Cold Weather and Lambs

When you're lambing in cold weather you have to pay extra attention to newborn lambs to make sure that they are getting a good start. Some things to watch for are :

• newborn lambs can get cold very quickly because they will be wet, make sure they get well dried off or they can get pneumonia, frost bite or frozen ears and legs. We bring lambs born in cold weather into the house and use hair dryers to dry them completely.
• lambs baaing frequently may be hungry, they might need help drinking or their mom might be blocked so they can't get milk.
• lambs laying down for long time may be weak because they are just trying to stay warm rather than getting up to drink.
• lambs that get their legs wet from going through snow banks or stepping and water pails should be dried off so they don't freeze.

To avoid lamb deaths or illness during cold weather:

• check your herd frequently during lambing time.
• have lots of straw and bedding for both expecting ewes and ewes with lambs.
• invest in some heat lamps for newborn and small lambs, sleeping under the heat lamp will give them a little extra warmth. Just make sure they have cages on the outside so ewes can't get close enough to burn themselves and hang them a fair distance away from any straw or flammable material.
• when checking on lambs in pens with their mothers wake any ones that are sleeping up and watch to make sure they have a drink.
• get newborn lambs to drink as soon as possible the colostrum that they drink contains valuable antibodies.