Abstract
Some aspects of the sucking behaviour of Suffolk lambs were recorded during their first hours of life. Observations were made at parturition on 8 single-and 14 twin-bearing ewes, all of which took place in indoor lambing pens.
The median times for first to attempt to stand, first to stand and first to attempt to suck were 10, 17-18 and 17-19 min after birth for all lambs respectively. The median time for first to suck successfully was 56-60 min for singles and second-born twins compared with 82 min after birth for first-born twins. The median time interval between the birth of the first and second lambs of a twin pair was 20 min, but this interval varied between 1 to 60 min. In the twins for which this interval was long, the attempt to suck by the first-born twin was sometimes interrupted by the ewe giving birth to another lamb.
It appeared that the first-born twin was not necessarily the first lamb to suck successfully.
