Lamb (23 photos): features of feeding a small newborn baby sheep. How to dilute powdered milk correctly? growing rules

Major diseases of sheep and lambs

Sheep diseases are divided into non-contagious, infectious and parasitic. Of the non-contagious diseases, pneumonia is the most common in sheep, and bronchopneumonia is especially common in lambs. The cause of bronchopneumonia in lambs is dampness, drafts, and increased amounts of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide in the premises. For more details, see our article - catarrhal bronchopneumonia. If the rules of grazing and feeding are not followed, rumen tympany (acute rumen tympany in goats and sheep), atony and hypotension of the proventriculus (atony and hypotension of the proventriculus in sheep and goats) are possible. With a lack of vitamin E, microelements, especially selenium in the diet, white muscle disease (white muscle disease of young farm animals) is widespread among lambs when feeding leached hay. If feeding rules are violated and the feeding ration is unbalanced, lambs eat their wool, which in the gastrointestinal tract forms hairballs and the animal develops bezoar disease (bezoar disease of young animals). As a result of a lack of sulfur and iodine in the diet, sheep and especially lambs develop a disease called endemic goiter (endemic goiter in animals). If there is a lack of the microelement copper in the diet, lambs develop an endemic disease called enzootic ataxia of lambs (paraplegia). Non-contagious diseases of ewes include their disease with mastitis (a type of mastitis in sheep). If the rules of grazing and preventive measures are not followed, numerous invasive diseases can occur in sheep. Among the invasive diseases of sheep, the most common diseases are fascioliasis, dictyocaulosis (dictyocaulosis of cattle and sheep), moniesiosis (moniesiosis of cattle and sheep), coenurosis or whirling disease, echinococcosis. Sheep and lambs may develop such infectious diseases as listeriosis, leptospirosis, chlamydia, salmonellosis (salmonellosis of sheep and goats), colibacillosis, smallpox (sheep and goat pox), infectious agalactia (infectious agalactia of sheep and goats), infectious enterotoxemia of sheep, brads of sheep , brucellosis (brucellosis of small cattle), anaerobic dysentery of lambs, necrobacteriosis.

What is the correct name for a baby sheep?

You can often find the following names:

sheep;
baby sheep;
sheep;
lamb;
little sheep;
sheep, etc.

But there is also a universal term that can be used to call children of both sexes.

lamb

There is a theory that the term “lamb” comes from the Latin word “agnus.” This is what these animals were called in Ancient Rome many centuries ago. From this word comes the name “lamb,” which is also sometimes used to call lambs. But this term is already considered outdated, it is surrounded by excessive religiosity and is often associated with the ritual of sacrifice.

Therefore, in the modern world the term “lamb” has been completely replaced by the more melodic “lamb”.

What does the baby look like?

The lamb, the child of a sheep and a ram, is a cute and charming animal that attracts the attention of everyone who sees it. Young offspring usually weigh about 3-4 kg.

Main differences and features:

lack of hair or a small amount of it;
mobility;
activity;
curiosity.

Babies do not have horns in the usual sense. Due to the fact that they naturally do not see well enough, in most cases lambs are found in groups of several animals. After giving birth, an adult sheep needs to be in a warm room for the first 3-4 hours so that it has access to a sufficient amount of water.

Lamb selection

After weaning, the first selection of lambs is carried out, they are divided according to purpose and gender. Sheep that are not intended for the restoration of the main herd (flock) can be contracted and then sold for subsequent breeding. Ewe lambs, unless they come from dams listed in the books of animals for rearing, must be assigned to intensive fattening and sold as animals for slaughter.

But all lambs need to have their tails trimmed. This is usually performed 2 weeks after birth. Trimming the tails is necessary in order to have clean wool: sheep whose tails are not trimmed have a significant portion of the wool that is usually dirty and unsuitable for spinning. This procedure can be carried out by the owner himself, of course, adhering to specific rules:

To do this, choose a cloudy, cool day. When trimming tails, you can use special scissors or a well-sharpened knife.
The lamb is held between the knees, head towards you and, pulling the fold of skin to the beginning of the tail, the tail is cut off between the 2nd and 3rd vertebrae.
The wound must be filled with iodine, and then the skin, which was pulled back the day before the cut, is put on to the tip and the wound is closed.

