What is the minimum amount of colostrum for a baby lamb?

Question

Last night one of our ewes had twins. One twin is good and strong the other is tiny. She survived the night by me feeding small amounts of milk replacer then this morning i milked out some colostrum. The ewe has very little milk, i could only get 10-15 ml of colostrum. I plan to get some more this afternoon (i had to go to work) so will that small amount be enough till i get home?

Answer 1

When it comes to colostrum, every little bit counts.  Your ewe might not be capable of making enough for both (particularly if she's a first-time freshener), or she hasn't completely bagged up yet.  She will only produce colostrum for the first 24-48 hours anyway, so it's not completely unusual for her to not be producing heavily yet.  Colostrum is also very rich in nutrients and is produced to give the new lambs more nutrition in smaller amounts, as their new system can't necessarily handle a big meal.

For your ewe's benefit, give her a calcium drench and a vitamin B injection.  This should help her regain some strength and energy to take care of her lambs and also boost her milk production.

Did you pull the tiny lamb or did she reject it?  I've supplemented smaller ones and still kept them on the mother.  That way, they can get whatever they can from her and still get enough to thrive.  This is also alot easier than trying to completely handraise a lamb.  If she hasn't rejected it, keep them together and simply use a bottle to help out.  Feel the lamb's stomach and see if it's getting something, watch to make sure it is defecating/urinating.

  

Until you're sure she can supply both, you can be bottlefeeding the lamb colostrum or colostrum replacer about 4 times a day, usually only a couple of ounces at a time.  Overfeeding can lead to scours.  If using replacer, I make sure they receive the replacer for 3 days, then switch to milk or milk replacer formula.  You can also use goats milk, which is nutritionally beneficial to lambs as well (and for us, cheaper and easier to come by!)  

After you switch to milk replacer, you should be feeding 4-8 oz. three times a day.  This will increase to about 12 ounces by the next week and up to a quart a day.

I had one of our lambs throw triplets this year and she actually produced enough to feed everyone eventually, but I did supplement the smallest one for awhile.

If you need more help, feel free to email me.

BTW, what breed do you raise?  We only get lambs in the spring.