FOSTERING an orphan animal can be hard work, but it is also very rewarding, says DR STUART BARBER

It is a hard fact of life that having survived the potentially hazardous process of birth, newborn farm animals can sometimes find them selves orphans.

This can result from the death of their mother, or can be due to the mother's inability to care for her young, because of problems such as mastitis or mismothering.

Mismothering happens when a mother loses, or fails to recognise, her newborn and then does not bond with it. Bad weather or other disturbances too soon after birth can increase the incidence of mismothering.

That's why it is important you take great care not to disturb mothers and their newborns when checking them.
If these orphaned animals are to survive they need assistance.

Helping orphaned animals requires one of two things - either raising the young animal yourself, or fostering it on to an alternative mother.

Before doing one of these you should ensure the animal is truly orphaned. Often young animals will be "planted" in a certain spot in a paddock while their mother grazes.

Where possible it is best to try to foster the orphan on to another mother. This involves convincing the new mother that the orphan is her offspring. This process will be discussed in a future article.

Once the orphan has suckled for a few days there is usually a good bond between the two.

Should this procedure fail, or if an alternative mother is unavailable, then you may need to look after the orphan yourself.

How do you look after an orphan lamb or calf? There are three main things you must do to keep orphaned animals healthy maintain a good environment, ensure they have colostrum and ensure there is regular, appropriate feeding.

Under extreme weather conditions it is vital to keep orphaned animals dry and warm. This can be achieved by placing lambs in a cardboard box inside the house, or in some form of incubator. A non flammable box with an electric light or other heat source will suffice.

Calves should be dried and placed in a warm area, preferably with a source of heat, but take care these animals can't get too hot if they are unable to move.

When the weather improves they can be maintained outdoors, with somewhere to shelter from wind and rain.

If a lamb or calf has not suckled from its mother within several hours of birth it is important they receive some colostrum, the yellow coloured milk produced in the first few days after birth.

Lambs or kids need approximately 150ml of colostrum three times a day, while calves need 1 1.5 litres a feed, also three times a day. Colostrum from another animal is adequate if the orphan's mother has no milk, or can't be found.

When an animal is in the yards and has excess colostrum, some can be collected and stored in the freezer.

This will keep for some months and will be very useful for an orphan animal.

The reason colostrum is so important is that it is vital to ensure good immune function in the young (to fight off disease) and is also a very good source of nutrition.

Colostrum needs to be drunk within a day of birth for maximum effect. If goat or sheep colostrum is unavailable, cows' colostrum may be obtained from a dairy and used for lambs and kids.

The amount of milk and timing of feeding are important. Young animals should receive regular feeds of the appropriate type of milk and of a suitable volume for their age.

Cow, sheep and goat milk varies in composition, with cow milk being unsuitable for lambs or kids. Milk powder is available for cows and sheep or goats, so the appropriate powder should be given. Instructions for the mixing of milk powder, feed volumes and timing should be followed to maximise animal performance.

With adequate housing, colostrum and the right feeding, raising orphan animals can be a rewarding experience for all.