Homestead Hill Farm: I Married a Genius!

Okay, before someone takes issue with this…

…or at the very least the Boss gets an overly inflated sense of worth…

Let me say, we both realize that this “invention” wasn’t an original thought. But, I am not exaggerating when I say it is life-changing!

Lambs and lamb bottles had seriously taken over my life. If I wasn’t mixing and feeding, I was cleaning up the mess. Surely you read this.

once in the barn
the lambs became hungry SHEEP

After a week in the shop, my little charges moved to the barn. With their increased size, the formula amounts went up and the number of feedings went down. What a grand and glorious day!

However, attempting to feed five hungry lambs at one time was getting more and more difficult. I began to liken it to a shark tank. Not that I’ve ever been in a shark tank…and lambs only have teeth on the bottom…and there’s no water… Okay, bad analogy. But, the hunger-crazed young-uns were becoming an issue. You'll have to click on this link to watch lamb feeding.

This is not my first time as a "sheep mom" to multiple lambs. Did you read this?

But, how does one feed multiple lambs at once? Two or three is do-able…but, FIVE? (it remains to be seen if I will end up with more...let's hope NOT!)

lamb bucket feeder
web image

The standard solution is a feeder bucket. A specialized bucket is fitted with nipples all around, the milk is poured in, and the lambs all drink to their satisfaction.

But, lamb buckets are expensive.

And, there are more than a few other considerations.

The lambs were already used to their bottles. That expensive bucket looked like a bear to clean. (and a great place for all sorts of gnarly germs to grow) How would I assure that all the lambs got the proper amount? And, could I use it for just a couple lambs? What happened if it broke? Parts are not readily available. The concerns were beginning to outweigh the benefits.

The Boss got busy and went searching the internet for other solutions. Youtube to the rescue! (seriously, how did we figure out how to do things before Youtube?)

He assured me he had it all figured out. He would have something ready for me to use by choretime.

He measured and figured...

he cut and he hammered...

…and he fashioned a brand-new lamb bar out of stuff we had lying around. (proving once again…don’t throw that out! …you might need it someday)

By placing the bottles in the lamb bar, they are held at the proper angle (so the lambs don’t suck air and give themselves a tummyache), the lambs can all eat at once, and I don’t have to worry about being eaten alive. (some small exaggeration there)

As with everything, there is a learning curve (for both sheep and shepherd). This video was shot during their second or third feeding with the new system. By the fourth or fifth time, they were ready, looking for the nipples to come through the little holes. They line right up, drink their milk and then go back to doing their little lamb thing.