Oh Baby!

During this time of the year we welcome baby lambs to our flock of Corridale sheep. Each morning we visit the barn listening for the cryes of new baby lambs. This morning one of our new Moms needed a little assistance with nursing. Keeping newborn lambs alive and healthy is the greatest management challenge facing sheep producers. An important strategy for meeting this challenge is making sure that lambs receive adequate colostrum during the first two to three hours of life.

Colostrum is the “first milk” that ewes produce after lambing. Colostrum has a high level of several nutrients that are important for lamb health and performance. Colostrum also contains a high concentration of antibodies against a variety of infectious agents. Immediately after birth, the lamb is exposed to a variety of infectious agents present in the environment, the ram, and other ewes and lambs. Without any protection from these infectious organisms, the lamb may become diseased or die.