The speed with which a brand new lamb pulls itself up onto its spindly legs, gets acquainted with its mother and learns to nurse, and begins to hobble – then hop – then frolic – around the barnyard is amazing. Every shepherd loves to stand in the middle of their paddock, surrounded by running, bouncing, playing lambs, and watch them learn how to become a member of the flock. But sometimes, we notice a lamb hanging back, standing off by itself or huddled in a corner, its back arched as though it is trying to hunch up for warmth. You may ask yourself, why is my lamb hunched up?
A healthy lamb is alert and active. It is up, running with the other lambs and nursing well with its siblings. Its mouth is warm inside, and it has a straight topline along its back.
Symptoms of Lambs In Trouble
A lamb in trouble shows other signs besides having a hunched up back. These lambs seem lethargic – not following along with the other lambs. They sleep a lot, and tend to stay huddled in a corner when the other lambs are playing or nursing. They might shiver, and their tongue and the inside of the mouth feels cold. They have a low body temperature, and their back has a curved topline, making them look hunched up and uncomfortable.
What causes a lamb to hunch their back?
There are several reasons your lamb might stand with a hunched back, and hang back instead of playing with the other lambs. It might be sick or too cold, or it may not be getting enough nourishment.
There are a few things shepherds can do to help this lamb recover before it is too late:
- Take the lamb’s temperature and check if it is shivering. A normal lamb’s temperature should range between 102 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Look for injuries. If an injured lamb can’t keep up with the rest of the flock, it may not be getting enough to eat.
- Put your finger in its mouth to gauge temperature. If the lamb has a cold mouth, they are not getting enough nourishment. You may need to bottle-feed (or tube-feed, if it is a brand new lamb) until it is able to nurse properly on its own. **Always make sure your lamb is warm and strong enough to hold up its head before tube-feeding it.**
Helping Your Hunched Up Lamb
Once you have diagnosed the problem, you are ready to spring into action to help your lamb recover. If your lamb is cold, get out a warming box, a heat lamp, or a lamb-sized wool sweater for your cold, shivering lamb. Once the lamb has warmed up, make sure it gets enough to eat. Make sure its mother has enough milk to feed all her lambs, and make sure the hunched-up lamb’s sibling aren’t pushing it away while they nurse. We have found that these hunchy lambs often need some supplemental feeding with a bottle. With the proper care, a hunched-up, lethargic lamb will soon be cozy warm, running with the rest of the flock, and standing alert with a straight topline.
For more resources on caring for lambs, take a look at the following posts:
- Hypothermia in Lambs
- Keeping Lambs Warm (this post also contains information on tube-feeding)
- Raising Quadruplet Lambs
- A Guide to Lamb-Proofing Your Barn
