How's lambing going?

Lano Lynn

Cran wrote: »

It's funny I ve been trying Lleyn ram here for past few years to breed ewe lambs and really happy with them. There is a but though, in that I prefer the tidier head Lleyn rams rather then the big long headed traditional Lleyns I see a most sales.

I'm not saying there is Texel in them, but many people have commented on the rams how they look like a big texel with nice kind head.

this is getting very confusing
texels that look like Lleyns are good,
Lleyns that look like texels are good?????????

got to agree though ,and quite frankly texels would do themselvesand us a big favour if they introduced about 25% lleyn into the breed.....and some french texel as well those big framed types with the black spots on the ears.

funny thing the UK texel was established from grading up whereas the Irish established from imported french and dutch sheep.

there is no doubt that some texel has been introduced into Lleyns the existence of the Myomax gene makes it certin and its no harm.

Lleyn doing well here, have had to lamb most of my ewes outside lleyn lambs great easy born n hardy.

sea12

Had a ewe lamb last night, has massive teats. You'd rear a suck calk on them. Was a bit big for lamb to drink from. Milked her out a bit and then fed him. Checked him today and although he had sucked he was still hungry. Got the teat into him again and he drank a good bit. How do people manage ewes in this situation?

Western Pomise

sea12 wrote: »

Had a ewe lamb last night, has massive teats. You'd rear a suck calk on them. Was a bit big for lamb to drink from. Milked her out a bit and then fed him. Checked him today and although he had sucked he was still hungry. Got the teat into him again and he drank a good bit. How do people manage ewes in this situation?

Sell them:).........on serious note....leave her in with lamb for a week and watch her each day till lamb gets fit to suck her....if he's struggling to suck milk her for a few draws,teat deflates and toss her up and get lamb on her then.

Conmaicne Mara

Seems to be a lot of them around this year, Dad has at least three that I can think of. Roll of red insulation tape needed ASAP.

sea12

Western Pomise wrote: »

Sell them:).........on serious note....leave her in with lamb for a week and watch her each day till lamb gets fit to suck her....if he's struggling to suck milk her for a few draws,teat deflates and toss her up and get lamb on her then.

Yep pity as she is a great ewe otherwise and only her second lamb. Can get lamb to suck with her standing up. Will keep an eye on her.

moy83

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Seems to be a lot of them around this year, Dad has at least three that I can think of. Roll of red insulation tape needed ASAP.

Why is it do you think ? More milk , or just bad udders or something else altogether ?

Conmaicne Mara

moy83 wrote: »

Why is it do you think ? More milk , or just bad udders or something else altogether ?

I don't know, could speculate till the cows come home but I just don't know. All I know is they're a problem and I would be getting rid. Whether the ould fella will or not is another question. He's got very fond of saying about one lamb with such and afflicted ewe, "There's no reason he (the lamb) can't suck", says I "There is, cos he hasn't".

When it comes down to it, problems are a time black hole, at any time of the year but particularly during and immediately after lambing. Time is a funny thing, you can't buy more of it when you run out.

Username John

Western Pomise wrote: »

Sell them:).........on serious note....leave her in with lamb for a week and watch her each day till lamb gets fit to suck her....if he's struggling to suck milk her for a few draws,teat deflates and toss her up and get lamb on her then.

+1

On the flip side - most ewes I've seen with this, have had savage milk.

I have a few with big enough teats, and I haven't culled em. The lambs get the hang of it soon enough I find...

Conmaicne Mara

Username John wrote: »

+1

On the flip side - most ewes I've seen with this, have had savage milk.

I have a few with big enough teats, and I haven't culled em. The lambs get the hang of it soon enough I find...

Difference with the breeds though, suffolk lambs would drain a dairy cow given the opportunity, blackface smaller, less greedy.

moy83

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Difference with the breeds though, suffolk lambs would drain a dairy cow given the opportunity, blackface smaller, less greedy.

Theres the answer , get a Suffolk ram for the big titted ewes next time !

Username John

moy83 wrote: »

Theres the answer , get a Suffolk ram for the big titted ewes next time !

When are you going to get some sheep Moy? You do realise, any lad that hangs out in the sheep forum ends up buying a few...

Don't fight it Moy... just give in... put a few sheep on the farm...



A

MayoAreMagic

In my experience (which would be exclusively blackface), it depends how big they are (the teats) and what they have given birth to. Most ewe's teats will get a little bigger as they age, some more than others. Generally 95% of them are still ok if she has a strong single or a good couple. You can get issues when a ewe has a couple and one of them is a little slow or small, and it is a difficult one as if you want to foster, you will have to do it with the small lamb, which isnt best practice. The real question is what is the likelihood of this coming to pass, and how can that be reduced? Generally, this can be avoided if you feed the ewe well pre-lambing, thus improving the size and strength of the lamb born. If you have done this and you are still having issues, then chances are your ewe fits into the other 5%, i.e. cull material.

Green farmer

I'd sooner cull a ewe that is a poor milker, then a good milker with large teats

Lano Lynn

many years ago bought some ewes by a particular ram they all developed big tits n sloppy udders,several other breeders around the country had ewes related to the same ram they too had the same experience....udder conformation is highly heriditable so any ewe with a big tit gets a one way ticket outa here and her spawn with her

sea12

Ah the lamb is managing now. He is a big single so will be ok. I'll keep her in for another few days. If she goes out to grass she will explode.

