Franklin Vets
Franklin Vets - excellence in veterinary care for dairy, farming, lifestyle, equine and household pets. BESTPRACTICE ACCREDITED NZ.
The lamb should be chosen no earlier than 3 days after birth, but preferably 5 days after birth. This allows the lamb to have its mother’s colostrum, which gives protection against diseases and is high in both vitamins and minerals.
On occasion, lambs are rejected by their mother, become orphaned, or are born as triplets. In such cases, one lamb is removed from the mother because she cannot adequately feed all three. In these cases, the lamb may not have received colostrum.
The healthy lamb should have a dry, small navel, lively movements, and clear, bright eyes.
If a ram (male) is chosen, he should be castrated (whethered) with a rubber ring from one week old; otherwise, he will possibly become aggressive as he reaches maturity. Ensure both testicles are down before releasing the ring, or book in one of our Vet Techs to do this procedure.
Basic rearing requires:
Most of these products are available at your local Franklin Vets clinic.
Lamb milk powders are specially formulated to meet the needs of your lamb. Lamb teats that can screw onto a Coke or water bottle, or complete lamb feeding bottles, are available from Franklin Vets. Supplement the milk with lamb or multifeed pellet. Keep your lamb moving regularly so it has access to fresh grass.
Correct feeding procedure is important to reduce the chance of dietary scours, pneumonia and abomasal bloat.
Abomasal bloat can kill up to 30% of bottle-fed lambs before weaning. If feeding big feeds 2-3x/day (as opposed to 5- 6x/day), then you are at HIGH risk & yoghurtising your milk is THE ONLY proven way to remove the risk.
If your lamb is bright, happy and feeding but still has runny poo, dietary scours may be the cause.
For more information about correct feeding procedures and how to prevent these diseases, check out the following flyers:
Follow this link to our blog to learn more, PLUS a yoghurtising recipe.
From vaccinated ewe (vaccinated 2-4 weeks before lambing): - vaccinated with 2 doses of 5-in-1, 4-6 weeks apart, starting from 6 weeks old.
From an unvaccinated ewe, or vaccination status unknown: - vaccinated with Lamb-Vaccine when born, then 2 doses of 5-in-1, 4-6 weeks apart, starting at 2 weeks old.
The 5 in 1 is for the prevention of major clostridial diseases, including pulpy kidney disease, tetanus, black disease, malignant oedema and blackleg.
Once nibbling at the grass, your pets will start to pick up parasites. Drench from six weeks of age and continue every four weeks. We can help you determine what is best for your animals. If you are unsure, please call your local Franklin Vets clinic.
A dry, draught-free house or kennel is required. Sudden temperature changes when it is small can cause pneumonia, and it will grow better if kept warm.
Contact Franklin Vets if you have any concerns about your lamb’s health. We are happy to advise over the phone as to whether an animal requires treatment.
Franklin Vets - excellence in veterinary care for dairy, farming, lifestyle, equine and household pets. BESTPRACTICE ACCREDITED NZ.