On days when lambs are being de-tailed or castrated, special care must be taken to ensure that the cages in which the lambs are housed have clean bedding lined with fresh straw, so that wounded lambs do not rub against rotten or wet bedding until the wounds are healed. they won't heal.

At approximately the same age (usually between 3 and 4 weeks of life), rams are collected that are unsuitable for renewing the herd, but are left on the farm. A cold lamb fattens better, is quieter and produces wool of good quality. For this, they also select a cloudy, cool day, because in warm sunny weather flies appear and wounds may fester. Castration of lambs is performed by a veterinarian. If the lambs are intended to be quickly fed and used for meat for personal needs, then it is better not to castrate them at all, since this procedure, unfortunately, is not at all painless.

Sheep with late development, with defects in structure or wool should also be assigned to intensive feeding and sold for slaughter or used for meat for personal needs. The skins of slaughtered lambs can be sold or used for personal needs. They have quite delicate fur. Weaned lambs are grazed on the best pastures with good grass stand, and at the same time fed with concentrates at the rate of at least 200–250 grams per head per day. In winter, mineral supplements are added to the mixture of concentrates: chalk, table salt, bone meal, 5–10 grams for each feeding.

When there are not enough mineral elements in the diet, lambs eat wool, dirty bedding and soil, which pollutes the stomach and often leads to death. Lambs need to be watered more often than mature animals - 3-4 times a day.

How to help a female during childbirth?

An experienced farmer must know the lambing date, which is calculated based on the time of mating. Of course, labor can begin several days earlier or later, for many reasons, so a pregnant sheep should be constantly monitored. About 48 hours before lambing, her udder noticeably swells, her stomach drops down, and her genitals become enlarged.

Before giving birth, the female's udder swells noticeably

As the birth process approaches, the behavior of the sheep also changes - it becomes irritable, can rake the bedding, and lies on its side. Most often, healthy animals do not require additional assistance and cope with childbirth on their own. However, it is recommended to monitor the process, especially if it is a primiparous female.

Farmer's help is required in the following situations:

The amniotic sac usually ruptures during lambing, but if this does not happen, then it should be ruptured independently. After all, if you miss time, the baby will suffocate.
After the lamb is born, the female usually bites its umbilical cord. If it does not show active actions, then you can cut it yourself with sterile scissors. It is cut off at a distance of 8 centimeters from the stomach, and then treated with iodine.
The female must lick her young. If this does not happen, then you need to wipe the lamb with a clean cotton cloth, paying special attention to the eyes, mouth and nasal cavity. The amniotic sac should be discarded.
Some lambs are born strangled, so you can try to resuscitate them - breathe air into the baby's mouth.
A few minutes after birth, the lamb should be on its feet. At the same time, he needs help finding the udder and nipple. It is recommended to express the first drops of colostrum because they are too fatty.

If the baby rests his feet, you should help him be born

If labor is weak, the sheep may need the help of a veterinarian who will give a stimulating injection. At the end of the birth, the female should produce an afterbirth, which should not be left in the pen - the sheep should not eat it.

Note! After giving birth, the female experiences extreme thirst, so she is given warm water every two hours, but they begin to feed her later - every other day.

Video - How to help a sheep during childbirth?

Who is a lamb: what is the name of a baby sheep and ram, goat, pig

People often know that ewe and ram are representatives of the same species. A ram is a male sheep, and a ewe is a female. But not everyone can answer the question of what a baby sheep and ram is called.

A wide variety of terminology is used in everyday life - a small lamb, a sheep, and a baby sheep. Depending on the sex of the animal. To some extent this is the right approach.

Some people even call the children of sheep - kids, due to their external resemblance. What do you call a baby sheep?

Baby sheep: what is the name of the animal

In order to answer this question, you need to understand everything in order. Let's start with adult animals. A sexually mature female is called a sheep, and a male is called a ram. When the female is in heat, she is allowed to mate with a ram. As a result, after about 150 days, a tiny, weak baby is born, barely able to stand on its feet.

Newborn goats are often confused with baby goats, which are called kids. However, if you take a closer look, it becomes clear that there are a lot of differences between the young animals of these two animals.

We often hear that a baby sheep and ram is called:

a ram, if it is a male;
a lamb, if it is a female.

