Newborn Lamb Learns to Suckle

We wanted to share this experience because it made quite an impact on us: We have eight sheep here on the farm. Yesterday morning we went down to the James to see the mighty river at its flood level. When we returned home, to our surprise, a tiny baby lamb was tucked up under one of our ewes, Meek. An unexpected situation as we normally plan for them to birth in March but nonetheless, a precious blessing we were grateful for.

We watched from afar checking every few minutes to see if the little lamb had started to nurse. To our great frustration she just wouldn’t latch on. We started to worry that Meek wasn’t producing milk and finally decided it would be best to put them in their own area and allow them some privacy from the other sheep. We wanted to make sure the lamb got some colostrum which is the fluid that initially comes from the mother that contains vital nutrients and enzymes which help to jump-​start the little lamb. It is pretty necessary that the newborn receive the colostrum within the first 24 hours of life or it will struggle. After some kind of hullabaloo we had moved the little one and her mother to a fenced in part of the yard and were able to discern that mommy’s milk was not flowing.

We were concerned.

Fortunately, Amherst Milling Co. (est. 1823) was still open so we jumped in the truck and headed over to get some colostrum and milk replacement. Bill, the kind and helpful gentleman who runs the store, set us up with the milk mix, a baby bottle, and some excellent advice. As we were leaving he went over to a drawer and gave us a milking syringe tip and explained how it might help the milk flow. We thanked him and sped home knowing it would be dark by the time we returned. We got back and found the little lamb curled up on the ground, still not nursing. We managed to turn Meek over and calm her while we helped to get her milk flowing. Bill’s advice worked! However, the newborn still wouldn’t latch on, being too weak to suckle with any strength. We decided to take the little lamb inside which isn’t the first thing you want to do because you run the risk of it becoming dependent on the bottle, but there didn’t seem to be any other option. We sat with her next to the wood stove while she took an hour and a half to drink three ounces of Colostrum.

We’ll never forget the sound of her first swallow and the welcoming gurgle her little tummy made. God bless us!

If you’ve never held a little lamb in your arms, make sure to add it to your list of things to experience before leaving this earth.

After she finishing the bottle, we returned little lamb to her mother and tucked them both away inside a little shelter lain with new straw. When we came out this morning to check on them, there was are little lamb standing on all fours sucking hungrily away at Meeks teets…success!

Though we’ve had lambs born before, this was the first time we had experienced this particular situation. After going through it, we felt so grateful, mostly for the happy ending but as well, for the reminder that life really is a learn as you go kind of deal. Thanks for checking in. Make sure to take a look at the picture in the ‘New Born Lamb’ photo album.

Warm regards, Luke and Adrienne