How to make your own lamb milk replacer for bottle lambs! Its easy and economical...

How to make your own lamb milk replacer for bottle lambs! Its easy and economical plus it is a simple recipe with only 3 ingredients found commonly at most grocery stores. It could be used on goat kids as well but we have not done this ourselves to give recommendations on how well it does for the goat kids as a milk replacer. This is what we use in place of powder milk replacer. Starting a farm vlog is here to help others who want to start a farm too. We want to show others how we feed our bottle babies. Here is how we take care of our bottle lambs and below is the mixture we make for their milk replacer:
1 Gallon whole milk
1 cup of buttermilk
1 cup of evaporated milk
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Freedom Farms
P.O Box 231
Roby, MO 65552
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Equipment used on our farm:
2017 Polaris Ranger 1000XP
2004 Chevy Silverado 3500
1992 John Deere 1360 MoCo
1991 Bush Hog 2615R Batwing
1979 Allis Chalmers 5020 with KMW 430 Loader
1981 Allis Chalmers 7045 with Allis Chalmers 470 Loader
1978 Gehl Bale 1500A Round Baler
1970's Manure Spreader
Various Implements:
Bale Spikes
Finish Mower
Box Blade
Subsoiler/Ripper
Bale Unroller
Speedco 3 pt category 1 quick hitch
Want to support for our farm? Shop for USA made Freedom Farms shirts and decals at:
www.farmfocused...
Follow us on Facebook: / wegrowmorethantheameri...
Please like, comment, and subscribe to help us reach the world and help others start their farm and learn from our mistakes.
Subscriber Goal:
100 Subscribers
1,000 Subscribers
10,000 Subscribers
100,000 Subscribers
250,000 Subscribers
500,000 Subscribers
1,000,000 Subscribers
Equipment used on our farm:
2017 Polaris Ranger 1000XP
2004 Chevy Silverado 3500
1992 John Deere 1360 MoCo
1991 Bush Hog 2615R Batwing
1979 Allis Chalmers 5020 with KMW 430 Loader
1981 Allis Chalmers 7045 with Allis Chalmers 470 Loader
1978 Gehl Bale 1500A Round Baler
Various Implements:
Bale Spikes
Finish Mower
Box Blade
Subsoiler/Ripper
Bale Unroller

[@hulk2891]

Watching your video and not commenting is like (Walking down the street and passing you by and ignoring you) lol Anyways hope you and the good lady and the kids and the animals are all good? Me at the other side of the pond in Scotland I'm all good, I shall sit back and enjoy the update. stay safe and take care until next time.. Evaporated mile is good in coffee with squirty cream on top although don't recommend it to the lambs, next they will want cookies and Kardashians. ha ha

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Glad you are doing well. We are too. I like your analogy too. I am not a coffee drinker but I have not seen anyone use evaporated milk in it either. Lots of people including my wife use creamer which I assume is the squirty cream you speak of?

[@amaliaromero4874]

Blessing

[@glendajmccallum7502]

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS VIDEO WITH US.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

You're welcome I hope it was helpful. Our channel is basically dedicated to helping others start a farm. We show everything we have done starting ours and managing it. Including our mistakes so others can learn from them and hopefully not repeat them. We would appreciate you checking out our other videos and considering subscribing to our channel. Thanks for watching!

[@تسلق.النخيل]

Thank you for sharing your experience and ideas with us.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Hope you found our channel helpful! That is why we are here.

[@joanhale2420]

I saw so many different ways to mix milk for bottle lambs that I came up with my own mix. If I only have 1 lamb then I don't need to mix up a gallon at a time. So I used 1/2 can of evaporated milk, 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, and 2 quarts of whole milk. It always worked well for me. I also found that my bottle lambs didn't thrive very well on lamb milk replacer, and they always had loose stools. I will keep your recipe if I ever need it again. I managed a 200 ewe sheep farm, but the owner sold all of them just prior to Covid. I have two pets, and will be getting a ram to breed them, and then he'll go to freezer camp. I just don't need a ram around all the time.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

You sound like you had a plan that worked well for you. That is always important. Thank you for watching and I hope you subscribe and stick around. We have lots of videos about our operation and post new one weekly. Good luck with your new flock too.

