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For more information, please contact the FeedLine on
01278 444829 or email info@molevalleyfarmers.com.

Pros and Cons of Different Lamb Rearing Systems

Bottle Feeding

Lamb with bottlePros

  • Ensures an appropriate controlled volume of (usually warm) milk replacer

  • Useful for rearing small numbers of lambs

Cons

  • Very labour intensive feeding and cleaning the equipment

  • Must feed at the same time each day

 

Teated buckets for feeding groups of lambs

FeedingPros

  • Provides opportunity for several lambs to feed ad-lib, so they can drink several times a day

  • Milk can be fed warm or cold

  • Milk drunk little and often, thereby reducing digestive upsets

  • Faster growth rates compared with bottle fed lambs

  • Less labour involved: milk is made up in bigger volumes and it does not require the laborious task of standing holding bottles

Cons

  • Diseases such as orf and scour can spread more easily through shared teats

  • Teats and tubing should be cleaned daily

  • Buckets must be emptied and cleaned regularly to reduce the risk of nutritional scours

Automatic systems: the economically viable option for larger flocks; available on hire from milk replacer manufacturers

Milk replacerPros

  • Milk consumed little and often

  • Low risk of digestive upsets

  • Highest growth rates

Cons

  • Highest set up cost

  • Best hygiene critical. Tubing and mixing bowl must be cleaned daily and the machine calibration checked at least once a week


 


Contact us at MVF if you need more help >>

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