# Bottle Lamb Bloating



## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

I brought in one of triplets because he wasn't getting enough to eat (he didn't avoid me in the field, his stomach seemed empty to the touch, and he wanted to suck on my ear while I was holding him). When I brought him in 3 days ago, he was 3 days old, was moving around well following his mom and 2 sisters, and did not look or act ill. He just wasn't getting enough to eat. 

I had milk-based, unmedicated calf milk replacer available, and he seemed to be happy to accept that. In fact, way too happy, and my mom can't see, so he got much more than he was supposed to last night. When it was time for the next feeding, his belly was distended and tight. I petted and massaged him, and he was quite flatuent, but didn't defecate. I ended up giving him some baking soda on my finger twice in 2 hours, and by 4 am he was empty and ready to eat again.

He has dijon-mustard-colored soft poo, but not diarrhea (where's spellcheck when you need it??). He has not been overfed much today, but this evening he is bloated again. I tried some electrolytes which he was not interested in, and a little more soda.

What am I missing? This is the first bottle lamb we've had that had this problem. Is it the calf milk replacer? Can it be just him? I've read in the goat forum that people leave out baking soda for their goats to free-feed, so I assume a quarter teaspoon isn't going to kill him, but I'd rather fix the basic problem. 

Someone wants him for their herd sire, so any answers I can get will be very welcome!
Thanks in advance.

Kit


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> He has dijon-mustard-colored soft poo, but not diarrhea (where's spellcheck when you need it??).


That's normal (( and you spelled everything correctly)

Baking Soda is more for Acidosis
Vegetable oil is best for Bloat, although I think you're just seeing a normal FULL belly.
Unless he shows signs of distress, I wouldn't worry at all

He's probably also getting a lot of air while sucking.
Slightly enlarging the nipple hole might help.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Kit, this is a very common problem and nobody seems to be able to get to the bottom of it. As you can imagine, NZ with it's huge sheep population ends up with many bottle reared lambs and this bloating is one of the biggests problems - and can kill them. Not even vets seem to have an answer.

Hole size in the teat doesn't seem to have a lot of bearing on it. Mixing up the powder correctly may do, over feeding per feed certainly does but in my experience the *temperature* is the biggest culprit. Unwittingly most people feed their lamb's milk at too high a temperature. It should barely have the chill taken off it so while it may feel too cold to you, it will be right for the lamb. If you stick your pinky finger in the milk and can't feel the heat then it's just right. 

Try feeding him little and often - like 2-3 ounces every 2-3 hours - at tepid temperature and leave him with his mother and siblings. He may learn to get in and get his share from mum, he may just think it's easier to get it from you but either way it's less of a problem for you and he will do better being with sheep. 

Good luck and will be interested to know how he does.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Baking soda worked for you so don't discard that. Pepto also might help but if its truly bloat then a bloat treatment or veg oil as suggested. Weigh the replacer powder before mixing and yeah cool it off some if you're not. It slows down their eating and that helps get more saliva mixed into the meal.


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## LibertyWool (Oct 23, 2008)

> Someone wants him for their herd sire


I would advise against using a bottle ram as a herd sire. This is just asking for trouble.

I've only had one case of abomasum bloat and the lamb didn't make it. He too was a bottle lamb, but much older than yours. I caught it the first time, and did oil and baking soda then separated him for a couple of days until he was better. The next time I let him loose, he bloated again in the night and died. What I figured out happened, is that he had finally learned to nurse and at night would feed off the ewes.

I hope yours does better...


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## Laurie J (Mar 9, 2005)

We have a bottle lamb that also got a little bloated yesterday. Looked like he'd swallowed a balloon, and I could tell he was uncomfortable. Our bummers are eating more alfalfa and grain now, so I think it's time to give them less bottle. (Have them sold as of tomorrow evening, so we don't want to kill him now!!!) At any rate, I massaged his tummy, and also put some Pepto in a bottle. (Straight) He loves his bottle so much, he slurped it down before he realized it wasn't what he was used to! A few hours later, tummy was back to normal. We've lost bottle babies to bloat years ago when we first started out. Easy to do with the little fellas that are so cute and hungry all the time! My husband's Grandpa used to always say "keep 'em hungry".

I have to agree about having a bottle lamb be a ram. We've had our share of mean rams that want to kill you, and have one now that is afraid of us. He'll move off in another direction when we come near. (A good thing!) In our experience, a bottle baby always grows into a big pest. Friendly, but selfish and not afraid to climb all over the others to be in line FIRST! A scary proposition for a ram!!!


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## kirsten (Aug 29, 2005)

Overfeeding is not bloat. They look bloated but that is type C, a different deal altogether.

Bottle lamb rams don't live very long because whoever has them kills them. They probably get in one lambing. I had one my first year and he became aggressive so I sent him to slaughter. I also bought what I think was a bottle lamb ram from somebody else who was way too friendly and got way too aggressive so he was gone too. Switch him out for a female to bottle feed/supplement. You aren't doing anyone a favor by selling them a bottle ram even left on the dam. If you took a female for just 3 days, you could get her hooked on the bottle and send her back and then butt the ram lamb away when he comes up to you in the field. Then he would be wary of you and all would be well when he went to his buyers.


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

Umm, yeah, I've read over and over about rams that are too friendly, but all my animals are too friendly. You wouldn't be able to tell which ones have been on a bottle and which were raised by mom ewe. It's me, I guess. At least my kids say it's me, but I haven't had any difficulty with pushy animals that I've raised. We had one ram that we bought as a young adult who ended up getting eaten for being a pain, but none of the others have ever given us a problem. I do make certain to not carry apples in my coat pockets.

I've also read other people's laments that they can't catch or handle their animals for necessary upkeep, and that seems like more of a pain than having them beg to be petted. My sheep stand loose to be sheared which is so much easier for me, and I can check the pigs all over for any problems. 

And if we or the new owners aren't comfortable with an animal, it can be dinner, which is the other option in any case.
Kit


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## LibertyWool (Oct 23, 2008)

KIT.S, when an animal imprints on people it can be in one of two ways. One way is that they see the person as a female, this is the case with my royal palm turkey, he will display and court every person he meets. Then there is the second way, he sees every person as a male, a rival. Now I have 275-300 lbs rams, I don't want to be seen as a rival ram. I can handle my rams, none were bottle fed, but I don't turn my back on either of them. 

I'm sure you will do what you want, but I hope you understand that there is a real chance of him turning ugly and hurting someone.


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## FairviewFarm (Sep 16, 2003)

The bloating may be caused by feeding a milk replacer formulated for calves. From the University of Maryland: _When artificially rearing lambs, it is recommended that they be fed milk replacer that has been specifically formulated for lambs. Calf milk replacer is generally unacceptable. Ewe's milk contains more fat, protein and minerals than cow's milk. In addition, the fat globules in lamb's milk are homogenized, and cow's milk contains excessive amounts of lactose that may cause bloat or digestive upset in lambs. _ See the full page at: Raising lambs and kids artificially


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## KIT.S (Oct 8, 2008)

Thank you. I suspected that it would be better to buy lamb replacer, but I already had the calf and a bag is nearly $80. He's doing better - it's been a couple days since he had the problem last, so I expect he's going to survive it. He's been getting a teaspoon of yogurt daily, and today got to go outside with the other sheep for a while. We've been having winter instead of spring, with as much as 9 inches of snow! This is completely unexpected and unusual, and my mom can't get around outside. She's bottle-mom during the day while I and my daughter are at work. 

Thanks, folks, for your assistance on this. We hadn't run across this problem in previous bottle babies, and it's convenient to talk with someone who has.
Kit


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