How to firm up lamb poop

GeorgeK · Mar 23, 2013

My dog died a couple weeks ago and maybe that's why my wife brought in an abandoned lamb. 2 ewes lambed too close together and so the odd ewe out was a twin that neither recognized as her own.

My wife ran off to work and I've been bottle feeding the lamb with formula from the mill. She's growing well and now bigger than lambs that were a couple weeks older. The problem is her poo, liquid and spraying. she nibbles at cracked corn mixed with sunflower seeds. She nibbles at the ground when I take her outside.

On the good side she's a good dancer. I step to the left and she bounces sideways. I step to the right and she bounces rightways. Lambs dancing is proof of God!

Fenika · Mar 23, 2013

You'll need a vet to see if it's viral, bacterial, or caused by your milk replacer.

Just like I'd need to step into a doctor's office and not pester you on the interwebz were I spraying shit

Keep an eye on her hydration, energy, and eyes while you wait for the vet to make it out. Then realize this lamb is gonna cost you as much as a dog

If she has diarrhea that bad she's not getting enough calories or nutrition and at some point she'll likely crash HARD.

But while you're here, I've got this itch on my left hand...

SianaBlackwood · Mar 23, 2013

A few questions:

1. How much milk are you giving her? Our goat kids get about 1.5 litres per day (two 750ml feeds).

2. Are you keeping the bottle, teat etc. really clean? It should be clean enough that you'd happily suck on it yourself.

3. Is she in a clean, dry pen?

Oh, and a bonus question:

4. What colour is the poop? Yellow means 1 or 2 is likely to be the problem, but any other colour means you have a more serious problem than just feeding/hygiene.

GeorgeK · Mar 23, 2013

Poop color is a nice medium brown. Lamb is growing well. She drinks 4-5 bottles a day (8 oz) she's happy as long as I'm with her, likes to go for walks and likes to be held. She's a puppy lamb

Her pen is our family room...oh the laundry!

Hay! what's that? That's not good for pooping on!

kkbe · Mar 24, 2013

Firm up lamb poop?

I had to see what the hoopla was about, as I like little lambs and I. . .

I like little lambs.

GeorgeK · Mar 26, 2013

She's well hydrated as the basement floor can testify, seems happy otherwise. I think it's the formula. It's a little better since she's nibbling at seeds and corn

GingerGunlock · Mar 26, 2013

I know nothing about lambs. But vet seems like a good idea to me. If "lamb" was "puppy", I'd say "Vet, and why are you still here?"

Maryn · Mar 26, 2013

I give George the win for the most attention-demanding subject line.

And I demand photos of the lamb.

Maryn, who likes lambs

Bufty · Mar 26, 2013

Not surprised you like lamb, Maryn- who doesn't? :sword

But when they are left to nibble outside for years and grind their teeth down, they turn into mutton and are apparently far tastier. :snoopy:

Jamesaritchie · Mar 28, 2013

I have no idea, but this is one of the most interesting questions I've ever seen. One of those, "Never, ever thought anyone would ask that" type of questions.

kuwisdelu · Mar 30, 2013

Well, I've bottlefed plenty of lambs in my day, but I don't recall what we used for formula (my aunts always took care of filling the bottles) or any problems with poo.

Deleted member 42 · Mar 30, 2013

George this is the best site I know for sheep information:

http://www.sheep101.info/201/

I'd try calling your local County Extension and 4H liaison.

Brigid · Apr 1, 2013

Lamb poo: proven to be the best attention-getter on the internet.
May we please see lamb pics?

GeorgeK · Apr 9, 2013

Medievalist said:
George this is the best site I know for sheep information:

http://www.sheep101.info/201/

I'd try calling your local County Extension and 4H liaison.

This is cattle country. When I've called them in the past they said, "your problem is that you aren't raising cattle."

If it's not cattle or horses, they don't give a flying lamb's poop.

Years ago when we only had one ram and he got kicked by the donkey we took him to the area's, "large animal and farm veterinarian." Despite the obvious curled horns, he asked, "What kind of deer is that?"

