Bottle lamb formula

[Little Bo Boop]

Anybody ever used this recipe before? This is the formula the lady I got my bottle lamb from was using when I picked him up. From all I've heard and read, cows milk is supposed to be a no no, so I'd thought I would slowly switch him over to the MR, but he seems to be doing so well, and thriving on this, I've decided to just stay with what's working. She suggested I heat it up, but I've been feeding it cold as you all suggested and there's been no problem, and he's had really nice poops, no scouring at all. I haven't run the numbers, so don't know if it would work out to be cheaper than the MR.

 

 

posted from another site:

 

"I stopped using commercially produced milk replacer several years ago, quite by accident. I found myself with a new orphaned lamb on a Saturday after the feed store had closed, and with no milk replacer on hand, I resorted to a milk mix a number of goat breeders swear by.

1 gallon whole milk

1 can evaporated milk (not low fat)

1 cup buttermilk

Take 2 cups of milk out of the gallon of milk, then add the 1 cup buttermilk and 1 can of evaporated milk. Shake well. Serve. The acceptance of this milk from the lambs has been amazing. Rather than the usual fight to get them to take that first bottle, they've latched on without fuss. I even had a lamb who was still on her mother happily take a bottle with this formula. Commercially produced milk replacer smells disgusting, but this mixture smells sweet. It also tastes sweet, whereas if you've ever sampled lamb milk replacer you know it's nasty. My lambs do very well on this, weaning off their bottles looking better than the ewe raised lambs. I did make one change to the mix, and that was adding a cup of heavy cream to up the fat content."

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

If you've got a good thing going, don't change it. The easiest thing to do with a bottle lamb is to start a cascade of problems when the milk is too rich, the lamb gets too much, you have to change formulas, etc.

 

Merrick Super Lamb is made with coconut fat and smells very sweet (it tastes good, too). I get terrific results with it and always start out the season with a bucket on hand. Thank goodness, the last couple years it's just been sitting in the freezer except for a brief time of supplementing MY "Shaun the Sheep," a triplet who was falling behind. It only took a few feedings and he was bellying up to the bar like a champ again.

[NorthfieldNick]

I've used a somewhat similar formula, but with raw milk from our dairy cows. The lambs did quite well on it. I had to replace the formula in the bucket often because they were late lambs, it was warm outside, and the milk was no pasteurised. Given that the cows were producing way more milk than I could use, and I dumped the wasted stuff to the pigs, it wasn't a big deal. I lambed early this year, and the red cow apparently enjoys being the size of a whale, so I'm stuck with bought milk replacer.

 

I think most milk replacer smells like vanilla pudding! It tastes gross, though...

[concrete]

I have to agree with Becca about Mericks smelling good. I've never gotten the nerve up to drink it though.

 

Kevin

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

I don't make a habit of guzzling lamb milk but several years ago I had a really weak lamb that I tube fed forever - or at least it felt like it. Since the way I tube is to pour it straight into the syringe and just let it settle, the milk would get everywhere inevitably. I much prefer doing it that way to drawing it up and using the plunger, but it requires like, six hands. I've gotten the knack of it now but back then it meant I drank it, breathed it, and wore it. Coconut oil is great for the skin, too, by the way, and it helps the immune system - wards off those late winter colds!