The right teat makes the difference between a lamb that drinks eagerly and a lamb that chokes or gives up. This collection contains bottles, separate teats and lamb bars, plus the parts to maintain them. Below you can read how to combine them.
Choosing a teat: soft, robust or with screw cap
- Yellow-brown lamb teat for a beer bottle: soft, for young lambs that still have to learn to suck.
- Red lamb teat, robust: firmer, for older lambs that pull hard.
- Lamb teat with screw cap: closes with a screw thread, so there is less chance of the teat coming off.
- Transparent separate teat: you can see the milk flowing, handy for checking that the lamb is really drinking.
For bottles, there is the 500 ml KS lamb feeding bottle and the flexible 1000 ml bottle for lambs and foals. With a squeezable bottle you can help a hesitant lamb, but never squeeze harder than the lamb can swallow.
Lamb bar: several lambs at once
A lamb bar is a double-sided feeder with five or six teats. There are complete versions with teats, with protectors, and a version with five holes and no teats, so you choose which type of teat to fit. Non-return valves, separate teats in short and long models, protector caps and couplings are available separately. If you feed a handful of lambs with ordinary bottles, a lamb bottle rack for five 500 ml bottles keeps them upright and in one place.
Points to note
The hole in a teat must suit the lamb's age: too big and the lamb chokes, too small and it gets tired. Rinse everything after every feed and replace teats that tear or go hard.
For colostrum and milk powder, see lamb milk and colostrum; for warmth and navel care, lamb care. The overview is under lambing.
Frequently asked questions
Which teat for a newborn lamb?
A soft teat, such as the yellow-brown lamb teat or the short model. Firmer red teats are better for older lambs.
Can I buy a lamb bar without teats?
Yes, there is a double-sided lamb bar with five holes and no teats, so you choose the type of teat yourself.
Why a non-return valve in the lamb bar?
It stops the milk running back down the tube, so the lamb does not have to keep starting to suck again.