[@sandramurdock2073]

Thanks for this comment. I think I will use the Heavy Cream instead too. Be careful, most of the "Buttermilk" sold in stores now is not Buttermilk. Watch your ingredients lists. Any ideas on adding a little plain greek yogurt? Or farm fresh eggs?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Lots of folks have added yogurt or eggs. We simply don't because it becomes a little more difficult questionable as far as if you let the milk get warm when you put it out for them to eat on.

[@sandramurdock2073]

@@FreedomFarmsMo So you feed only cold "milk"?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Correct, my wife and I have full time jobs. So this mixture gives is the ability to fill the bucket in the morning and the lambs be able to feed as needed during the day. If it is a warm spring day you can put a frozen milk jug in the bucket to keep it cool as well.

[@hunterj985]

Thanks for the information, I'm jumping in, and starting with 2 bottle fed lamb.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Your welcome. That's not a bad way to start. Bottle babies when grown up will still come to you easily.

[@brianosborne1437]

Brilliant!

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

[@parfittanthony]

Many many thanks for your feed recipe, we have a small holding in Wales, and have been using it on our first molly lamb for the last month and he's doing great. We had to do a bit of recalculations to bring it into British/metric units, but so easy to make and he's thriving on it. I'm wondering what you do with your mollies at weaning; when do you wean; do you change the recipe at all (yogurt)?

[@parfittanthony]

Hi - just read through the comments, and my questions have been asked and answered already. many thanks again.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

You're welcome glad we could help! Thanks for the comments and watching too!

[@jennifermorgan5846]

Hi, great video!

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@spoolsandbobbins]

We love your videos! You mentioned in the comments that you try and have milk available all the time which is basically what the mum does too (although she won’t always let them eat). We’re trying to avoid night time feeds as we don’t have a bucket set up. Do you or does anyone else know if it’s ok to let a 9lb, 5 day old lamb ewe go through the night in -5’C weather without a feed? And I’ve read a number of times now that you CAN overfeed. If this happens the milk can make them sick. 🤷‍♀️. Is that true. We’re presently feeding 20% of lambs body weight…

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Thank you! You can absolutely overfeed and it will not be beneficial for the lamb. The milk is kept cold so that they stop eating when they get chilled for that reason. Personally I would try not to let one go more than 4 hours on cold nights if they are outside, however if they are in a barn with other lambs able to keep each other warmer with body heat you may be able to make to work with no issues. It's hard to give a blanket answer on there situation because every lamb may have its own challenges. Hope this helps

[@تسلق.النخيل]

Believe it or not! Today I bought 6 litters of milk and 3 litters of butter milk and six cans of evaporated milk. But the employee looking after the 24 one week kid goat advised not try something new now and may cause problem and more work. Especially I have sever lung illness and not participating in the work this week. But I will try your recipe soon especially after I read the ingredients of the lamb powder milk which is made from veg oil and wheat and others beside some milk.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

We have been using it for 5 years now with no issues, but the lb replacer milk powder will work too. Hope you feel better soon

[@SuzanneAdams-n3c]

I used this recipe after finishing off a small bag of colostrum for my new born lamb. He's about a week old now and is now bigger than some that are 2 weeks older than him being fed by their mothers. Those are 2 sets of twins so I know that they might not grow as fast as a single. I am impressed by using your recipe, thanks for sharing!

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

@user-sx7lp1ho3q glad to see it's working well for you

[@timlawson817]

I use save a lamb lamb mix mixed 50/50 with whole milk for my baby goats never had a problem in 8yrs .

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Glad that has worked for you. The powdered mixes just never worked well for us so we use the mix we describe in the video. Been using it for 3 years now and won't be going back to powdered stuff. Hope you enjoyed the video

[@gerinevicencio9603]

This reminds me of “Little Bo-Peep” & “Mary Had a Little Lamb” from Nursery Rhymes (1983)

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@anewme1164]

Thank you for this informative video! Can you tell me when and how to start weaning 4 weeks old 🍼 lambs. We were area currently using Lambs milk replacer. Now, seeing your video, we're considering making the milk.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Basically at from day 1 through 4 weeks old they are getting 100% milk that we made plus have access to hay and creep feed and water. Week 5: 75% milk/25% water Week 6: 50% milk/50% water Week 7: 25% milk/75% water Week 8: no more milk. Just creep feed, water and hay only.

