We regard abrupt weaning as the best system. By adopting this weaning regime, you will reduce the risk of digestive upsets that occur during gradual weaning.

Case study - rearing surplus lambs
Alan and Jane Potter are finding much of the tedious, time consuming work has been removed from lambing since they swapped bottles and teats for the Volac Ewe 2 system supplying warm ad-lib Volac Lamlac ewe milk replacer. "We both have full time jobs away from our smallholding, however the feeder provides us with peace of mind that our surplus lambs can look after themselves while we are at work," Alan explains. "It is also helping us to save more than three hours a day bottle feeding over the two, six week block lambing periods, the busiest times of our year.

"In addition, shortly after weaning at six weeks we integrate the bucket reared lambs with those reared naturally on the ewe, and it is impossible to distinguish between the two sets of lambs, there is no difference in weight, their visual appearance or behaviour."

Alan, his wife, Jane, and their two sons farm pedigree flocks of Charollais and Texel at Oak Tree Farm, a 58-acre holding at Frodesley, near Shrewsbury, in Shropshire. Fourteen-year-old Christopher is also developing a flock of Zwartbles, while Edward, who is away studying at university, helps out during holidays. Alan works full time as a fieldsman for Shrewsbury Livestock Auctioneers, while Jane is the local school secretary.

"We always find that however well we manage our ewes, one or two don't have sufficient milk so we take a lamb away. Also with those ewes that have triplets, we take the third lamb away in order to offer it the best chance as well as to take the pressure off the ewe. However, it was these surplus lambs that were adding pressure to our lives," Alan says.

Three seasons ago, the Potters found the solution to surplus lamb rearing in the Ewe 2 ad lib feeder from Volac International. It comprises a milk container designed to sit outside the pen with the ability to rear up to 40 lambs on either warm or cold milk.

"We ensure every lamb receives sufficient colostrum in the first six hours, and they're introduced to the feeder after 24 hours," he explains. "The beauty about the system is it presents the lambs with the opportunity to drink as much or as little as they want to rather than a set volume of milk when we want to feed them. The lambs fall in to a little and often feeding routine which reduces the likelihood of bloating and other digestive upsets that occurred when bottle feeding."

The Potters spend about 15 minutes each day washing out the feeder and replenishing with Volac Lamlac, a milk replacer which they claim to be "superior" in terms of its mixing ability in either warm or cold water.

Alan adds: "We've found this system to be the nearest to rearing on the ewe, it leaves us both with more time to focus on other important tasks at lambing, and ultimately, rear the optimum number of good quality lambs".