What can I feed a baby lamb if I don't have lamb milk replacer?

In order to give him the best chance for survival you need to get your vet out there to check him out. Colostrum is the "first milk" that a ewe produces after lambing. Colostrum contains a high level of several nutrients that are important for lamb health and performance. Colostrum also contains a high level of antibodies against a variety of infectious agents. At birth, the lamb does not carry any antibodies because antibodies in the ewe's bloodstream do not cross the placenta. It is critical that lambs receive colostrum during the first 24 hours of life in order to ensure adequate absorption of these antibodies. Antibodies are large protein molecules that can cross the intestinal wall and enter the blood stream of the lamb only during the first 24 to 36 hours of life. Absorption of these antibodies is most efficient during the first few hours after birth. It is recommended that lambs receive 10 percent of the body weight in colostrum by 24 hours after birth. All lambs need colostrum. While it is possible for lambs to survive without colostrum in a relatively disease-free environment, the likelihood of disease and death is higher in lambs that do not receive colostrum. The ideal colostrum source for supplemental feeding of lambs is from healthy ewes in one's own flock. So, if the lamb did not get colostrum this could be a huge problem. Your vet will be able to tell if he got enough colostrum and if not, they can give him some through his neck vein. I am assuming this is available in Romania. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

If you are supplementing her with hay or grains this decrease in milk consumption can be normal, particularly around 6 weeks of age. Potential problems could be associated with digesting the milk or milk replacer causing symptoms of pain and cramping in the digestive tract. If you are noticing diarrhea or soft stools this is very possible. I recommend whole goat's milk as the best milk to feed a lamb until it is weaned. If you can not get goat's milk, then be sure you are using a milk replacer for sheep and try to avoid any soy containing milk replacer. Feeding the milk at room temperature or slightly warmer is best for the GI tract as well. If your lamb stops eating or drinking everything offered I recommend having your veterinarian exam it ASAP as juvenile lambs can decline very quickly.

This lamb sounds extremely ill. You really need to get a vet out there to check him or you need to take him to a clinic for treatment especially if you have never had lambs before. That is going to give him the best chance at survival. Any number of illness and/or diseases can cause those symptoms. I would be worried about the possibility of Listeria, Border disease or copper deficiency but it could be any number of other things. Please get him to a vet.

There are commercial puppy formulas that are the best option, but there are some homemade puppy formulas as well. I am attaching a handout below on caring for orphan puppies. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=576 It recommends the following formula for puppies if a commercial formula is not available. "Makeshift Formula until Commercial Formula can be Obtained Puppies 1 cup whole milk 1 tsp. salad oil 1 drop multi-vitamins (if you have any) 2 egg yolks" Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Lowfat cow's milk does not have the appropriate nutrition profile for baby mammals. I recommend kitten milk replacer. If you do not have access to kitten formula, you can make a homemade formula: 1/2 cup whole milk 1 egg yolk 1 drop pet multi-vitamin 3 crushed Tums (antacid) Mix in a blender and replace every 2-3 days. This homemade formula should only be used until a balanced pet formula can be obtained.

While there are some recipes available online they are not nutritionally balanced. Some people also will recommend using goats milk but it is also not ideal for a puppy's nutritional requirements and can cause either constipation or diarrhea. If you cannot find puppy milk replacer like Esbilac at a pet supply or feed store I'd recommend contacting a veterinarian near you. You can also order it online. Emergency veterinary clinics are often willing to sell milk replacer from their stock if you need it on an urgent basis.

First, I would definitely recommend having the litter and mom examined by your vet - there are a number of health problems that could be making the dam reject the puppies. In general a one week old puppy should be eating about 22-30 ml of commercial puppy milk replacer (such as Esbilac) per day, and should be fed every 2-3 hours. This link has more information on caring for an orphan puppy. I would not recommend using a home made emergency milk replacer recipe. https://www.petcoach.co/article/orphaned-puppies-how-to-raise-them/