[@anewme1164]

Hello again, and thank you for the weaning information. Should I cold turkey the milk replacer and give the bottle babies the milk formula?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

You're welcome! I would transition them over 5 days. A sudden change like that will upset their digestive track, at that age it is very sensitive. Day 1: 80 powder replacer/ 20 milk Day 2: 60 powder replacer/ 40 milk Day 3: 40 powder replacer/ 60 milk Day 4: 20 powder replacer/ 80 milk Day 5: 0 powder replacer/ 100 milk

[@anewme1164]

Thank you!!! You are so helpful, and you really respond to your questions in your comments 🙂 . Thank you!! Tremendously

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

@@anewme1164 that is why we started this channel, was to help others that had the same dream as we did starting a farm and raising sheep. We are happy to offer as much advice as we can, we don't know everything but are happy to share any insight we can!

[@henrylopez5252]

Did the kids finally have an Air Force veteran teach them to shoot?! I didn't notice any birds in the barn??!! Lol Informative vid! Appreciate it. Keep it up!

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Hahaha, the birds are on vacation. We haven't seen them in a few days but I think it is because the weather was warmer and sunny. Glad you are enjoying the videos! Army leads the way!

[@HomemakingwithRebekah]

Do you have to warm the milk before giving it to the babies? We're about to get sheep and I am finding your videos very helpful.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

When you start them out on bottles you will want to warm it to about the temperature of your wrist like you would with a baby. However once they get the hang of it and you transfer them to a bucket you can start serving the milk straight out of the fridge after you've mixed it.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

I am very glad to know that the videos are helping. Thank you!

[@HomemakingwithRebekah]

Thank you!

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

You are very welcome! Please consider subscribing and checking out our previous videos as well

[@gerinevicencio9603]

This reminds me of A Christmas Romance (1994)

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

I guess that's a good thing?

[@hafsamohamed9398]

Hi Im so happy i found your video, just what i needed I have a newborn lamb that its mum rejected, i would really like to know how much to feed him at time?, should i dilute it? And how much time should i feed him per day ? Thank you

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

A newborn should eat around 1-2 oz every 2 - 3 hours. The bottles should be warm but not hot. Once you have them drinking from the bottles easily start bringing the milk down to a cooler temperature each time you feed until you are feeding it straight from the refrigerator. If you have a bucket like we do in the video you see towards the end you can fill the bucket with cold milk and keep it cool all day with ice packs or frozen jugs. Serving cold milk will make the animal regulate the milk intake on their own as they will get cold and stop drinking until they warm up again from the cold milk.

[@hafsamohamed9398]

I also forgot to mention, my lamb is not the same breed as urs, its quite smaller Plz help

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

What breed is it? And what age is it?

[@hafsamohamed9398]

@@FreedomFarmsMo i live in Mauritius, my dad is the one who take care of them...we have abt 15, and he is just a beginner... we call it the local breed Thank you sooo much for replying

[@hafsamohamed9398]

@@FreedomFarmsMo he is 3 days old

[@amandap6938]

Tnank you for sharing, we have a 1st time dorper ewe , i think the lamb is premature born yesterday, mom has no milk. Is this mixture safe for him? Do i need to buy colostrum, or this is sufficient?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Colostrum is needed for the first 24hrs. It has nutrients specific to that timeline in the lambs life.

[@amandap6938]

​@FreedomFarmsMo thank you so much for your quick response ,so after that I can do this mixture ?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

@amandap6938 after the colostrum for 24hrs this mixture would be fine. Maybe do a 50/50 of colostrum and milk replacer for the first feeding or two to ease the transition on their digestive system

[@McCoyFamilyFarm]

Just curious, could I just use whole unpasteurized milk from a cow?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

I have not tried that, you would have to perform that experiment on your own.

[@McCoyFamilyFarm]

@FreedomFarmsMo I can't be the first to wonder, ha... thanks for sharing this vid. We've experienced the same thing with our lambs having diarrhea so I've been looking for an alternative

[@Ahmedfarm333]

Yes, cow's fresh milk without boiling can be used. I have been using in my lambs for years.

[@acousticapisces24]

Could powdered milk be used for whole milk as a substitute? let's say, I use the other 2 ingredients like the evaporated milk, and buttered milk along with powdered milk would that work?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Maybe, I am unsure but I would say if the nutritional facts are the same it should be okay. However you may want to ask around to see if others have done it.

