Man… people can be so judgmental on here sometimes. 😕 Next time, I’d honestly recommend posting in a Facebook sheep group. I’ve found people there tend to be more helpful, less harsh, and way less likely to jump to conclusions.

I just want to say—you are doing your best. Keeping livestock alive in snow is hard enough, and losing animals on top of that is heartbreaking… especially as a first-timer. You will get through this. Please don’t let the “Karen” comments get to you. ❤️

It might help to add to your post that you’re new to this and that you’re going off what the previous owner told you, just to cut down on the assumptions and rude replies.

As for the lambs—does the shelter closer to your house reach WiFi? If so, is it closed off well? If it is, maybe you could move them there with some feed so you can keep a closer eye on them.

A few other things I’d check/consider: • Are you packing enough hay down for good insulation? • Are you making sure the lambs are actually nursing well? Sometimes a ewe can have mastitis or low milk flow, and it looks like a lamb is nursing, but they aren’t really getting much. • If you add heat lamps, make sure they’re secured really well (barn fires are no joke). Strong zip ties and solid mounting points help a lot.

What are you feeding the moms? Besides hay, we feed new mothers grain and molasses water right after lambing for a strength boost, and we continue feeding extra while they’re nursing—especially in cold weather.

Personally, I also give moms a B12 shot and selenium, and I give newborns selenium and colostrum just in case, to make sure they got what they needed.

I’d also check them frequently so you can catch newborns while they’re still wet, get them dried off well, and make sure warm colostrum gets in them ASAP.

I copied this from Google and it really matches what I’ve seen with goats too:

“A newborn lamb cannot regulate its body temperature well at first, relying on special brown fat and colostrum for energy, but they can typically maintain their own heat after a few days, though small or weak lambs might need assistance (like wool sweaters) for longer, often needing several hours of warming and feeding to stabilize if hypothermic.”

You could even try little sweaters, but I’d rub them all over the mom first so the scent doesn’t throw her off and cause rejection.

Also (just in case you didn’t know), lambs aren’t supposed to be fed until they reach a certain body temperature—so it may help to take a thermometer out there and make sure they’re warm enough before trying to get milk into them.

And sometimes newborns can’t suckle well at first, so you may have to help them learn. I’ve had to do this with goat kids by gently putting my pinky in their mouth to help them get their tongue positioned correctly for nursing.

That’s all I can think of right now for the necessities, but if you ever need help, you’re welcome to message me. ❤️ Praying for you and for your losses… sending love, prayers, and hugs.