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• Part 1 of 3: Preparing the formula
• Part 2 of 3: Feeding the lamb to the bottle
• Part 3 of 3: Preventing problems

Sometimes it is necessary to bottle feed a lamb if the mother has died at birth or if the mother rejects the lamb for no apparent reason. Make sure you start bottle feeding as soon as possible so that the lamb survives. There are certain guidelines to follow when bottle-raising a lamb.

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Part 1 of 3: Preparing the formula

1. Go to a vet. If you have to bottle-raise a lamb, the lamb's mother is probably no longer alive or one of the ewes has rejected her lamb. Take the lamb to the vet before trying to take care of the lamb yourself. The vet will tell you exactly what the lamb needs in terms of care and nutrition. He or she will also help you find the right milk and colostrum substitutes to feed your lamb and make sure the lamb is getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
2. Buy colostrum substitute. Colostrum, or colostrum, is the first milk a ewe produces after birth. It is indispensable for the health and well-being of a lamb.
   • Colostrum is important because it contains many nutrients and also protects lambs against a number of pathogens. Lambs do not carry antibodies at birth and therefore need colostrum to produce antibodies and to fight possible diseases and infections.
   • A lamb needs 10% of its body weight in colostrum after birth. A lamb weighing 5 kilos must therefore drink 500 ml of colostrum during the first 24 hours of its life. If a lamb has been rejected or lost by its mother, give it colostrum replacement as soon as possible. If you're raising lambs, it's a good idea to have a colostrum substitute in the house for emergencies anyway.
   • You can buy colostrum substitute at most stores that sell animal feed and pet supplies.
3. Buy milk replacer. Your lamb will need to drink milk replacer for about the first 13 weeks of its life.
   • You can also buy milk replacer at businesses that sell animal feed. When you have opened the product, keep it in a closed jar with a capacity of a few liters. To repel insects, you can put some bay leaves on the lid of the jar.
   • Make sure you use milk replacer specifically for lambs. Instead of milk replacer for lambs, do not use products for calves, as they contain other nutrients and vitamins and do not keep a lamb healthy.
4. Make your own formula if necessary. If you can't find a milk replacer and colostrum replacement, you can make your own formula at home. It is recommended that you try store-bought products first as they will certainly contain the right nutrients. Only choose homemade formula as a last resort.
   • You can make a colostrum substitute by mixing 750 ml of cow's milk with a beaten egg, a teaspoon of cod liver oil and a teaspoon of glucose. You can also make it by mixing 600 ml of cow's milk with a teaspoon of castor oil and a beaten egg.
   • You can make a milk substitute by mixing a teaspoon of butter with a teaspoon of dark maple syrup, a can of unsweetened condensed milk, and vitamins for lambs in tablet and liquid form that you can buy at a store that sells animal feed.
5. Prepare the bottle. For a lamb you use a baby bottle with a capacity of 250 ml and a rubber teat.
   • Initially fill the bottle with 10% of the weight of the lamb in colostrum. Give this to the lamb within the first 24 hours of its life. If possible, feed the lamb every 2 hours during this time.
   • After the first feedings with colostrum, the lamb needs 150 ml of milk replacer. Put the correct amount in the bottle. Heat the bottle until it is warm to the touch but not scalding hot, just like you would with a baby bottle.
   • Sterilize the bottles and teats regularly with a disinfectant solution or a baby bottle steam sterilizer. Milk residues are an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Do not use bleach as it will damage the teats.

Part 2 of 3: Feeding the lamb to the bottle

1. Draw up a feeding schedule. When the first 24 hours are up, draw up a feeding schedule for your lamb and stick to it.
   • For the first 24 hours after the colostrum feedings, give the lamb 150 ml of milk replacer every four hours. Then you give the lamb 200 ml of milk replacer four times a day. Keep a record of the times you feed the lamb and make sure you feed it at the correct intervals.
   • When two weeks have passed, you can gradually start giving the lamb more milk.
   • As mentioned above, warm up the milk replacer first so that it feels warm but is not boiling hot.
2. Hold the lamb's head up, help it to stand and let it drink from the bottle. When you have measured the correct amount of milk replacer and prepared the bottle, you can feed the lamb.
   • Lambs must drink standing up. Do not take the lamb on your lap or hold it with your arm while it is drinking from the bottle, as this could cause a clot in its lung.
   • Most lambs instinctively drink from the bottle. If your lamb isn't drinking, push the bottle's teat against its lips. This should encourage him to drink.
3. After the first week, also give the lamb water, hay and grass. After a week of bottle feeding with colostrum and milk replacer, it is important to also give the lamb some solid food.
   • Give the lamb fresh water, hay and grass. Let him eat and drink as much as he likes.
   • When the lamb is strong enough, let it graze with the rest of the flock so that it can socialize with the other sheep.
4. Give the lamb more milk replacer every two weeks. As the lamb grows, you give it more and more milk replacer.
   • After you have given the lamb 200 ml of milk replacer four times a day for two more weeks, slowly build up to 500 ml of milk replacer four times a day.
   • After another two weeks, gradually give the lamb more milk replacer until he gets 700 ml of milk replacer three times a day.
   • After 5 or 6 weeks you start to reduce the amount of milk. Give the lamb 500 ml of milk replacer twice a week.
5. Stop the lamb from drinking milk when it is 13 weeks old. When your lamb is 13 weeks old he should not drink any milk at all and should only be fed hay, food, grass and water. Make sure to keep an eye on the time and stick to your schedule to gradually taper off bottle feeds after 5 to 6 weeks.

Part 3 of 3: Preventing problems

1. After bottle feeding, keep an eye on the lamb to make sure it has had enough. You must ensure that your lamb does not get too much or too little food. There are several ways to ensure that your lamb is getting enough nutrition.
   • After bottle feeding, the sides of the lamb's body should run straight from the hips to the ribs. This is ideal, because it means that the lamb has received enough nutrition.
   • If you notice that the sides of the lamb's body are swollen after bottle feeding, give your lamb less milk the next time because you probably gave it too much.
2. Take steps to prevent hypothermia. Lambs are often bottle-fed because their mother rejected them or died. If a lamb cannot warm itself up using the body heat of other sheep, its body temperature can drop dangerously and it can become hypothermic. There are measures you can take to prevent hypothermia.
   • A lamb that is starting to become hypothermic is weak, skinny and likely to crawl. You can use a rectal thermometer to measure the lamb's body temperature. A lamb normally has a body temperature of 38.9 to 39.4 ° C. A lower body temperature can indicate problems.
   • Wrap the lamb in a towel to warm it. You can also warm up your lamb with a hair dryer or buy him a special coat that you can wear overnight. Heat lamps are not recommended as they can cause a fire in the house.
   • Make sure there are no drafts in the house, especially in winter.
3. Prevent pneumonia. Pneumonia is a common problem in lambs, especially bottle-fed lambs. Even with colostrum substitutes, these lambs don't always get enough antibodies to fight bacteria.
   • Pneumonia is characterized by breathing problems, an increased heart rate and fever. A lamb with pneumonia probably doesn't want to drink.
   • Draft and humidity are the main causes of pneumonia. Provide a clean, dry house without drafts to prevent your lambs from contracting pneumonia.
   • If your lamb develops pneumonia, get antibiotics from a vet and administer them as soon as possible.