Hay Ewe has spent her first night outside since all the ice storms seem over and night time temperatures are the same as the basement. She's now the biggest lamb but doesn't want to eat grass. She just wants the bottle. I'm increasing the durations between bottles. If I'm out there she'll peck at twigs and grass but if I'm not there she hides behind the dog house.

The acrobatics she does in prancing around when I'm out there are impressive and funny

GeorgeK · Apr 9, 2013

Brigid said:
Lamb poo: proven to be the best attention-getter on the internet.
May we please see lamb pics?

I don't have a digital camera. I'll have to wait until my daughter comes home from college

Kylabelle · Apr 14, 2013

Elsewhere the question is being considered "Can one have too much grammar?" and I keep wondering if the extra grammar were fed to the lamb, would it firm up the poop?

(I had to say that. I'll leave now.

)

Good luck with the lamb, too, I also would love to see pictures!

GeorgeK · Apr 24, 2013

and the answer is vowels, wait no, the answer is vegetation. She's outside now and I still take her 4 bottles a day but as she eats more greenery she's making doots

Kylabelle · Apr 24, 2013

awesome. Doots is good.

GeorgeK · Apr 25, 2013

The next hurdle is getting her to socialize with the other sheep. This is tiring in a different way. She thinks she's not a sheep. However putting her out with the sheep and watching from a window, she seems to play with the other lambs who mostly seem annoyed because she wants to play when they want to sleep. The mothers at least do not seem to take her sniffing or nipping at other lambs as anything to require aggression. She's making progress but cries a lot. I've noticed that other lambs cry a lot too and their mothers appear to actually roll their eyes and resume eating corn or hay or weeds as if to say, "Just let me eat first! You're fine!"

It's not as tiring as taking care of a human baby, but I'm very tired.

GeorgeK · May 28, 2013

Saying Goodbye

Buyers came by a few weeks ago and were so impressed with Hay Ewe and her desire to walk beside me that they bought her with the plan of also buying a couple extra lamb ewes. We're scheduled to take them out on Saturday. I have concerns about her dogs, collies and terriers. Our sheep generally don't get along with dogs and have a history of killing them. Or worse, the dogs kill the sheep in an effort to show them who'se boss. I offered to give her an adult ram to act as a protector. I warned her about the breeds of dog she has..free sheep who's going to refuse? I'd rather that the lambs live to breed than the dogs live to kill their charges.

Hay Ewe had a mouthful of leaves from our brush around the cistern when she heard me feeding the others and she began to bawl. It was so cute with all the leaves sticking out of her mouth. She's grown well and a little fat on bottle feedings, but she's fit. I think that she will be the matriarch, the new queen of her home with her prince and her cousin/sisters. I'll miss her

Kylabelle · May 28, 2013

Aw. Soon, she will be known as Bye Ewe? Or perhaps Buy Ewe?

Hope the potential buyers get a clue about the dogs, though.

GeorgeK · May 28, 2013

Kylabelle said:
Aw. Soon, she will be known as Bye Ewe? Or perhaps Buy Ewe?

Hope the potential buyers get a clue about the dogs, though.

Me too. I have it on our website. I told them when they were here. My gut says that with the ram, the ewe lambs will survive and that's my concern. I've heard several stories about the sheep killing dogs, not the reverse. That's why I tell them all about the beauty of LGD's, Livestock Guardian Dogs as opposed to shepherds. Feisty Sheep are something to be respected. I want livestock that if I were to simply open the gate, they would survive.

GeorgeK · May 28, 2013

Kylabelle said:
Aw. Soon, she will be known as Bye Ewe? Or perhaps Buy Ewe?

Hope the potential buyers get a clue about the dogs, though.

I'll miss her but that's a nice pun. It'll take me a while to deal with it. Thank you

GeorgeK · May 28, 2013

Kylabelle said:
Aw. Soon, she will be known as Bye Ewe? Or perhaps Buy Ewe?

Hope the potential buyers get a clue about the dogs, though.

It would make more sense 3 hours west of here where there actually are Bayious, but still I like it.

GeorgeK · May 28, 2013

Kylabelle said:
Aw. Soon, she will be known as Bye Ewe? Or perhaps Buy Ewe?

Hope the potential buyers get a clue about the dogs, though.

You actually made me cry

How to firm up lamb poop

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