LEDUC, Alta. – Colostrum is like a life preserver for lambs, a veterinarian told the recent Alberta Sheep Symposium.
Dr. Chris Clark said most problems at lambing can be solved with good shepherding skills and colostrum.
One of the first questions Clark asks sheep farmers who are having problems with lambing deaths is if they’re sure the lambs are receiving colostrum.
It’s vital the lamb receives it within the first 12 hours, said Clark, who worked as a shepherd in England to help pay his way through university.
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“Colostrum really does make the difference between life and death.”
Clark said shepherds should ideally pick up every lamb within 12 hours of its birth and check if its ribs are sunken or its belly pear shaped.
A pear-shaped belly means the lamb has had a good suck and is on its way. Sunken ribs means it hasn’t been fed.
Ewes with triplets should be milked and the colostrum divided between each lamb to give them all an equal chance at survival.
Milking a sheep isn’t as easy as milking a cow, but it can be done, he said.
Getting 100 millilitres of colostrum into a jar when he worked as a shepherd would always bring a cheer, he added.
Colostrum, which is the first milk produced by the mother after its baby is born, helps lambs resist disease and provides key nutrients. Studies have found that the effects of insufficient colostrum can be seen up to two years later in sheep with lower disease resistance, higher deaths and lower milk production during the first lactation.
“Colostrum is stuffed full of antibodies. It’s a concentrated immune system in an udder. This is the way nature gives immunity to lambs.”
Stomach tube helpful
Clark said a stomach tube, and the knowledge to use it, are among the most important pieces of equipment in a shepherd’s tool kit.
“You should be able to pass a stomach tube in your sleep.”
Trying to feed colostrum to a cold or sick lamb out of a bottle is slow, frustrating and often confuses the lamb about where milk comes from.
A stomach tube connected to a syringe full of colostrum can get straight to the belly in 15 seconds.
“It’s one of those life saving procedures in a lamb.”
Producers shouldn’t tube a lamb that can’t lift its head because of the danger of not getting the tube directly to its stomach.
Clark also said producers should build a colostrum bank so they have extra on hand.
If an ewe loses a lamb, the colostrum should be stripped from the ewe and frozen in 15 to 100 mL batches. Good quality colostrum in the freezer is good for more than a year.
“It’s liquid gold,” Clark said.
Colostrum from a cow or from a store is not designed for sheep, but it’s better than nothing, he said.
“Do everything you can to use your own colostrum.”