When the individuals grow up and reach sexual maturity, they will be called ram and sheep, respectively. However, such a name can only be applied to those animals whose sex we know for sure. There are a lot of surveys and those participating in them often call these kids incorrectly. The funniest options:

There is also a name that has a religious meaning.

According to religious canons, young individuals are called “lamb”.

This name is correct, but cannot be used in everyday life, since the name “lamb” implies a quick sacrifice of the animal to God.

A child of a sheep is correctly called a “lamb.” Scientists claim that the word is very old. It is not possible to trace the etymology of the word to the end.

If we take the word apart, the root “yagn” will be translated as “sheep”, and the suffix “yonok” indicates a reduced form of the creature.

Thus, it became clear why the baby sheep and ram are called this way. Once you know the origin of the word, you will be able to give an extensive and clear answer to questions about the origin of the name of the baby ewe and ram.

Religious name

We have already found out what a baby sheep is called. But there is a name that has religious significance. This word is "lamb". It is also called the “lamb of God”, or the sacrificial lamb.

When telling children about animals and their children, this point can be omitted and their question “What is the name of a baby sheep and ram?” You can safely answer: “Lamb.”

In addition, the word “lamb” is very old, and it is practically impossible to trace its origin today.

Naming animals correctly

A ram and a sheep are representatives of the same type of domestic animal. They have one difference: the ram is a male, and the ewe is a female. It is when these two individuals are crossed that a small sheep is obtained.

It has several names, especially in the everyday vocabulary. Depending on the gender of their child, people may call them a lamb or a lamb. On the one hand, this is correct, but the baby ram has its own correct name, suitable for both sexes of children. What is the name of a baby ewe and ram? The correct name is lamb.

Now let's look at what the children of other animals are called:

Cow + Bull = Calf;
Goat + Goat = Kid;
Horse + Horse (mare) = Foal;
Donkey + Donkey = Foal;
Pig + Pig (female) = Piglets;
Camel + She-Camel = Baby Camel.

Now it becomes clear what the baby of a cow, goat, camel, pig, etc. is called. And there is no need to confuse them and call them completely incorrect names. As population surveys show, many answer the question: “What is the name of a baby sheep” with the following answer options:

And these are all wrong answers.

Even a baby sheep can also be called by a religious name. You can hear it from your great-grandparents - a small individual (a baby goat) is called a “lamb.” This name also refers to the correct one, but it is simply inappropriate to use it in everyday life. Since when translated this word means that in the near future a small child will be sacrificed to an animal god.

Artificial feeding

Artificial feeding in each individual case will differ depending on the breed of sheep and rams, because some babies are suitable for dairy production, while others are suitable for meat or down. At the same time, do not forget that the correct diet allows you to achieve the desired result from keeping livestock.

How does a baby ram differ from other baby animals?

Lambs are very cute and attractive animals in appearance. They have naive and kind faces . Therefore, little lambs are often residents of petting zoos and farms where excursions for children are held.

Outwardly, these animals strongly resemble baby goats - kids . They differ only in their thicker hair and the characteristic shape of their ears.

The lamb is not only a cute and beautiful animal, but also provides a valuable product for its owners. Lamb is the meat of a slaughtered animal up to one year old.

Young sheep meat is considered a healthy food product. Like veal, it contains many minerals, essential amino acids and vitamins. But the calorie content exceeds that of beef. At the same time, lamb has a low percentage of cholesterol compared to cow or pig meat. Young lamb meat also contains healthy zinc and rare vitamin B12.

If we take into account the peculiarities of the development of a lamb, then it is very similar to a kid. An interesting baby skill is to call his mother to him with a specific and loud sound - bleating.

Feeding lambs

In the first days of life, lambs feed only on their mother's milk - they are fed to the udder every 2-3 hours. Sheep milk has a high nutritional value, due to which for every 5 liters of milk the cubs add a whole kilogram of body weight. Sheep milk contains a large percentage of proteins and all the microelements and fats necessary for the development of offspring. Thus, the average calorie content of milk is 125 kcal/100 grams.

Mother's milk is a complete nutrition for kids from the first days after birth

Sometimes a female can abandon her cubs, then they are placed with another mother or fed artificially.

How to transfer offspring to another queen?

Most often, primiparous females refuse to feed their cubs, especially if there is a large litter. Sometimes farmers feed the lambs themselves or transfer them to another female if the mother herself has too little milk.

