Without a Clue(do) in the World…

And from here he began to follow the hints that we trust will lead him to a life truly worth living.

With medications sent to combat the scourge of all lambs known as “joint-ill” and massages commenced to rid him of his troublesome case of entropion, Cluedo began to feel the world a brighter place.

Lambs are indeed a resilient lot. They are often born in the harshest times of the year, emerging from the warmth of the oven that is their mother’s womb and promptly plonked onto frozen soil. Yet from here they manage to find the wherewithal to stoically wobble on their wonky pins and somehow clumsily navigate their way to that life-enhancing udder. So heralding the way for new life to begin.

The advancement of our species has seen us emerge from caves to our very own castles, but this too has come with a near-separation from the natural world, which has left many without a clue about it. And so, to better help you understand the lot of lambs, here are some facts that will leave you clueless no more:

• Lambs are precocial at birth, which means they are fully developed and are able to see, hear and move about, as distinct from human babies, who are altricial, being born in an immature state and unable to care for themselves.
• Newborn lambs have no teeth, however in the days after birth their eight “baby” lower incisor teeth erupt in pairs, commencing with the centre set.
• It takes the lamb around 30 days for their immune systems to become fully functional. It is for this reason lambs must receive their mother’s first milk, colostrum, or a suitable substitute, as antibodies do not cross from the ewe’s bloodstream through the placenta.
• Colostrum is truly liquid gold! It will kickstart the immature immune system of the lamb. This must occur within the first 24 hours of life (ideally within the first four hours). Beyond this time frame the window of opportunity for the large molecules of colostral antibodies to be absorbed by the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream of the lamb closes. Feeding the lamb water or other milk during this critical period will inhibit absorption of colostrum – please do not do this. Without antibodies in their systems, lambs are extremely susceptible to life-threatening infections.
• Lambs are born with a layer of brown fat also known as adipose tissue. This will be burned to generate heat and help the wee ones regulate their body temperature in those first critical hours of life, enabling them to keep warm until they can feed from their mother. Delaying feeding, coupled with a loss of this fat, is a major cause of lamb mortality due to hypothermia.
• The lamb’s main stomach, the abomasum, is lined with rennet. This rennet is what causes the milk in their stomach to coagulate and from here it can then be absorbed in the intestines. Feeding the lambs milk too quickly after their last feed will not allow for this absorption and can lead to scours. Please be mindful of this if you are feeding lambs and space their feeds out accordingly, roughly at a minimum every three to four hours (slightly less for newborns).
• Whilst sheep have a four-chambered stomach, this is largely undeveloped in the lamb, which means they are basically a monogastric animal. As the baby grows and the abomasum begins to shrink in size whilst the rumen swirls into gear, they will rely less on milk and more on grass and pasture, as they become a true ruminant.

With a better understanding of lambs like dear little Cluedo, we are sure you will agree they are miraculous indeed. And now, clueless no more, you can love them with the wanton abandon they so rightly deserve!

We thank our friends at Lamb Care Australia for opening their arms and hearts to this dear sweet boy. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for doing so.