Advantages/costs of sponging ewes??

farmers101

What are the advantages and disadvantages of sponging ewes?
Also the cost of it?
Best time/results?

Thanks.

gazahayes

farmers101 wrote: »

What are the advantages and disadvantages of sponging ewes?
Also the cost of it?
Best time/results?

Thanks.

Thinking of doing it myself as I'm working full time and can take a week off for lambing. Just wondering would it work out better that they're all around the same age for dosing vaccinating and weaning rather than having a few batches of different ages.

farmers101

gazahayes wrote: »

Thinking of doing it myself as I'm working full time and can take a week off for lambing. Just wondering would it work out better that they're all around the same age for dosing vaccinating and weaning rather than having a few batches of different ages.

I'm the same way suits me better to have them all lamming at the one time, and hopefully I could kill most of them at the one time.

J.O. Farmer

I think it costs €1-2 for the sponge and about €5/head for the injection. The injection is optional but recommended especially out of season.
My figures may be out by a euro or so either way but it's not cheap.
You can make an applicator for the sponge with 3/4" qualpex pipe and a 1/2" pipe.
Ewes want to be sponged round the 20th of July for lambing round Christmas and New year.

Farrell

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

I think it costs €1-2 for the sponge and about €5/head for the injection. The injection is optional but recommended especially out of season.
My figures may be out by a euro or so either way but it's not cheap.
You can make an applicator for the sponge with 3/4" qualpex pipe and a 1/2" pipe.
Ewes want to be sponged round the 20th of July for lambing round Christmas and New year.

Would you want them to be hitting good grass at sponging, how long prior would they require weaning?

J.O. Farmer

Farrell wrote: »

Would you want them to be hitting good grass at sponging, how long prior would they require weaning?

Yeah they'd be better going to good grass at sponging the same way you flush in September/October.The sponge is in 2 weeks so the day the sponge goes in they should go to good grass.
I'm not sure how long they should be weaned but don't think it's too long. A couple of weeks on a bare paddock might even be enough to be sure they've dried off.

AnFeirmeoir

How do ye do this ? Do ye buy sponges and psmg from the vet and do it yourselves? how much is it?

farmers101

I'm just after pricing the sponges and drug, just under €6/ewe.
How much would a fella charge for doing it? I want my ewes lambing from start dec- mid/end jan, when wud I want to start at it, considering I'll be doing them in 2 batches.

Lano Lynn

while accept ya got start from where ur at n with what u got
having suitable breeds and teaser ram programme can be more succesful than sponging.(suffolks,dorsets,vendeens,ille de france,charollais)

have seen ewes syncronised for ai and still took over a week to lamb and the repeats in pulses 17 & 35 days after draged on forever.
some ewes lapse into anoestrus after sponging.

access to extra rams has to be factored in .

appropriate dose rate of pmsg can make a huge difference to much can be a total disaster causing high ovulation rate resulting in lots of triplets,small singles and late repeats . considering pmsg it is so expensive it can stack up as a massive cost per lamb sold

Cran

farmers101 wrote: »

I'm just after pricing the sponges and drug, just under €6/ewe.
How much would a fella charge for doing it? I want my ewes lambing from start dec- mid/end jan, when wud I want to start at it, considering I'll be doing them in 2 batches.

It's easy enough, get a good applicator disinfection and lube gell like for lambing. Take your time and disinfect applicator between ewes and use lube, having some help restraining the ewe would be helpful first time or just do in a run.
This isn't a bad link actually has pics http://zwartblesireland.com/2013/sponging-ewes/

windyhill

I sold lambs a forthnight ago and have sheep on bare pasture they nearly are dry.

could I spoung them next weekend august bankholiday? im looking for lambs to have for next easter? which next year is the 5 of april?