In such cases, the lamb must be brought near the new uterus and wait until she sniffs it. If the female has accepted the lamb, then it is left, but when she shows aggression, it is better to immediately take the baby out of the pen.

The introduction of a sheep and a foreign lamb must be controlled

You can increase the chances of a successful replanting if you carry out these manipulations at night. In this case, it is better to spray the babies with the milk of the uterus, then she will not be able to distinguish them from her offspring.

How does a baby ram differ from other baby animals?

Outwardly, these animals strongly resemble baby goats - kids . They differ only in their thicker hair and the characteristic shape of their ears.

The lamb is not only a cute and beautiful animal, but also provides a valuable product for its owners. Lamb is the meat of a slaughtered animal up to one year old.

alt-zem.org

What is so interesting about the mother of a lamb as a representative of the animal world?

The issue of sheep, rams and their young has already been addressed, now it comes to some interesting facts that you probably have not heard about before. Here are some of them:

These cute curly creatures don't know how to find their way home. Some scientists associate this fact with the presence of dementia in animals. Others believe that sheep have an innate lack of spatial orientation skills, as well as poor eyesight. This makes sense: how can you remember the road if you simply don’t see it? Even if we agree with the first statement and admit that these animals are stupid by nature, we cannot but agree that, despite this shortcoming, they are unusually cute creatures, especially lambs.

Sheep have no leader. The emergence of a leader is hampered by the presence of a herd instinct; they simply cannot distinguish it, since everyone behaves like everyone else. However, the shepherds manage to solve this problem. They send a goat (or male goat) to graze among the sheep. In this case, the herd not only has a leader, but also a guide who knows and can show the way home.
Many, most likely, have heard about the incredible taste of lamb meat, this is true, and this will not surprise anyone. But few people know that milk and cheese are also very beneficial for health, having an almost healing effect on the entire body. These products were worth their weight in gold even by ancient Egyptian doctors. The big discovery was the discovery of the oldest recipe for sheep's cheese, which dates back more than 2000 years.

A herd of sheep is called a flock, and this gathering is led by a person by profession, a shepherd (shepherd). In this difficult task (we already know how dependent creatures sheep are), he is often helped by a team of specially trained dogs that herd the animals together, not allowing them to wander wherever they please, and also protect them from all sorts of predators and search for missing ones.

№	Helpful information
1	these animals do not remember the way home and can easily get lost
2	they do not have their own leader in the herd (or, if correctly, in the flock), so goats often lead the flock
3	Sheep milk is recognized as one of the healthiest in the world

The poor ability of sheep to navigate in space is not at all related to the “dumbness” of these animals

They just have very poor eyesight and a poor sense of smell. For these reasons, they constantly strive to huddle together (herd instinct) and try to follow each other (where one sheep goes, so do all the others). This is why flocks are often led by goats whose eyesight and ability to remember the way home are fine

That is why flocks are often led by goats, whose eyesight and ability to remember the way home are fine.

World-famous and popular cheeses such as Roquefort, Ricotta, feta cheese and many others are made from sheep's milk. Despite its specific smell and high percentage of fat content (up to 9 percent), this product is considered useful and even almost healing. The oldest recipe for sheep cheese found by scientists was invented two thousand years ago.

Dingoes are almost extinct, and the fence still stands to this day. This protective structure was erected back in 1885, and under its protection many not only sheep, but also rabbits and, of course, kangaroos bred.

So, I hope that now you know not only who the lambs are and the names of their parents, but also some interesting facts from the life of these animals that you can show off to your friends.

Every farmer knows that the maximum daily weight gain in young animals is observed under comfortable housing conditions. However, there are other factors that influence this process:

Features of the breed. Animals of some breeds do not grow above a certain weight even with intensive feeding.
Gender. It is known that males are born large and then rapidly gain body weight. Even adult females always weigh less than growing rams.
Dimensions of the uterus in a sheep, where the baby develops. Sometimes the small size of the organ interferes with the full growth of the lamb.
The litter is too large (3-4 lambs). The female's milk may not be enough for all the lambs.
Diet for artificial feeding. Only in the case of properly selected nutrition is normal weight gain observed.

When a large litter appears, lambs are often divided between other females

Factors that influence lamb survival

Every farmer knows that the maximum daily weight gain in young animals is observed under comfortable housing conditions. However, there are other factors that influence this process:

When a large litter appears, lambs are often divided between other females

Small lambs gain weight much worse than their large relatives. In addition, they may be developmentally delayed and often experience late puberty, so the farmer will have to pay special attention to such animals.

