Down Mulberry Lane

He's Up!

The little lamb that we brought inside, half froze.  Well, we thought for a while this afternoon we might lose him as he had no energy, no spunk, no nothing.  Heart rate was real slow and would hardly swallow when I tried to syringe feed him.  Oh, yah, we could have tubed him, but in our experience, we lose one in five lambs and if we are just patient, and do the syringe, they come around, just not as fast. 

I fed him around 5 pm and got 5 syringes down him (15 cc).  He wasn't doing too great, still wouldn't lift his head.  But he did swallow, so I was encouraged.  I came down shortly before 6 pm to start supper and I asked Dh if he had fed the lamb and he said no, he had been outside doing chores.  Just then we hear a Baaaaaaa and I look back and he's sitting up with his head up and his ears perked out... oh a sight for sore eyes!  As I started feeding him, he was sucking on the syringe... a FIRST... so now I am very encouraged.  I got a bottle, but he was a loss for sucking on that... they always are the first couple feedings.  But while trying to clean off his face, he backs away from me and stands up... Woo Hoo!  He's got enough strength to get up...

Now he'll need to keep warm.  His mouth is still chilled, so he isn't completely warmed up.  We noticed taking him out to Momma ewe dropped him back into never never land just like that and he came back ice cold in the mouth only being outside less than 5 minutes.  So, we will likely keep him in the house overnight and try to see if momma will take him back in the morning.  (we will try to get him to nurse tonight on mom a time or two).  If momma won't take him back, we'll be calling some on our bum lamb list who will take our bum lambs and raise them up as bottle lambs.  We're just not going through another bottle lamb year like last year.  And we decided we won't keep rams.  We  figured out last years cost for lambs milk was $60 and we got $50 at the sale barn and we lost several at around 2 months of age (of the bottle lambs)...  so we fed them and got nothing out of them.  So, we will sell them for $20-25 and let someone else do the bottle lambing.   I hope this one does ok.  He's a big boy, but the lambs were almost a week early, and with the chilly cold weather, it was just too much. 

Big praise for this year... no selenium problems noted in this years first set of lambs!  That was a HUGE relief to us all.  The precaution is to put a selenium mineral block out and we notice that some just don't use the mineral block, so we worry that we may have some batches needing assistance regardless of using a block.  But we were in fact happy to see early lambs... silly I know, but the selenium deficiency caused long pregnancies... over by 3-7 days, but still premature in development. 

Update:  Out to barn for a feeding, and he went up to mom and mom baa's, he baa's back and gets latched on for a good drink.  Woo Hoo.  Now to keep tabs to be sure he doesn't go down again. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Untitled Comment

6:35 PM, January 30, 2008 .. Posted by countrylivin

I hope the little lamb does well!

Little Lamb

6:43 PM, January 30, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

I am glad he is better and I hope he stays that way!
Belle

Me Again!

6:45 PM, January 30, 2008 .. Posted by Belle

Hi,
I just left you an anonymous comment by accident. I just wanted to let you know who it was from.
Have a Great Day!
Belle (maa's daughter)

saving a little one

8:24 PM, January 30, 2008 .. Posted by heritagehill

I am so glad to hear the little lamb is doing better. Sounds like he will be fine now! I just wanted to tell you, I just learned how to tube a goat last winter. I just hate doing it, but when I think of how many kids I lost that I know now I could have saved by tubing them it makes me ill! The key is getting them warm enough to suck. Keep us posted on the little guy!
Marilyn