Caroline Reichard Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I work hard to avoid having an orphan pen - w/ only 40 ewes or so, there's not really a need. So I am pretty out-of-touch about the cost of milk replacer. But I had to buy a sack yesterday and it cost me $50!! That is nearly doubled in price! What's going on here? At that price, raising orphans is basically ridiculous. Does anyone have a legitimate recipe for making this at home or some other alternative? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 All milk replacer is going up in cost, but at $2/lb I think we'll have to start looking at Cornell's system of early weaning. Or keeping (dare I say it) a goat. \Shudders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sheepdoggal Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I use to work on a dairy farm for awhile, and we froze colostrum. Im not sure if it'll work for a lamb, you'd have to check, but I do know that when folks had bummers, ( mostly calf, but Im almost sure there were a few that had other types of livestock that came for it too, just been so long now its hard to remember) they would come by the dairy and get some from us, and buy milk, at a way reduced rate too. We carry the milk replacer at work too, and I was just looking at a bag the other day, and thought the same thing. Not much help here, I know, but at least I can sympathise with ya. Bill, I got a few goats hanging around here, and Im not sure they are worth it to keep around just for the milk, considering all the hassle they are. But your welcome to them! The climbing little brats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepandakom Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 When we showed dairy goats we kept a stock of frozen cow colostrum in the freezer. We pasteurized everything we fed the babies, but always used the frozen cow colostrum to start the babies. I'm not sure I would feed a lamb or a goat cow's milk, but it might be worth checking around and buying goat's milk from someone. Hopefully the aren't charging "milk replacer" prices. In a lot of places it's illegal to sell goat's milk off the farm for human consumption and many does produce more than what the kids need, so I am guessing you could find goat's milk at a fairly reasonable price. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiegirl Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I remember- just barely.... they had a show on a while ago about this woman/group/farm, that kept goat's milk in cold storage for others to use for their livestock neonates... I think they are in the northeast. Maybe even if you find some dairy goat farmers- that would help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Cow colostrum is a good second choice for lambs*, but a diet of cow's milk would be lower in fat and solids than a ewe milk. Goat milk is still lower than a ewe's components, and has a larger fat globule, but is a better choice than cow's milk. I'm not sure where lamb milk replacer fits in that overall scheme; every lamb milk replacer that I've used is also labeled for use in goats but the recipe is watered down. *There are some cows that carry an anti-ovine factor, and colostrum or milk from these cows will kill lambs. Not sure how prevalent this is. There's also a danger of transferring Johne's disease from an infected cow into the lamb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Reichard Posted February 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Colostrum isn't my problem; I always keep some frozen from my own ewes. The problem is that last fall I kept all my sheep together in September in order to have enough sheep to host the practice field and a precocious ram lamb did his thing w/ a 387 year old ewe w/ only one working teat. Now I have to deal w/ the consequences of my bad shepherding: 2 lambs, one big and one little, competing for the single teat. But at $50 a bag, it is going to be an expensive lesson. What I was hoping was that someone could say, " Take a quart of cow's milk, add 2 tbs of rosehip oil, 1 eye of newt, and the skin of a lizard caught at midnight. Mix under the light of a waning moon with a spoon that has been buried in the drop pen for a month - and the cow's milk will turn into milk replacer." Come to think of it, though, I haven't priced rosehip oil or newt eyes recently either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 Hey Caroline I think you have to twirl around 5 times with your eyes closed and click your red tenny heels together at the same time to make that recipe work! I've had a few bummer lambs in the last 2 lambings because of LGD issues. I've put ads up at the local feed mills and at foo foo pet stores. I've had better luck selling them for 25$ at a few days old than selling my fat lambs off the farm. At first I tried giving them away but got no takers. as soon as I put a price on them I had lots of calls. 25 bucks is half way to the lambmilk replacer! The last batch I bought was for lambs, foals, goats and something else. But the water it called for was different amounts for each. Not my favorite replacer but all I can find down here! I'm having the same price issues with minerals. I think the last bag was something like 22$. I keep tetlling myself it's "special minerals"! I remember back when it was only 7 bucks a bag. My friend in St. Louis says it's still cheap there, maybe it's another excuse to get back to St. Louis again? Good luck with finding newt eyes. There's been a run on them with all the rain we're getting! Kristen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 If you have ready access to real (ie raw, right from the cow) milk for cheap, I have a recipe somewhere. I got it from a nun... I never tried it (managed to foster my orphan lamb on a ewe last year), but it works for them. The nun part might help, though... I have two dairy cows, though, and there's way more milk than we can ever use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wsp Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 This year I finally broke down and bought two goats just because of the high cost of milk replacer, and to use for baking and soapmaking. Besides my daughter wants to show goats in 4-H I purchased two saanan/boer does crossed with a high percentage boer. Both had single buck kids at their side for 100.00 each. The kids are going to be worth at least 70-90.00 when they're older, so that brings my cost down to 10-30.00 per doe. If each doe feeds one lamb, she's paid for herself not counting feed. If she feeds two lambs, then she has paid for her feed too. It doesn't seem like a losing proposition. I figure even if I didn't milk them, they can raise a kid or two every year, just like the sheep. If I can get my kids to drink the goat milk too, well then we don't have to buy milk at what 3.45 a gallon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Reichard Posted March 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 This year I finally broke down and bought two goats just because of the high cost of milk replacer, I think this is a cool idea, but.... would I actually have to milk this goat every day? I had a friend describe her relationship w/ her milk cow as an unhappy marriage. That cow sounded awfully needy to me. Would the goat would be the same way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Yes. And plus, it's a goat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wsp Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Yes you have to milk them every day. A few times I have let them go a day as their babies are 8 weeks old now and will drink alot. I didn't notice a drop in milk production, but then I'm not weighing or trying for anything outstanding. In order to get milk I separate the kids part of the time. When the kids are weaned I will have to milk twice a day no matter what. I don't mind the extra work, and not being able to go anywhere, but some people would. Both goats are very nice, and know the routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Reichard Posted March 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 Yes you have to milk them every day. So for $2/# I can buy milk replacer and avoid an intimate relationship w/ a needy goat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wsp Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 So for $2/# I can buy milk replacer and avoid an intimate relationship w/ a needy goat? You only live once Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted March 3, 2008 Report Share Posted March 3, 2008 With goats, it just seems like more than once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 I don't get all the goat grumbling! We have FIVE Nubians, and they're easier than the sheep. They stay behind hotwire, and they're such sissies that they never stray far from their shed. They come tearing back up the pasture at the slightest disturbance. The two does we breed are sweet and give great milk. The wethers are mostly useless, but, well... I'd much rather milk the goats than the cows. This year, it'll be both I'd better dig out my cheese making supplies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 My experience with goats is that whenever you don't want them they're in the way, and whenever you do want them they've escaped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wsp Posted March 4, 2008 Report Share Posted March 4, 2008 My experience with goats is that whenever you don't want them they're in the way, and whenever you do want them they've escaped. I think it depends on the goat just like anything else. I had a nubian/boer before these two I have now. She would constantly holler, get out,and butt the sheep. Cattle panels would not keep her in. The two Saanan/boers are sweethearts, never trying to get out so far. I've even had them in the sheep jugs when I first got them which is hog panels, no problem. I like them so much I ended up getting two more dairy goats, an Alpine/Nubian and a lamancha/nubian. Both very sweet and easy to work with. They are different from sheep, generally more curious and outgoing towards people. Not sure that they are probably smarter too. The boers have a good growth rate, and there's a market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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