Interesting facts about sheep

At first glance, sheep are unremarkable animals. However, there are many interesting facts related to these artiodactyls. It will come as a surprise to many that sheep have a good memory. Animals are able to remember from the first time which feeder the food is in, and the next time they approach this particular feeder. High intellectual development is also indicated by the fact that they distinguish shapes and colors.

The main products of sheep farming are meat, milk, sheepskin and wool. One of the most promising areas is wool production. Hair shaving is carried out throughout the life of the artiodactyl, starting from 1 year. Farmers annually remove up to 20 kg of fleece from one wool sheep.

Pregnancy and childbirth

Ewes carry their lambs for 145 days. If everything goes well, then lambing should be expected on the 146th day. Sometimes females walk a little longer, or, conversely, less (this option is especially likely during multiple pregnancies). In addition, the gestation period depends on the quality of food fed to the sheep, the age of the animal and its individual characteristics, health. It is known that if a female is deficient in minerals, pregnancy may be delayed. The same thing happens if this is the first birth for a female.

Sheep usually give birth on their own. In rare cases, veterinary assistance is required.

There are some signs that the time for labor is approaching. The sheep's udder becomes full, the belly sags, the external genitalia swell and take on a bright color, the tail thickens. When all these signs are detected, the sheep needs to be placed in a separate room where it will be warm and dry. Immediately before giving birth, females become restless, walk around the pen, and lose their appetite.

Childbirth takes place in several stages:

Opening of the uterus, this lasts 1-2 hours.
Expulsion of the fetus occurs in 5-50 minutes. During a normally developing pregnancy, the lamb walks forward with its front legs and head. After the front part of the body and head emerge, the lamb falls out. The umbilical cord breaks on its own. The sheep clears its airways and licks the lamb.
When the pregnancy is multiple, the second baby is born within the next 10-45 minutes.
After the babies are born, the afterbirth comes out - the amniotic membranes and placenta. This happens in 4-6 hours. The lambing process is considered complete at this point. If a ewe has one lamb, normal labor lasts 5-9 hours, with two lambs it lasts 6-10 hours. If more than 2 lambs are born, the birth takes up to 18 hours.

Sometimes veterinary intervention is required during childbirth. The need for intervention can be determined by the following criteria:

The animal behaves non-standardly: lowers or, conversely, throws back its head.
The animal's joints are uncharacteristically bent.
If a transverse position of the fetus is noticed, the presentation is dorsal.
If a vertical position and abdominal presentation are noticed.
If two lambs move through the birth canal at once.
If any fetal deformities are noticed.
If the uterus does not expel the placenta within the prescribed amount of time. In such cases, an injection of a stimulant drug is necessary. Typically, veterinarians recommend oxytocin. This drug immediately releases the placenta, and also stimulates lactation.

It is especially important to monitor births where one lamb is born. As a rule, it is much larger than usual

Goat, goat and kid

Another domestic animal often found on farms is the goat. These artiodactyls provide humans with more than just milk from which cheese is made. Depending on the breed, in addition to milk and meat, they also produce skins, wool and fluff.

I must say that there are significantly fewer problems with naming a child a goat. The male of this animal is a goat, the female is a goat. And even the smallest children, thanks to fairy tales and cartoons, know that a baby goat is a kid. As you can see, the already familiar suffix is again involved in the formation of the cub’s name.

Sometimes non-specialists call baby goats lambs. This is absolutely false. As is already clear, each domestic animal has its own name for its children: a sheep has a lamb, a goat has a kid.

By the way, a goat can give birth to 1 to 5 kids. So the famous tale about the wolf somewhat exaggerates the fertility of this animal.

Baby Sheep: What is the correct name for a baby sheep?

We know, at the very least, what these or those animals are called. Cows, horses, pigs, sheep...

But what to call their cubs can already be a problem. For example, what is the name of a baby sheep?

Baby sheep - what should we call you?

To answer this simple question, we suggest starting in order – with the parents. An adult male of the sheep breed is called a ram, and an adult female is called a sheep. Like all mammals, after the mating of a ram with a sheep (they also say “the ram covers the ewe”), after about five months they have cubs.