[@danielflowers1985]

When do you wean the bottle lambs? I have heard some wean at 8 weeks, and others wean at 35 days.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

8 weeks is what we aimed for but we have noticed mom's and babies do better if you let them wean themselves. The babies grow quicker and larger and have better parasite resistance. Last year was our last year to wear lambs because of it actually.

[@brookecall1476]

Hello, would I be able to yogurtize this formula? I’m considering doing this to lower the risk of abomasal bloat. Thanks!

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Um, maybe? I honestly do not know. I can say that we haven't had issues with bloat if that makes you feel better. Hope this helps.

[@brookecall1476]

@@FreedomFarmsMo Good to know! Thanks for the response

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching and please check out our other videos and consider subscribing if you find our channel helpful.

[@creatinglux]

What if I don’t have buttermilk? Can I make my own? Milk with vinegar? Instead?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

I honestly don't know. We were just sharing this mixture as it has worked well for us for several years now.

[@juliebahtiar6466]

Do you warm the milk?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Only for the first day to get the lamb used to it and then we transition to cold milk before a bucket can be used. The cold milk will prevent them from overeating as it will chill them and stop them from eating until the chill goes away.

[@bridgettehenrico2509]

Hi there. How long do you bottle feed your lambs for? Before you start to wean them .?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

At 4 weeks we start to dilute the mixture. Our lambs are given access to creep feed, hay, and water from day 1. Week 5 - 75% milk/ 25% water Week 6 - 50% milk/ 50% water Week 7 - 25% milk/ 75% water Week 8 no more milk at all

[@bridgettehenrico2509]

Thanks so much I love raising sheep and bottle babies. . I just want to make sure I'm on the right path. . Your videos has help me a lot

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Glad to help, and glad to hear you are finding our videos helpful

[@daveanderson6674]

How old are the lambs when you wean? And did you feed the milk cold?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

After 4 weeks we start diluting the milk mixture with water at a rate of 25%. Week 6 we do 50/50 milk and water mix week 7 25/75 milk and water mix and week 8 is pure water. The milk is served cold after the 1st day or so of them eating it.

[@daveanderson6674]

@@FreedomFarmsMo Thank you!

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching

[@thegentlesheepbarn3578]

Can you switch if you started on the powder and been on it for 8 days. Yes scours...stuff just sucks.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

You can, but you should transition from one to the other and not just change over directly. Start by taking 75% powder mixture and mixing in 25% of the new mixture. Then the next feeding do 50:50 and then 25:75 and then pure new mixture after that. If you don't transition it will give them the runs since you are changing their diet instantly.

[@thegentlesheepbarn3578]

@@FreedomFarmsMo thank you. This poor little guy has had nothing but the runs. I will give it go.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Hope it helps. He may already have scours or an underlying issue if it doesn't help. Thanks for watching

[@thegentlesheepbarn3578]

@@FreedomFarmsMo thank you too. I took him to Tufts for a full work up. So this is the last thing I haven't tried. The powder stuff is awful; unnatural. Ty again.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

You're welcome. It helped us tremendously. Price wise it won't save you tons of money but it is also a bit of a money saver. If you havent already you may benefit by checking out some of our other videos that show our pen setup, creep feeders, how we started our farm, built our barns etc. We would also appreciate a subscribe too. It's free😁

[@marsogreen2411]

Thanks for the video. Do the nipples on the bucket leak when not in use by the babies?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

No, if they do they need to be replaced. They sell replacement nipples separately. You're welcome and hope it was helpful!

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Glad to help, they are placed at the bottom of the bucket. The way they stop the leak is a little ball built into the nipple mechanism that is basically a check valve and only allows milk to flow when being suckled for the most part. Over all they work very well, we are pretty happy with them and have had them 3 years now.

[@terrismith5262]

@@FreedomFarmsMo I just came across your video. I couldn't make out where you got your milk bucket. I'm looking forward to bringing sheep to my farm! Thank you

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Hope you are enjoying the channel! Premier 1 is where we got the buckets from but you may be able to find them locally too. You can also make your own. Thanks for watching

[@bendonohoe541]

How much do you give newborn lambs and how much each day until weaning

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

While we bottle feed them to get them used to bottle/bucket nipples we only give them 2-3 ounces of the milk mix at body temperature at a time. Once they get used to the bottle we will give them warm milk and then work them to cold milk straight from the fridge. However once they are feeding from the bucket we just keep the bucket with enough cold milk that they always have milk available.

