How to Get a Lamb to Nurse

Lambs are precious creatures born to sheep in the springtime. The lamb is the symbol of innocence, childhood, purity and rebirth. The reality of lambs, however, is sometimes more grisly than a springtime romp. Lambs need extensive care before, during and immediately after birth. Lambs nurse on instinct, desiring their mother's milk for survival and health. When a lamb refuses to nurse, you must address underlying problems to convince the lamb to begin eating.

Things You'll Need

  • Bottle
  • Milk replacement
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Instructions

    • 1

      Check the lamb for health problems which would make him not eat. Hypothermia is common in lambs, especially during multiple birth situations. The lamb will be listless, hunched over and will have a rectal body temperature below 100 degrees. Hypoglycemia is related to hypothermia and will cause the lamb to not nurse. A lamb may also suffer from watery mouth, caused by an E. coli virus. The lamb will be dull, won't suck, will salivate and will "rattle" when moved due to gas in the stomach.

    • 2

      Fix health problems of the lamb before attempting to convince it to nurse. Fix watery mouth with oral antibiotics and warming. Warming also treats hypothermia. Dry the lamb quickly after birth to avoid hypothermia, and keep the lamb in a warm, dry area for a few days after birth. Hypoglycemia is usually incurable and you will need to hand feed the lamb if it survives, bypassing nursing. Lambs with these health ailments are often not expected to survive.

    • 3

      Place the ewe's head in a stanchion, which is a holster which allows her to eat and drink, but not turn her head. She will be unable to fight against a nursing lamb. This is especially useful if the lamb who won't nurse is orphaned and the ewe is a surrogate mother. Often, a ewe that has a single birth is able to take a lamb from a ewe that gives birth to triplets through this coercion method.

    • 4

      Push the lamb to the teat and squeeze a small amount of milk onto the lamb's lips. If the lamb is hungry, it will attach to the ewe's teat. If the lamb has one of the aforementioned health problems, it will not attach, and you need to repeat the steps.

    • 5

      Employ a bottle when a lamb has no apparent health problems and still will not latch onto an ewe. You can raise lambs on milk replacement when there is no other option. The lamb will need to be hungry to start a bottle; this usually happens between five and six hours after the previous feeding. It may be necessary to force-feed the bottle, shoving the nipple into the lamb's mouth. After a few practice sessions, the lamb will take to the bottle and artificially nurse.