Often newborn sheep are confused with kids. Although both of them belong to small cattle, they are still different animals, and it is quite easy to find the differences between them.

In many films and cartoons, baby sheep are called:

a ram if a “boy” was born;
a lamb if a “girl” was born.

We said above what to call adult animals of this species. Is everyone able to determine the sex of small sheep? I think, offhand, this will cause difficulties for a simple city dweller who is not involved in sheep farming. The results of surveys and questionnaires of residents of megacities showed that many city residents call sheep children in very interesting ways. Here are the funniest names:

ram;
sheep;
sheep;
sheep and so on.

So how will it be right? A baby sheep, regardless of gender, is called a “lamb.”

According to experts, the etymology of this word goes deep into ancient times, and it is quite difficult to trace it. Many linguists and linguists believe that this word originally came to us from Latin - “agnus”, and in our language it was transformed into “lamb”.

However, such an Old Church Slavonic name is used rather in a religious sense (an innocent lamb is a sacrifice to God), and although it would be correct to call a lamb “lamb,” such a name is still not used in ordinary speech, and it would be more correct to say “lambs.”

In general, lambs are small sheep (the root “yagn” is a sheep, the suffix “-yonok” is a diminutive meaning).

Interesting information about sheep

These animals are characterized by some features unique to them, which we will discuss below. So, let's begin:

1	these animals do not remember the way home and can easily get lost
2	they do not have their own leader in the herd (or, if correctly, in the flock), so goats often lead the flock
3	Sheep milk is recognized as one of the healthiest in the world

The poor ability of sheep to navigate in space is not at all related to the “dumbness” of these animals

They just have very poor eyesight and a poor sense of smell.

For these reasons, they constantly strive to huddle together (herd instinct) and try to follow each other (where one sheep goes, so do all the others).

That is why flocks are often led by goats, whose eyesight and ability to remember the way home are fine.

Another interesting fact is the presence in Australia, where there is a very large population of these animals, of the longest protective fence in the world, stretching more than five and a half thousand kilometers. Why - you ask? To protect sheep from wild dingoes.

More on the topic: Requirements for a sheep pen

So, I hope that now you know not only who the lambs are and the names of their parents, but also some interesting facts from the life of these animals that you can show off to your friends.

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Bibliography:

A.P. Soldiers. Basics of animal husbandry. — 3rd ed. - M.: Agropromizdat, 1988.
Animal husbandry // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: / Ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. — 3rd ed. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978. (Retrieved April 5, 2012)
Animal husbandry - Wikipedia

Pigs and their offspring

Pigs, like sheep, were domesticated by humans at the very beginning of human history. These animals belong to the order Artiodactyls. Pigs provide humans with meat, lard, skin and stubble. This is why they are bred on farms.

A male pig is called a boar, a boar, a hog, a female is a pig, a sow. Baby pigs are called piglets. We need to figure out why the parents and the baby have such different names.

As already mentioned, pigs were domesticated by humans in ancient times. Back then, people preferred to use different words to refer to male and female animals.

The common word pig is cognate with the German Schwein, the English swine and the Latin suinus. Apparently, in the ancient Indo-European language it meant the female of this animal, bearing offspring. So the male form would be the pig. The word comes from the Indo-European sus - pig.

Pigs, like sheep, were domesticated by humans at the very beginning of human history.

But in ancient times the boar was called differently. In the Proto-Slavic language, linguists restored the form porse for it, in Latin - porsus. The ancient Slavs called a male pig poros. This is where the word pig comes from. As is easy to see, it is formed using the suffix -enok, which means a small creature.

Initially, only male babies were called piglets. Gradually the name spread to all children of the pig.

By the way, the process of the birth of cubs is called farrowing, and a pregnant pig is called pregnant, that is, having been under litter. So even our modern language preserves the ancient names of animals.

Demand for young animals on the market

Lambs about 2-3 months old are in great demand, because it is their meat that has a pleasant taste. In addition, animal entrails are also sold, from which various dishes are prepared.

Young animals are in demand among farmers

The skins of young animals are also popular. They are used in the manufacture of various fur and leather products.

Choosing healthy lambs: step-by-step instructions

Most farmers prefer to purchase lambs for further breeding. However, not every beginner can distinguish healthy animals from sick ones, so we will look at several criteria that will simplify this process.

