didn't think she was even close to lambing. My question is, can she still produce milk? The lamb seem strong and healthy. Big size too.
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Post by cannakid on Sept 1, 2013 6:57:02 GMT 8
Has it suckled ? Some do have small udders but they normally have slow growing lambs
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Post by chooky on Sept 1, 2013 7:41:25 GMT 8
He is suckling or trying to suckle. I jusf don't know if he is getting the milk he needs. He is a big lamb, almost the same size as a two week old.
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Post by cannakid on Sept 1, 2013 10:07:24 GMT 8
If it is waggling its tail while drinking it should be getting some milk they don't drink much at the start just little bits often then they start to drink more less often as they grow
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Post by cannakid on Sept 1, 2013 10:11:40 GMT 8
If you can catch the ewe tip it over and squease the teats if milk comes out then you know it does have milk.
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Post by quambie on Sept 1, 2013 15:09:01 GMT 8
good stuff and if she is not feeding it I would start to bottle feed it if you dont want to loose it Good luck Trev
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Post by chooky on Sept 1, 2013 21:07:38 GMT 8
I have been watching mum and lamb all day today. It looks like he is getting milk. He is wagging his tail like crazy when he suckles. I did try to bottle feed him but he only took a bit. He got up and suckled on mum. So I guess mum's milk tasted better. He is still very strong, running and jumping all over the place. I think he will be fine.
He spends a bit of time socialising with the twins dropped the week before. It's like a gang of the new kids in the neighbourhood. So much fun to watch.
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Post by cannakid on Sept 2, 2013 6:41:51 GMT 8
I forgot to mention that first time mums sometimes have small udders , sounds like it will do OK if it wasn't getting milk it wouldn't be playing with the others , is fun to watch all right you should see when a group of 30 are playing together.
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Post by chooky on Sept 2, 2013 9:14:28 GMT 8
Yes, she is a first time mother. She is very protective of her lamb. She would stay close even as I was checking him out. This is lamb number 8 for us. May get another one or two more. 6 girls and 2 boys.
Yesterday, the week old twins tried to suckle off Rammy. It was so funny to watch. Rammy looked very confused but was very gentle with them. He stood very still for a few seconds before nudging them off him.
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Post by chooky on Sept 8, 2013 21:09:47 GMT 8
Update. The lamb is fine and at home with me in Perth. We lost 2 young ewes to, what I suspect were dog attacks. The ewes were healthy and strong ewes. Found them with holes on their sides. Not nice. One of them was the lamb's mum. So I brought him home to be bottle fed. He is starting to get the idea of the bottle. He was trying to suckle the other ewes only to be pushed away.
Also lost 2 pullets, to god know what. They were healthy strong pullets, just starting to lay.
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Post by cannakid on Sept 9, 2013 7:00:24 GMT 8
Oh that sad news chooky but does sound like dog attack most likely 2 got together from town.
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Post by quambie on Sept 9, 2013 7:49:21 GMT 8
Not good news at all pity you could not shoot them i wonder what got the chooks Trev
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Post by chooky on Sept 9, 2013 7:55:05 GMT 8
Trev,
No idea about the chooks. They seem to have fallen off their perch. Heart attack? I don't know. My wife thinks the thunderstorm may have scared them to death. One wonders.
I just hope the dogs don't come back. The property at the back has lots of ewes with lambs. It would be a real shame if they lose ewes as well.
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Post by quambie on Sept 9, 2013 10:04:35 GMT 8
This is the problem with not keeping dogs under control i had to shoot one last year the owner was not happy when i took him to the dog he was still not happy then i showed him the lambs that shut him up bits of them all over the paddock
As for the chooks your wife could be spot on a low or over head thunder storm will kill them a pity when that happens breeding them is hard enough as it is with the hatching rate down Trev
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Post by chooky on Sept 9, 2013 12:56:46 GMT 8
Trev,
You are lucky the dog owner was not unreasonable, like city dog owners. They would take you to court if you shot any of their dogs regardless of what their dogs did, because their dogs can do no wrong.
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