Life of sweet dreams
Surrender orphan lambs quickly so they survive
THE owner of Brightside Farm Sanctuary said the refuge is having its worst year for orphaned lambs, after several died when they weren’t surrendered fast enough.
Emma Haswell said a number of lambs were usually taken to the sanctuary during the winter lambing season every year.
“A lot of ewes die,” Ms Haswell said.
“I only know of one largescale farmer that actually rears orphaned lambs.
“Standard procedure is to leave them in the paddock or hit them in the head which is really sad.”
Ms Haswell said people had good intentions when they saw the lambs.
“A lot of people are driving along and see a lamb and they’re picking up these lambs or people go looking for the farmers and the farmers let them have them,” she said.
“I find a lot of lambs come to us from people who have friends that breed sheep and those friends don’t want to rear the sheep so they’re happy for them to be taken.”
Ms Haswell said it’s what happens next which is usually the difference between life and death for the lambs.
“The problem is people think about rearing them and have a go at rearing them and when they come to us, it’s too late. I need to be getting them straight away, within a few hours.”
Ms Haswell said Brightside usually gets at least 15 lambs dropped off and they normally survive.
“We’ve had a bad year, we’ve had four pass away within hours of getting them.
“Normally you can revive them even if they’re quite close to death. I’ve been reviving them for 20 years and I’ve never had a bad year like this where I can’t revive them. It’s horrible.”
Ms Haswell said the lambs need to be kept warm and taken to the sanctuary as soon as possible.
She said when they are, the lambs can have happy endings. “Sometimes they go to foster carers, sometimes they stay with me, and sometimes they go to small families who keep them for life,” she said.
“We have foster carers who can pick them up and there’s another sanctuary in the north called FreeHearts and they take them up north.”