Step One: The first step is to pay attention to the behavior of the lamb. The baby should not constantly lie in one place - like all cubs, lambs are active and curious

Healthy young animals behave actively

Step two: you should pay attention to the structure of the lamb's body. It is necessary to choose animals with strong bones and proportional physique.

You should not purchase individuals with an overly large head or thin legs.

Small lambs have muscular, thick limbs

Step three: it is recommended to examine the condition of the animals’ teeth - they can be used to determine the age of the sheep or ram.

Young animals have all 32 teeth, without worn incisors or cracks

Artificial feeding

Artificial feeding of lamb

Note! If lambs are raised to produce milk, then special attention should be paid to their feeding during the first 14 days of life. It is during this period that the body actively develops.

If you have to feed the baby yourself immediately after birth, then you first need to milk colostrum for it. You can take it from any female (not just the mother) on the first day after birth, because this product contains special antibodies that are responsible for the formation of immunity. Therefore, it is enough to give colostrum to the cubs at least once.

Convenient feeder for artificial feeding of offspring

In subsequent days, it is permissible to feed the offspring with milk from a sheep, goat or cow. However, experts recommend using only sheep's milk - this has a positive effect on the immunity of babies. It is given in special sterile bottles with nipples (you can buy them at any pet store). The milk should be heated to a temperature of 40 degrees.

Sheep milk replacer (ZOM)

The number of feedings depends on the age of the young:

Milk is stopped given to lambs at the age of 60 days (in the absence of a female). From this period, young animals can make do with other food.

Video - Feeding a lamb with milk

Feeding lambs at 7 days of age

From the age of one week, in addition to milk, babies must be fed hay. It must be given in unlimited quantities, so it is constantly in the feeder. It is dry grass that promotes the full development of the rumen in the animal’s stomach.

Note! To feed young animals, you should prepare or purchase only high-quality hay - it should not be coarse. Otherwise, such feeding will cause indigestion.

In addition, during this period it is recommended to introduce mineral components into the diet - chalk, salt - they help strengthen the skeletal system and build muscle mass.

Week-old lambs readily consume hay

In order to properly develop teeth and improve digestion, it is necessary to feed week-old young animals with green twigs (aspen, birch). The branches contain a large amount of nutritional components and are easily absorbed by the young body.

Feeding from 14 days of life

Two weeks after birth, the diet of the young animals changes - succulent food is introduced into the menu in small portions. It should be borne in mind that new herbs must be given in minimal quantities, observing the body’s reaction.

Prices for popular models of grain crushers, feed cutters and grass cutters

Juicy feeds include the following:

From the age of two weeks, young animals are fed with succulent feed

Note! In order to prevent diarrhea, it is recommended to give oat husks to babies.

From about the 16th day of life, concentrates can be introduced into the diet. Most often, babies are given oatmeal and wheat bran. Until about 30 days they are given about 48 grams of food, then the portion is increased every week. Moreover, it is better to give any concentrates in the form of mash porridge (steamed with hot water).

Preparing wet mash

Feeding from 30 days of life

Upon reaching the first month of life, lambs begin to introduce combined feed into their diet. In addition, the amount of succulent feed is significantly increased, and in particular, more fresh grass is given. At the same time, the amount of milk consumed by the baby per day should be reduced - this will allow the offspring to be quickly separated from the mother in the next month.

At the age of one month, animals are already given compound feed

Since lambs are actively gaining weight during this period, they require more mineral components. Therefore, in a veterinary pharmacy you can purchase special premixes, which already contain a full range of microelements.

Feeding from 60 days of life

At this age, young animals already have a developed and strong stomach, so they are gradually transferred to the diet of adult animals. However, some farmers prefer to keep lambs with a uterus for up to three months, believing that mother's milk promotes active weight gain.

Grown-up lambs are sent out for walking with the adult flock

Closer to the fourth month of life, the cubs are completely separated from the female. From now on, they are allowed to feed any food from adult sheep and rams. At the same time, they are allowed to be released to common pasture no earlier than 3-4 weeks.

Prices for felucene mineral lick for goats and sheep

What should you not feed lambs?

The digestion of lambs is significantly different from that of adult animals, so veterinarians recommend introducing feed into their diet only under strict supervision. However, there are some foods that should not be given to young animals at any stage of development:

Bakery products provoke fermentation processes in the gastrointestinal tract in lambs and adult animals

Post-lambing care

Once the birth is complete, the mother should be left alone with the lamb for 6 hours. After this period, you should bring warm water to the ewe so that she begins to gradually regain strength. After this, the drinker should be removed and the procedure repeated after a couple of hours.

