lambs

[psycoforsilkies]

If i get a pair of lambs at 4 weeks do they still need to nurse on a bottle i have heard till 8/10 weeks, what is the best food to give grain, hay, grazing, should they sleep inside at night? if they wear diapers can they come in th house?

 

[purplequeenvt]

Don't get lambs at 4 weeks unless they are already bottle babies. They should be on milk for at least 8 weeks. Either get lambs on the bottle or something already weaned. If you get young babies, they can live in the house for a while - in a diaper of course!

Otherwise, they should be fine in a snug barn/shed/garage.

As for other feed...get a sheep specific feed (no added copper!) and offer it free choice along with a good quality grass hay.

 

[psycoforsilkies]

If I don,t take them someone will, So should I supplement them with Lamb milk, they are on pasture with Ewe and are also fed pelleted feed for sheep

 

[purplequeenvt]

Why is the farmer trying to sell them at that age? If they have been exclusively dam fed (ie. not on a bottle) it could be next to impossible to get them to take a bottle. Some will take it if they are hungry enough, others won't.

If they are really, truly eating forage and grain in good quantities, the lambs might be OK. The problem is that lambs rumens aren't fully developed at the age and without their mother's milk they have trouble getting the correct nutrients. I would, if you are determined to get these particular lambs, try to get them on milk replacer for another month or so.