Bottle-Feeding Lambs

In the last week of February, Riley, the baby lamb was born. His mother rejected him and he was not able to be fed by her. Many breeders would not take care of the rejected lamb. However, Mr. Rabel was able to bottle-feed Riley. However, Riley is significantly smaller than the rest of the baby lambs. This is because she is not getting all of the nutrients that are available in utter milk. There are reasons to reject the lamb. The lamb does not have a mother to connect to. The reason why the ewe rejected its baby is because sheep generally connect their birth pain with their babies. The birth of Riley was painful and thus, she connected her pain with Riley. Another reason why the ewe could have rejected the baby is because of the sharp teeth that they may have, which can cause pain to the utters. When lambs are first born, it is important that they consume colostrum within the first twenty-four hours. Colostrum contains nutrients that protect the lamb from catching any diseases. Colostrum is in ewe's milk. Thus, it was hard for Riley to collect that nutrient. However, there is artificial colostrum. It is important for the caretaker to bottle-feed the lamb for at least two months. Even though Riley is significantly smaller than the rest, he is getting enough nutrients.