As for the first feeding, it should occur no earlier than 9 hours after lambing. In this case, it is not recommended to change the diet. Feed the sheep the same feed and vitamins as before. Otherwise, various experiments can lead to an upset stomach and poor health of the mother.

We hope you now understand how long pregnancy lasts in a sheep. As you can see, caring for an animal during and after pregnancy and proper delivery play a huge role in running a successful business. If you learn to approach this issue competently, then sheep breeding will bring you huge profits.

Interesting facts about sheep

The issue of sheep, rams and their young has already been addressed, now it comes to some interesting facts that you probably have not heard about before. Here are some of them:

Sheep have no leader. The emergence of a leader is hampered by the presence of a herd instinct; they simply cannot distinguish it, since everyone behaves like everyone else. However, the shepherds manage to solve this problem. They send a goat (or male goat) to graze among the sheep. In this case, the herd not only has a leader, but also a guide who knows and can show the way home.
Many, most likely, have heard about the incredible taste of lamb meat, this is true, and this will not surprise anyone. But few people know that milk and cheese are also very beneficial for health, having an almost healing effect on the entire body. These products were worth their weight in gold even by ancient Egyptian doctors. The big discovery was the discovery of the oldest recipe for sheep's cheese, which dates back more than 2000 years.

When sheep are sheared

The timing of sheep shearing depends on several factors. First of all, from the breed. The fact is that over the course of a year, different sheep’s wool grows to different lengths. For fine wool - 6-9 cm, for semi-fine wool - 6-25 cm or more, for coarse and semi-coarse wool - 15-30 cm. The length of the wool largely determines the timing of the haircut.

For this reason, fine-fleece and semi-fine-fleece sheep are sheared only once a year - in the spring. When such sheep are sheared again, the wool will be shortened and suitable only for the third class (4 and 5.5 cm). But coarse-wool and semi-coarse-wool sheep are shorn twice a year - in spring and autumn. With a single shearing, coarse wool will become very matted on the sheep, and this makes it difficult to further process. The sum of two haircuts results in an increase in wool clipping of 200-300 g.

Grooming young animals

With young fine-fleece and semi-fine-fleece sheep, the situation is a little different. If lambs were born in January-February, by autumn their wool grows 4-5 cm.

When such lambs are sheared, they obtain wool that meets the standard and is 3.5-4 cm long or more. It is best to remove piglets from young animals intended for feeding or fattening. During the fattening period (2-3 months), the wool on the lambs grows to a length that produces high-quality sheepskin. It is not recommended to cut young animals that are left for rearing, since cut animals do not tolerate wintering well, and the wool will be short by spring.

Cow, bull and calf

The cow, like the sheep and pig, was domesticated in ancient times. This animal gives people milk and meat. Her skin is also used.

A male cow is called a bull. And the baby cow is a calf. The names bull and heifer are also acceptable. They indicate the different sexes of the young.

It is worth understanding why again parents and their young have names that come from different roots.

The word “cow” itself comes from the same stem as the Latin cornu, meaning horn. Thus, it is a horned animal.

The origin of the word “calf” is still controversial among experts. The most common version says that in ancient times the word meant “worn out.”

Features of keeping sheep during the winter months

During the winter period, sheep are kept in stalls. During this period, careful care is required. Living conditions will affect not only the weight gain of each individual, but also their overall health.

Food in winter will be harvested hay and various purchased feeds. The food supply is based on the following calculation: an adult animal needs about 500 kilograms of hay and succulent feed. Also, about 50 kilograms of concentrates will be required per animal.

If there is a shortage of hay, you can introduce oat or grain straw into the diet. Sheep eat twig food with pleasure. The branches are plucked in the warm months, thoroughly dried and stored.

Let's sum it up

Despite the fact that lambs require careful care, they are characterized by rapid growth, good health and a thirst for life, so even an inexperienced person can cope with breeding such livestock. The main thing is to constantly monitor changes in animal behavior and not ignore diseases.

In a special article we will tell you in detail about all the advantages of raising sheep at home and, most importantly, we will describe in detail all the stages of caring for them.

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