1.
Info She t
o S eet
Wean
ning la
ambs and kids
by Susan SSchoenian
Sheep and Goat Specia
d alist
University of Maryland Extension
y d
sschoen@umd.edu
Date of la revision: 8-Nov-11
ast
Weaning is when the milk is rem
e moved from t diet of a young mam
the mmal. Usual -- but not
lly t
always –- it coincides with separ
- ration of the young from their dam.
e m
Weaning age varies greatly in sh
g heep and goa from as early as 14 days to nat
ats, s tural weanin at
ng,
more tha four mont of age. L
an ths Lambs have been succes ssfully wean as early as 14 days; kids
ned
as early a 28 days. Early weaning is usually defined as weaning prior to 90 day of age; 60
as y ys 0
days is m
most common Late wea
n. aning is anyt
thing after t
that.
Wean by weight
y
erally better to wean ba
It is gene r ased on weig rather th age. A g
ght han general reco
ommendation is
that lambs and kids not be wean until the have achieved 2.5 to 3 times the birth wei
ned ey o eir ight.
Artificial
lly-reared la
ambs and kid should we
ds eigh at least 20 to 25 lbs before be
t s. eing weaned If
d.
lambs are being raise by their dams, they should weig a minimum of 40 to 5 lbs. before
ed gh m 50
being we eaned.
Even mor important than weigh is dry fee consumpt
re ht ed tion,
as weane lambs and kids need to be consu
ed d uming enouggh
dry feed to support t
their mainte
enance and continued
growth – in the absence of milk in their die Their fee
k et. ed
consumpption should be at least 1 percent of their body
f y
weight at the time o weaning. Creep feeding is an asp
of pect
of most e
early weanin programs
ng s.
There are many fact
e tors to consider when de
eciding at wwhat
age to wean lambs a and/or kids. These inclu age, sea
ude ason
of birth, potential paarasite prob
blems, preda
ator risks,
markets, labor, facil
lities, and fo
orage resourrces. There are pros and cons to dif
d fferent weaning
ages.
Early we
eaning
Early weaning eases the lactatio stress of high-produc
on cing females and other f
s females thatt
may be hhighly-stress
sed, due to t helps prolific females raise
their age or physical condition. It h c
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ng d

2. their offs
spring. Early weaning en
y nables fema
ales to retur to breedin condition earlier. There
rn ng n
is usually less worm burden and predator risk associate with lambs and kids that are ear
y d ed rly
weaned a fed in dry lot.
and d
From an economic st tandpoint, it is less expensive to fe lambs an kids than to feed dam
eed nd ms
and their offspring. Young animals convert feed very ef
r Y fficiently.
On the other hand, early weanin causes stress to both females an their offsp
e ng h nd pring. There is a
e
greater rrisk of masti with early weaning, as weaned females may still be pro
itis oducing
significan milk . Ear weaning usually requ
nt rly uires more f asture fields, and pens. It
facilities, pa
requires a higher deg gree of man
nagement.
Early weaning is mos commonly associated with early, winter, and shed lamb
st y d d bing. After
weaning, lambs and kids are usu
, ually finished on hay and
d d/or grain d weaned lambs
diets. Early w
Early weanin is probab best suite to prolific breeds and
and kids are usually creep fed. E ng bly ed
breeds th have hig genetic potential for growth.
hat gh
Early weaning is also associated with certain production
o
systems a scenario In a dairy sheep ente
and os. y erprise, it is
s
common to wean lam when th are 30 to 35 days of
mbs hey o f
age. Lam and kids that are art
mbs tificially-rea
ared are
usually w
weaned by th time they are 6 to 8 weeks of
he y
age. Show stock are usually wea
w aned early, s that the
so
offspring can be pushed for rapi growth.
g id
Late wea
aning
It goes w
without sayin that late weaning is m
ng more natura It is less s
al. stressful to lambs and k
kids.
The risk of mastitis is much less. Late wean
i ning usually allows prodducers to tak advantag of
ke ge
available forage to finish their lambs and ki
e f ids. Pasture gains are of
ften more economical t than
those achhieved on ha and grain diets.. Ma
ay n anagement is simpler, as females an offspring can
s s nd
be mainttained in a single group for a longer period of t
s r time.
On the other hand, late weaned lambs are m
l d more likely to become p
parasitized o killed by
or
predator Summer temperature may limit weight gain Lambs an kids have to compete
rs. t es t ns. nd e e
with thei dams for the forage r
ir t resource. Deepending up species, breed, and age at weaning,
pon
it may be necessary to castrate or remove m
e male offspring.
Late weaaning is most commonly associated with late la
y ambing, sprin lambing, and pastur
ng re
lambing. Lambs and kids are ty
d ypically finished on pasture diets. Creep feeding is less
common, though cre grazing m be a ad
eep may dvisable prac
ctice. Late wweaning is p
probably bes
st
suited to less prolific breeds and breeds wit less poten
o c d th ntial for gro
owth.
Stress at weaning
t
Regardle of weanin age, effo should b made to r
ess ng orts be reduce stres at the tim of weanin
ss me ng.
Creep feeding reduc the stres of early w
ces ss weaning. Dam should be weaned fro their
ms e om
offspring not the ot
g, ther way aro
ound. Lambs and kids sh
s hould remain in familiar surrounding
n r gs
and in th
heir pre-wea
aning groupings.
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3. The diet of lambs an kids should not be dr
nd rastically cha
anged two wweeks befor or after
re
weaning. Vaccinatio and othe managem
. ons er ment tasks sh hould be performed at least two we
eeks
weaning. In cattle, fenc line conta has been shown to reduce the stress at
prior to w ce act n
weaning. .
Recently weaned lam and kids are very vu
y mbs s ulnerable
to coccid
diosis. Cocc ciodiostats sh
hould be
administered in the feed, miner or water prior to
ral, r
and after weaning. Early weaned lambs sho
r E ould have
received their first vaccination f CD-T (ov
v for vereating
disease a tetanus) prior to we
and ) eaning. The second
vaccine sshould be given four we eeks after th first.
he
To preve mastitis in early-wea
ent aned ewes a does,
and
high quality feed sho
ould be removed from t female's diet prior to weaning. By the time
the e
weaning occurs, femmales should be consumi a low qu
ing uality forage diet. Some producers will
e e
restrict w
water intake to help hal milk production in the female.
e lt e
Under no circumstan
o nces, should recently we
eaned ewes and does be turned out to lush
e t
pasture. Poor produ
ucing female should be removed fr
es rom the floc after weaning. It may pay
ck y
to improv their bod condition prior to tak
ve dy king them to a sale barn
o n.
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