B514
Management of Lambs and Kids

Introduction: The following are four major influences that directly affect lamb and kid survival. Special effort should be made to improve producer knowledge and skills in each one of these areas:

1. Genetic Influences:
   1. Breed of sheep or goat:
      1. Crossbred dams are generally better mothers.
      2. Some ewe breeds are considered low in maternal traits.
      3. Variation in lamb/kid mortality can also be due to the sire. This is particularly true when large meat-type breed sires are mated to smaller mothers, thus causing dystocia.
   2. Sex of the lamb/kid:
      1. Males tend to show higher mortality rates than females in spite of their slightly higher birthweight. It appears that a higher incidence of dystocia may be one of the factors involved in the higher death rate of male lambs and kids.
         
         
2. Ewe/Doe Influences:
   1. Pre-natal nutrition:
      1. Poor nutrition in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy leads to newborn losses or a reduction in their size and vigor. Obviously, producer influence plays a significant role in nutrition.
   2. Dystocia: Difficulty in lambing/kidding can account for mortality losses up to 10 percent. Dams that are too small, sires that are too big, and newborns that are too large can all be causes of dystocia. Dystocia can also cause poor maternal behavior, especially in maiden animals giving birth for the first time. See page C460 for details on dystocia.
      1. After a difficult birth, the ewe/doe will tend to retreat from the lamb/kid for a few hours. This results in delayed colostrum ingestion, assuming the newborn sucks at all. Therefore, if the newborn is born alive, the probability of death due to starvation, accidents, and predators is increased due to maternal desertion.
   3. Maternal behavior: Maternal behavior functions to help the newborn find the udder and helps progress the newborn towards successful sucking.
      1. Immediately after giving birth, the drive of the ewe/doe to "mother up" a young animal is very strong. This maternal drive fades rapidly, so the first 12 hours of life are critical for the establishment of the normal ewe-lamb or doe-kid bonding process. The tendency of ewes to lamb away from the flock, thereby removing disturbances, facilitates the formation of this bond.
      2. Maternal licking and nudging stimulates the newborn’s sucking drive and also helps direct the newborn towards the udder. A ewe/doe that has normal, un-injured teats, and has been sheared or crutched (for sheep) will be able to better provide that first drink of colostrum.
      3. Suckling twins - After the 3rd or 4th week, ewes will call the twins to suck and will not allow one to suck unless both are present. This is not always the case during the first few weeks when the newborns are so very vulnerable.
   4. A good mother with strong maternal instincts can also help in situations where the pair is subjected to stressful weather conditions and large, crowded pens.
      

   * If the ewe/doe fails in any of the above mothering techniques, newborn survival is greatly compromised.
   
   

3. Lamb/Kid Influences:
   1. Birthweight and litter size: Birthweight of the newborn is consistently associated with mortality (death).
      1. The highest mortality rates occur in light newborns (lambs < 6.5 lbs. and kids < 5.0 lbs.), and in heavy newborns (lambs > 10 lbs. and kids > 8.5 lbs.).
      2. Mortality increases for single lambs/kids that reach heavy weights. This is largely due to birthing difficulties.
      3. Mortality rates also increase when litter sizes increase from one to two. The larger the litter, the lighter the birth weights of newborns on average and the more competition there is for milk.
   2. Suckling behavior of the lamb/kid:
      1. Suckling drive - Newborns will normally stand, proceed to seek the udder, and suck without aid. Maternal assistance will help to increase this suckling drive. The initial suckling drive seems to be due to inherent stimuli other than hunger. The suckling drive has been shown to decline if a reward is not obtained fairly quickly. The following factors depress the suckling drive:
         • Cold and wet conditions.
         • Energy loss - Lambs/kids may become too weak to nurse if significant energy is lost. Excessive energy losses can be the result of disease, infections, weather extremes, etc.
         • Discomfort - Any pain/discomfort can suppress the desire to nurse.
         • Chilling - Lambs/kids will only attempt to suck if their temperature is above 99^° F.
   3. Failure of colostrum ingestion: Colostrum ingestion plays a critical role in newborn survivability. Studies show that 85 percent of newborn deaths that occur on the first day of birth can be related to failing to consume colostrum.
      1. Bacterial infections are a frequent cause of mortality in colostrum deprived animals. These bacterial infections can cause polyarthritis, pneumonia, and various blood infections.
      2. Disease can occur in 2/3 of the newborns in flocks/herds where they are colostrum deprived and the environment is contaminated.
         
         
      * See page B520 for additional information on colostrum.
      
      
4. Producer Influences: The role of the producer is crucial to success at lambing/ kidding time. The following information identifies the key skills and important traits of an outstanding producer:
   1. The ability to select for superior ewes/does:
      1. Select for ewes/does that have little or no difficulty giving birth.
      2. Select from ewes/does that own (claim) their lambs/kids quickly (proper bonding).
      3. Select for ewes/does that lick their lambs/kids dry and help the newborns find their teats by correct orientation and nuzzling.
      4. Exceptions can be made for the inexperienced ewe/doe, giving birth for the first time. Repeat bad mothers, however, should be culled aggressively from the flock/herd.
   2. The ability to exercise good timing and good judgement:
      1. Timing in the small ruminant business is everything! A good producer has the ability to sense when intervention is needed, but also knows when the situation can be left alone.
      2. The producer needs to be present at lambing/kidding time with a skilled hand for the various problems associated with the following:
         • Dystocia
         • Mother and newborn bonding
         • Young ewes/does as first time mothers
         • Small lambs/kids
         • Very large lambs/kids
         • Multiple births