RE: [blackbelly] quads!!

[lissashelton]

Thanks Renee,   What you suggest seems to be happening on its own. When I came home from work today, after 9 hours away,  two had full bellies, but all four acted like they were starving, the little pigs! One is nursing for sure, the others still try to get milk from mom, but don’t seem to get that the teats are about 10 inches lower than they are looking. I am relieved that they are doing all right with a long space between feeding.   Lissa   From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, April 26, 2004 5:05 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [blackbelly] quads!!       Hello Lisa,     I had a very strong healthy Ewe give triplets, and the lambs are now being weaned. In hind sight, I would have taken one of my triplets and supplemented with powdered milk, in addition to getting mother's milk and attention, waiting (starting) after about 2 weeks after birth,  so I did not jepardize the bond between mother and lamb, so that it would be used to getting milk from me and the mother.  I would have picked the smallest one to do this with.      If I had quads, I would choose two to get used to getting milk from me, and supplement with a high quality powdered milk.      I feel like with my triplets that, over time,  the mother singled one of the lambs out, and it did not get milk on a regular basis allowing for it to get weak.  This is not fair to the lamb.  The mother only has 2 teats in most cases, and with such a demand for milk production on her body, she must make decisions sooner than later.  Even though ample nutritional requirements  were more than met.        This is just my two cents.  I have had alot of experience in lambing and raising lambs in the last 4 years.  I do not often have time to write in response to posts, as we have over 400 in our Ewe flock now.  But I feel strongly in taking care of lambs that we facilitated their conception of, on our farms.  Sometimes, even terminating a lamb is the most humane thing to do.  I have learned.      Happy Sheparding,   Renee'