How to Adopt a Baby Lamb

Fabled for their soft fleece and passive natures, lambs have been a well-known part of human history for centuries. Sheep typically give birth to one or two lambs every spring, and often these babies are left motherless, due to predators or illness. Adopting and raising a lamb is not a difficult process, and seeing your gentle ball of wool grow into a healthy mature sheep can be a rewarding experience.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Secure enclosure Bottle Nipples Milk replacer Towels Bucket

How to Adopt a Baby Lamb

1. Contact a farmer or rancher who has an orphaned lamb. Many farmers are simply unable to care for single lambs and will offer them for adoption to loving homes. Check your local feed or farm supply store, as they will often have posters or flyers from farmers with lambs looking for adoption. You can speak with your veterinarian, who might also have a list of local farmers with lambs in need.

2. Have your lamb examined by a veterinarian. While he may seem very healthy, a young lamb can succumb to illness quickly, so a quick examination by your vet will rule out any serious health problems.

3. Construct a secure pen for your lamb. You can keep the lamb indoors or outdoors, but if the weather is very cold or damp, you will need to make absolutely sure your lamb stays warm enough. Straw, shavings, or old towels and blankets will help your new lamb stay warm and comfortable during any weather conditions.

4. Mix the lamb's milk replacer in small batches. Most milk replacer comes in powder form, so add the correct amount of powder to a large bottle of warm water, attach a nipple and shake gently. Mix the powder thoroughly to prevent any wasting or clumping.

5. Hold the bottle upside down in front of the lamb's mouth to simulate the teats of his mother. Most lambs will readily latch onto the nipple and begin to nurse, but if yours seems confused, press the nipple gently against his mouth. Squeeze the nipple to express a little milk and let him get a taste. He should get the idea and start sucking.

6. Clean your lamb thoroughly after every feeding. Milk can accumulate on his face and mat his fleece. Young lambs also need to have their genital areas stimulated and cleaned to facilitate proper voiding, so take a warm, damp cloth and rub these areas after each feeding.

7. Rinse your bottles after each feeding. Milk replacer will spoil quickly, so be sure to wash your bottles and nipples with warm, soapy water and allow them to dry between meals.

8. Speak with your veterinarian about docking and castration as your lamb ages. Docking involves the removal of the end of your lamb's tail and is extremely common in sheep. It helps prevent parasites and injury as your lamb matures. Castration will help prevent young rams from becoming aggressive as they mature sexually, so be sure to ask your vet about the pros and cons of both procedures.

9. Transition your lamb to solid food as he grows. Begin to introduce him to young, fresh grass and hay and a bucket of water. He will eventually learn to drink just from the bucket as you slowly remove his milk replacer. Substitute one feeding of milk per day with more solid foods. Eventually your lamb will learn to graze and drink water as he matures into a healthy sheep.

Tips & Warnings

• Pay close attention to your lamb's overall health. Sheep are generally very healthy animals, but orphaned lambs can quickly succumb to illness if not well monitored.
• Never feed your lamb anything that isn't specifically meant for sheep. While it may seem cute to let him nibble on bits of strange foods, he could become ill very quickly if he's fed the wrong things.

References

• Raising Lambs

Resources

• Raising Lambs