Tube feeding a new born lamb

When a lamb is new born there is a very high reliance on the ewe to care for its off-spring and thankfully in the large majority of cases they do. But the first 2-3 days very often have a precarious feel about them and a watchful eye is needed to ensure things go along smoothly.

The first couple of days are a vulnerable time for a new lamb. The things to particularly look out for, once the lamb is safely delivered, are whether the ewe licks clean its lamb (or lambs) and is generally attentive towards it. This is important because it begins the bonding process between the ewe and the lamb and a familiarity with each others' scent. It also stimulates the lamb into activity and a desire to suckle. Another aspect to observe for is whether the lamb is on its feet. Normally they make efforts to stand very soon after birth and they usually succeed with this endeavour quite quickly. Then there is the all-important suckling. The lamb needs to know how to suckle and the ewe the requirement to encourage and facilitate this. Both teats need to be milked to check the ewe is producing milk and that it is readily flowing.

When it comes to suckling the widely accepted benchmark is that the lamb should be fed the first milk produced, the colostrum, within the first six hours of birth. This is when the richest milk, high in nutrients and immuno-potential, is available. There is always a sense of relief when definite suckling is witnessed within this time frame. The lamb's tail wagging away as it suckles is the giveaway sign.

The ewe seems to possess an instinctive skill set  to accomplish all this. However, sometimes first time mothers take a bit longer to cotton on. In some ewes who have given birth for the first time they appear to have a perplexity about them with one or more lambs tottering around their feet. They usually quickly get over this but occasionally it takes longer. This becomes a bit more concerning if ewes refuse to stand still for their lambs to suckle from them. From time to time I have had to resort to pinning the ewe against the barn wall with my knee to keep it still and using a free hand to try and guide the lamb to the teat. This usually has to be done several times for a day or two before the ewe (and the lamb) get the hang of it. In more resistant cases there are devices called 'adopters' which provide mechanical restraint to facilitate this task. I don't have any experience of these myself. In the worst cases outright rejection by the ewe results in the need for bottle feeding the lamb who in practical terms is orphaned. We have a lamb, one of twins, we are bottle feeding at the moment for this very reason, despite attempts to persuade its first time mother otherwise.

The concern with a ewe who is initially reluctant to feed its off-spring is that the six hour time frame to feed colostrum is quickly passed and the worry is that the lamb is getting hungry and declining in energy. This concern grows if the weather is very cold, as it has been of late. 

Bottle feeding a lamb which is only a few hours old is difficult and not a reliable means of ensuring the requisite quantity of feed is consumed. In addition, there is the risk that it will less readily take to the teat when the ewe eventually becomes more compliant. 

One way to manage this dilemma is to tube feed the lamb. This involves passing a flexible feeding tube down the lamb's oesophagus so that either milked colostrum or artificial colostrum can be fed directly into the lambs stomach. This lambing season I have carried out this procedure three times (Twice in the case of one lamb that was especially slow to feed). This provided a potentially life-saving nutritional boost for the lambs and also gave them the strength to continue in their own attempt to suckle. Both lambs are now suckling freely from their mothers who are also now compliant, and indeed attentively nurturing their young. 

We have one more ewe who is yet to deliver. She is an experienced mother and so hopefully tube feeding any more lambs this season will not be necessary. But a vigilant eye will be needed all the same.