# Am I feeding these bummer lambs enough?



## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

I just came in from feeding the two orphan lambs their last bottle of the night. They were born a week ago Sunday and seem to be growing just fine. Their mom had zero/zilch/no milk, not even a drop (OPP maybe?) and left today to go be a lawn ornament. They are getting 16 oz each at each feeding, averaging 3 feedings a day as of yesterday (we went down from 4 feedings). They suck their pints down faster than my husband can down a pint of his favorite ale. 3 pints a day is pretty normal for your average boer goat baby (as well as my husband on certain days), maybe even a bit more than a meat goat would get. However, these lambs seem eager for more. I'm doing the homemade milk replacer with a bit of heavy cream in their bottles, too. If they want more, should I up their amounts to 20 oz each, at least at the last feeding of the day?


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

You could and why not if they aren't looking too round with what they get now. Maybe add some grain and hay?


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## kirsten (Aug 29, 2005)

Okay, that is a lot! Makes me wonder if homemade replacer is really supplying everything a lamb needs? Super Lamb milk replacer only recommends 32 oz total each day. 11-18 days would be 12 oz 3 times a day and day 19 and on, 16oz twice a day. If these are twins too, they wouldn't necessarily even be that large. I have raised a lot of bottle lambs on this feeding schedule. I think most people stick to the guidelines found on the milk replacer bags.


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## eieiomom (Jun 22, 2005)

I would not feed them more than 16 oz a feeding.

Preferably until 3 weeks old, I feed bottle lambs 4 x/day and they get about 10-12 oz before going to 3x/day gradually increasing to 16 oz and never more than that per feeding.
They will bloat easily, need to be careful...

As Ross mentioned, they can start eating grain and alfalfa leaves and that will help satisfy them.

Deb


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

If in doubt, weigh them. 

They are supposed to get 10% of their body weight.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Baby animals live to make you think they need more food. They will cry and carry on when you take their food away, no matter how much you have fed them. Do what the others here have recommended -


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## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

The lambs are two weeks old tomorrow...they seem good and their tails are ready to fall off; I am starting them on a bucket feeder tonight and will go from warm to room temp milk over the next day or so. Then they can eat little bits more often. They seem to be growing and doing well. Thanks for all the advice.


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## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

Oh happy day! The lambs took to the lambar with zero glitches. They got a dose of warm milk with room temp added. They did just as all y'all said...sip, sip, leave it alone. Today they are getting just plain old room temp milk. We'll see how it goes.


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## Laurie J (Mar 9, 2005)

Very easy to overfeed bottle lambs! One year we couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor little devils and gave them more than we should have. Lost three to bloat within a few days of each other. Rule of thumb is to keep them hungry.


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## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

I'd like to thank the advice on cold milk. We just fill the quart glass jars whenever we go outside...cold milk right from the cooler. Its the milk/evap milk/buttermilk recipe and the lambs are thriving on it. They are going through about 2 to 2 1/2 quarts EACH a day but drinking it in little bits...although my husband thinks the labrador might be helping out a little (he caught him "taste-testing from the top of the lambar). The lambs are on their own little pasture with the redwood tree stump for a shelter against the horrible rain. They run to their feeder whenever I go out. They are 4 weeks old now.


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## Goatsandsheep (Jun 7, 2006)

Nice to hear they're doing good. Shelly


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