Lambs on the brain

johngalway

I've just been reading through a couple of DEFRA leaflets, just to see what they're saying across the water. My ram isn't even out yet and now I'm looking forward to lambing, mad or what

http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/welfare/advice/documents/ewenutri.pdf

http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/welfare/onfarm/documents/lambsurvival.pdf

kay 9

Jes John, ya must be the only man I ever heard of looking forward to lambing:D Have ya all the foxes cleared out or what:)

johngalway

Not even started on them lads yet! I figured a few years ago that you've two choices at lambing, laugh or cry. I said I'd try laughing at it for a change Like to get organized well before the event Am always checking out how other people get on with it, never stop learning!

Lambing time is great though, most important time of the year by far. Besides no growth, this years weather was fantastic for it (here).

kay 9

Well I suppose yer better of with a positive outlook on it as you say than crying about it. Some lads make awful work of it though even when they have the best of set-ups and still seem to get no sleep. They either love it or else they're masochists:D It's a nice time of the year though with the evenings getting longer and such and seeing a bit of life. I hope the winter is better than last year though, was feckin torture.

Username John

Hello John,

I'd agree with you there, lambing is a great time of year. I know in the middle of it, when things aren't always going your way, and yer up in the mniddle o the night, in the freezing cold, you'd begin to wonder

The weather last year didnt suit us one bit. We lambed em in mid Feb - so they were going out into cold weather (which wasnt too bad) but there was NOTHING for them to eat. We usually close up fields stat Nov, so there is a bit of grass in em again in Feb / March (our ground would be high and dry, which is great) But this year there was nothing growing, so we were very caught...
Our system is that we close up fields, so we have grass for em all the time, and dont feed much hay / silage.

My ram has his job done (hopefully) he is out now anyways. Lambing end Jan / start Feb. People are saying this year will be another hard one, so making sure to close up fields earlier, so they have more of a chance. And have one field closed with a while - there was a good cover of grass on it - we'll see how it does. (I know lads say to graze it tight, but if last year is anything to go by, it'll be grazed very tight in Feb & March) Not caught for it now, so better to have it then to be without.

I was actually just going through me dates last night for when to start seperating em, and start feeding em. Will be doing that in about 5 weeks, some of em are a bit earlier, and some are a bit thiner than I'd like...

basilbuster

Well john i have to agree wit u when u say ur always learning. Knowelege is easy carried. Work u put in at this time of year will determine how good ur lambin is as regards numbers of lambs. Im tryin to make sure the ewes are into the knees in grass. Rams go out on wed of this week. Love the lambin time myself even tho its busy. Time u were at those basils tho. Have 38 shot so far since start of september. Hit em hard and early.:cool:

tabby aspreme

Two rams put out yesterday, morning ,16 ewes raddled by this morning , the other rams going out tomorrow. anyone know how to trap mink they do way more damage on me than foxes

faigs

You'd probably need a mink trap, camouflaged and baited with fish and fish oil around it. They tend to travel along waterways a lot.