Only a second lamber. Pity to get rid of her. Might hold onto her. See how well the lamb thrives.

moy83

Username John wrote: »

When are you going to get some sheep Moy? You do realise, any lad that hangs out in the sheep forum ends up buying a few...

Don't fight it Moy... just give in... put a few sheep on the farm...



A

One of these days I'll take the plunge alright , but at the minute time , bad fencing and an anti-sheep father are stopping me :rolleyes:
You are partly to blame with your pictures of those Hampshire Downs ! They are easily the best looking breed and are what I'd like to get whenever I get something . Are they a quiet or flighty as a breed ?

Username John

moy83 wrote: »

One of these days I'll take the plunge alright , but at the minute time , bad fencing and an anti-sheep father are stopping me :rolleyes:
You are partly to blame with your pictures of those Hampshire Downs ! They are easily the best looking breed and are what I'd like to get whenever I get something . Are they a quiet or flighty as a breed ?

I find em quiet enough then. The rams were fairly quiet, and the lambs are grand as well...
We'll see what the Lleyns are like. The Lleyn ram is flighty enough

Username John

IT'S OVER!!!!!!!



Last ewe lambed this evening sometime. Just put me head into the shed whilst out walking with the small one and I saw there was a lamb lying there, looking happy enough

Was a poor lambing season numbers wise, but an easy season in ways. No major problems... (He says, just after thinking about the prolapsed ewe in shed)

Conmaicne Mara

Still waiting on one to pop. My small lamb kicked the bucket on me, went downhill very fast and kaput, so much for the 100% record! Mind you he was just 1.6kg at birth so I was always a little leery of him. I think I let him out of the shed in daytime too early on and for too long. He was one of a twin so the ewe is still gainfully employed!

sea12

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Still waiting on one to pop. My small lamb kicked the bucket on me, went downhill very fast and kaput, so much for the 100% record! Mind you he was just 1.6kg at birth so I was always a little leery of him. I think I let him out of the shed in daytime too early on and for too long. He was one of a twin so the ewe is still gainfully employed!

Never as bad once the ewe is not running around empty for the year. Came out to shed last Saturday and ewe had limbed awakardly and lamb was dead. Big massive single. Was fceking raging. Had no suitable lamb to foster on so looked for a pet lamb on done deal and there was one closeby.

Got one that was a good sucker. Kept the ewes old lamb and cleanings in a bag rubbed them on the new lamb. Worked perfect. Took to each other perfect. Wouldn't normally have thought about it but just said I would give it a go. Delighted now so ewe isn't running empty.

Username John

Fecking lambing...

Head is a small bit sore this morning... Acourse after the last ewe lambed, I decided to have a few beers for meself...

Was a great idea at the time... and I only had 3... getting old...

Conmaicne Mara

Mine are finished this morning, last one dropped a nice ram lamb, mind you for as long as she's been getting the care she's been getting he'd want to have been a nice lamb! Turned her over the last day so I know she's good for milk.

Ould fellas flock is still lambing, got the bad news I will have to go out with the rifle tonight, he found a lamb up the road from me done in by my good friend the fox.

arctictree

Last ewe lambed early this morning. Arrived to shed at 7am to 2 live and 1 dead. Ewe has feck all milk. Elders all lumpy and hard. Had to take one off her earlier and looks like the other will need to be bottle fed too.

Birdnuts

Hopefully finishing next week - kinda knackered now but can't complain really as its been one of the easier years all told with fewest losses and generally fewer complications with ewes and lambs!!

Scaglietti

Finished now and went good for once!

Lano Lynn

can't complain, disapointing scanning 1.6,silage not great quality some housed ewes lost to much condition.started 1 april.loader broke n jeep caved a couple of days later!!!!!!!!!.couldn't get silage or straw into shed so took the chance and put ewes out in groups of 20 r 30.credit to them they have been very little bother 90% lambed in first cycle and with no assistance. weather major help.thankfully quad held together.
Cons furry friends took 4 but most losses were my own fault lost some big singles n the thin ewes were a disaster.
might get it right some year but for now I have to say my ewes have once again saved my bacon,thank you girls:)

sea12

Down to the last few thank god. Had one lambed this morning though with a lovely set of doubles. Milk in both spins but half the elder is Roche hard. Not mastitis. What causes it?

Green farmer

Would it do any harm to give her a few shots of antibiotics in case it's the start of an infection ???

Western Pomise

Started the thread so may as well contribute again:)...last ewe lambed Sunday...or so I thought,very compact lambing...most lambed in 3 weeks...around 115 went to ram.8 scanned dry...so thought Sunday was last ewe but brought down 8 dry ones from hill yday...4 in lamb;)..for next few weeks,so great ram to lamb ratio only 4 not in lamb in total,160 lambs on ground alive,lost 3 ewes and about 12 lambs during lambing...and 5 or 6 of losses were silly ewes lying on lambs.

foxylock

Last ewe lambed at the weekend, Most lambed out in two weeks just a few stragglers dragged it on that bit further. First year cross breeding and delighted with lambs so far. Not too many to be handled, had a few very big singles, a set of twins breeched and two prolapses, lost three ewes and eight lambs out of one hundred and seventy eight scanned. Scanning was excellent except for two scanned as singles managed to produce twins...... a good mistake to have!! Grey crows got nothing, mink got nothing and so far foxy has two taken. I had one ewe refuse to take her lamb and a couple that needed a few days longer in the pen to adjust to life as a single mother!!

Happy enough so far.