Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques for Feeding and Managing Newborn Lambs
Naval Disinfection
For many years, some lambs have contracted tetanus, mainly because sheep farmers lack disease prevention knowledge. When assisting with births, they use unsterilized scissors to cut the umbilical cord or unclean thread to tie it off, and some even fail to disinfect or ligate the cord at all, allowing tetanus bacilli to infect the lamb through the navel. Therefore, after a lamb is born, the umbilical wound should be washed with 3% hydrogen peroxide, then the cord cut with sterilized scissors, tied tightly with sterilized thread at 5 cm from the navel, and the cut end coated with 3% iodine tincture to kill pathogens. Alternatively, the lamb can be given a subcutaneous injection of 1500 units of tetanus antitoxin to provide active immunity.
Dehumidification and Warming
After the lamb is delivered, immediately use a clean cloth to clear and dry the mucus from its mouth, nose, eyes and ears, and let the ewe lick the lamb dry all over. If the ewe is unwilling to lick, sprinkle some bran on the lamb's body, or smear the mucus from the lamb onto the ewe's mouth to entice her to lick it. Also light a fire to warm the area and quickly dry the lamb's wool to keep it warm.
Rescue
When a lamb appears to be stillborn, immediately use a clean white cloth to wipe away debris from its mouth and nostrils. If the lamb has inhaled mucus and is having difficulty breathing, hold its hind legs and hang it up while patting its chest to make it expel the mucus. If this does not work, insert a rubber catheter into its throat to suction out the mucus. In cold weather, when a lamb is frozen stiff and cannot stand, light a fire to warm the area while quickly immersing it in a 38°C water bath, gradually adding hot water to bring the temperature to 40-42°C, soak for 20-30 minutes, then pull it out, dry it quickly and place it in a warm spot near the fire.
Early Colostrum Feeding
After a lamb is born, it should be allowed to suckle colostrum early to obtain higher maternal antibodies. The milk secreted by the ewe within 1 week after lambing is called colostrum, which is an ideal natural food for newborn lambs. Colostrum is thick and nutrient-rich, containing large amounts of antibody globulins and abundant mineral elements, which can increase the lamb's disease resistance and promote healthy growth.
Cold Protection and Warming
A newborn lamb has just left the mother's body and its thermoregulatory center is not yet fully developed. Spring weather is changeable, and if cold protection and warming are neglected, the lamb can easily catch a chill and become ill. The lamb shed should be built in a leeward, sunny location. Manure and urine should be removed frequently, dry bedding soil changed often, and the shed kept clean. Spread plenty of dry grass and dry soil where the lambs rest. In cold, snowy or rainy weather, cover the shed's doors and windows with thick straw curtains. Also light a fire for warmth, and prevent rain from soaking the lambs. During the day, let the sheep spend more time outdoors to breathe fresh air and sunlight. More sun exposure increases the content of vitamin D and cholesterol in the body, promotes the lambs' bone development, enhances resistance, and creates a clean and warm living environment for the lambs.
Timely Supplementary Feeding
During the first month, lambs mainly rely on breast milk for nutrition. However, as they grow older and their stomach capacity expands, breast milk alone can no longer meet the nutritional needs of the lambs' growth and development, so supplementary forage must be provided in a timely manner. Starting at 15 days of age, supplement with forage, mainly high-quality fresh pasture grass. Hang fresh dried green grass in the air or let them graze freely. From 20 days of age, train them to eat feed: grind roasted beans, add a few drops of sheep milk, mix with warm water into a paste, and place it in the feed trough so the lambs can sniff and eat freely, about 20 grams per day. In this way, they can learn to eat within 2-4 days, after which the starter feed can gradually be replaced with compound feed.