Bottle & Bucket Lamb Guide
Bottle Rearing Basics
This is a simple starter guide for customers purchasing bottle or bucket lambs from us. This is not a veterinary manual — just the practical basics you need to raise a healthy lamb. Bottle lambs are a cost-effective way to grow your flock and are especially well-suited for small farms and homesteads that want calm, easy-to-handle sheep raised from a young age.
1. 🧰 Supplies You’ll Need
🍼 Bottles (if bottle feeding)
- We like these wide-mouth bottles with Pritchard Teats
- A bottle rack encourages feeding independence
🪣 Bucket Feeding (recommended for multiple lambs)
- Premier1 Feeding buckets are an excellent option
- Extra red rubber teats (they WILL tear them):
- Important:
Bucket lambs must receive COLD milk from day one on the bucket. Warm, free-choice milk increases risk of bloat and sudden death.
🥛 Milk Replacer
- Use a lamb-specific milk replacer only.
Do NOT use whole cow’s milk. Milk replacer is formulated for lamb fat/protein needs. Cow's milk is not balanced correctly. - Good options:
- Milk Rules:
• Mix exactly per label directions
• Keep milk fresh
• Replace daily
• If weather is warm, replace more often
🌾 Grain
- Lambs need a sheep-specific Start & Grow feed.
- We use:
CPC Feed's Lamb Start & Grow (16% protein). Tractor supply also sells suitable lamb feed. - Do NOT feed goat or cattle feed.
Copper levels in those feeds can cause toxicity in sheep. - Feed grain free choice. We like Kane brand feeders for inside the barn
- Lambs need to transition from milk to grain to properly develop their rumen. Grain becomes more important as milk intake drops.
🌿 Hay
Provide clean, good-quality grass hay free choice. Horse-quality square bales are an excellent choice.
Hay helps rumen development.
💧 Water
Lambs must have clean, fresh water available at all times once eating grain.
Use a short bucket or low pan.
Do not bottle-feed water.
Overfeeding water can cause water toxemia.
Keep water clean and dump daily.
🛏 Shelter & Bedding
- Dry, draft-free shelter
- Clean hay or pine shavings for bedding
- Good airflow (prevents ammonia buildup & pneumonia)
- Heat lamps and blankets are not necessary for healthy lambs over 2 weeks old unless extreme cold conditions.