[@seanstroud4313]

Where you get bucket at?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Premier 1 sells them. You can also make your own and by the nipple body and nipples from them.

[@aaronellisor]

what about warming the milk?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

You can warm it but if you do it should really be fed all in one sitting. Bacteria will grow in it if you don't. It also needs to be measured out for the appropriate serving size for that lamb as they will not stop drinking if they have unlimited warm milk available. Not heating the milk will make them drink less at a time because they get cold and will stop until they warm back up.

[@AIRATADISA]

What is the name of ingredients that you mix together

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Exactly as it states in the video.

[@whatidoforbeauty1182]

How many times a day do you feed the babies.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

We fill the bucket with half of what they are supposed to eat for the day. So for instance if it is a week old lamb that should be eating approximately a 32 oz. We will put about 18 oz in the bucket in the morning and 18 oz in the bucket in the evening when we get home from work for a total of 36 oz. If it is warm out we will also fill a jug with water, freeze it, and put it in the bucket to keep the milk cool and keep it from spoiling during the day.

[@whatidoforbeauty1182]

I haven't seen her poop. I think she might be constipated. Should I change something? What could I give her?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Are you sure she hasn't pooped? I would start by confining her and Mom to one place so you can see if she has pooped. Secondly is the Lamb not acting right? Does she seem sick? There's a lot of variables that go into medicating animals. Without knowing her symptoms and her condition it's really hard to give you advice on what you should give the animal. For instance if she is not pooping or peeing that could mean that she is not taking in enough nutrients. It may not necessarily mean that she is constipated

[@deniseharris9252]

How much milk do you feed them at a time

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

We put about 1 quart per lamb in the morning and night. If they are not drinking it all.we may not fill it again in the evening. Mainly we focus on the milk being available at all times.

[@marihasites7706]

Can u help me where can I get pure milk unfiltered colostrum at can u plz. Point me in the rite direction thank you much

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

I have no idea, they sell colostrum mix at most farm stores. However I have never seen canned colostrum.

[@marihasites7706]

@@FreedomFarmsMo me either guess I will have to just buy a hole sheep lol thank u so much

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

You're welcome

[@amaliaromero4874]

From where the buckets ?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

What?

[@sandramurdock2073]

Why evaporated milk? Just to thicken it? Isn't EMilk just milk?

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Evap milk is dense with nutrients. It has nearly 60% of the water removed from it.

[@garyberg]

I have found that if you let your local business know what you need and how often you need it, they will be happy to stock it for you. They would rather have your business than give it to someone else. just saying.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

I would rather support them and give them business too. The cost of powder milk replacer is too high and makes it to where we will lose money on bottle lambs. But you are right, they are more than willing to get it for you and work with your schedule on how often you would need it.

[@violettevicencio363]

7:23 - 9:05 Is Twin Lambs, a boy or girl⁉️

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

To be honest I don't remember if they were both ewe lambs or ram lambs or a mix. Sorry this is an older video from our channel

[@gerinevicencio9603]

Family Home Entertainment presents Nursery Rhymes (1983)

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Nursery rhymes? 😂🤣

[@gerinevicencio9603]

Is Twin Lambs, a boy or girl⁉️

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

I believe one was a ram and one was a ewe. I can't remember now.

[@gerinevicencio9603]

Is Lambs, bleating⁉️

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

If you mean bloating, no they did not bloat.

[@huntdoghomestead4886]

Good info... but dude spit it out.

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

If I hurry then everyone complains about how quick it was said....there's just no winning 🤷‍♂️

[@roxannebaca2002]

How long does milk last in fridge

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

I would say it depends on the expiration date of the ingredients mixed into it. We make a gallon at a time but it's never in the fridge longer than a week before we make a new batch

[@roxannebaca2002]

@FreedomFarmsMo thank you I also wanted to ask you since these babies lost there mom and had colostrum supplements and in this case mom was very weak down 2 days before birth even had to pull babies and lost mom totally she actually never even got an udder do you recommend any vaccines for them or injectable vitamins at this point they are 3 days old but strong buggers. I have heard to inject bo-se would you recommend that or anything else. Thank you in advance!

[@FreedomFarmsMo]

Colostrum is key, even the powdered replacement colostrum has antibodies and nutrients that are key for the lambs well being. They should get that colostrum for the first 24 hours then milk replacer there on out. As far as vaccines or minerals we do not do anything like that for them but you could ask around I suppose to see if others do.