How's lambing going for ye?

razor8

paddysdream wrote: »

Pressure off here as only 26 left to lamb between ewe lambs and ewes as of tonight.No more late nights for a while I hope.

Like I said before had a nice handy year to date with the only major problem being 2nd crop ewes rejecting or neglecting their lamb.Had to bring back in about 10 and a couple of those needed the fostering gate for a few days.The remainder were ok once they were penned up tight with the lamb.
All the problem ones were singles and none were mismothered as far as I know.
Lost one ewe choking on nuts in the shed and another put out bed before lambing and died next day.
Lambs seem to be thriving pretty well at the moment but grass aint growing so that might change.
Not feeding ewes once they go to grass.

Last batch(old ewes and ewe lambs) started off bad with 3 dead singles in the lambs,2 of which were as difficult to take as I have ever seen.Had 2 old ewes lamb down with not a drop of milk and no udder at all.
After that they seemed to go ok.One thing to be said for ewe lambs is the way they take to their lambs and the ease of fostering lambs onto them.

Some major interest in pet lambs this year.Had an add on done deal and the amount of calls was unreal compared to previous years.Vast majority were looking for lambs to rear on the bottle with very few farmers looking for foster lambs.Only wanted to get shut of 4 or 5 lambs who were gone too big to keep as foster lambs for the last batch but could have sold 50 if I had them.

Very nearly lost a ewe to choking on nuts as well, starting frothing at the mouth with brown discharge from her nose like vomit, she was down and starting trembling from the stress so packed her with calcium and life aid. Bugger didn't get up for a few hours and that night I got 2 lambs smothered at her behind. Got 2 triplets on her and now she's out in field with a bucket on her head as she preferred one of them

Username John

razor8 wrote: »

Very nearly lost a ewe to choking on nuts as well, starting frothing at the mouth with brown discharge from her nose like vomit, she was down and starting trembling from the stress so packed her with calcium and life aid. Bugger didn't get up for a few hours and that night I got 2 lambs smothered at her behind. Got 2 triplets on her and now she's out in field with a bucket on her head as she preferred one of them

Bucket on her head?
I think I half remember someone saying something about this before... What's it do and how's it done?

razor8

Username John wrote: »

Bucket on her head?
I think I half remember someone saying something about this before... What's it do and how's it done?

UJ, I never did it before but I just cut a hole for her head in the bottom of a lifeline bucket and pushed the bottom first down her neck until her nose sticks out, she ran up and down the field not knowing what was going on but the two lambs could suck away and she couldn't smell them

Green farmer

I think I remember Con being the expert in that type of improvising.

Connemara Farmer

Green farmer wrote: »

I think I remember Con being the expert in that type of improvising.

No, not me this time, though I am tempted to hang a bucket with a hole in it in the tunnel for the STAP crowd when they arrive next month, wait patiently for someone to ask....

eire23

twas meself that had the pic up of the ewe and the bucket, http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=89192529

Its halfway down the page on that link, its hard to beat.

drive it

Mules and xbreeds went well only 4 losses 2 to the fox 2 born dead but the horned ewes out of the 12 lamed so far 10 had lambs coming with the head and one foot. Is this something coming from the ram or just one of those things ?

Green farmer

Looking at rain bucketing down outside. Getting nervous about small lambs in field. Just hope they've enough sense to stand at correct side of mother away from wind and rain.

Connemara Farmer

drive it wrote: »

Mules and xbreeds went well only 4 losses 2 to the fox 2 born dead but the horned ewes out of the 12 lamed so far 10 had lambs coming with the head and one foot. Is this something coming from the ram or just one of those things ?

I have noticed some of mine coming head and one leg also, out of a new ram.

drive it

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

I have noticed some of mine coming head and one leg also, out of a new ram.

Ya mine are out of a blue lester ram lamb I got of a lad for a month.he let him out with a few after that so will see if he has the same problem. They have long legs too so might not help

arctictree

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

I have noticed some of mine coming head and one leg also, out of a new ram.

Do ye always push them back in when this happens?

drive it

arctictree wrote: »

Do ye always push them back in when this happens?

No just pull on the leg and gently on the head always seem to slide out handy enough.

Connemara Farmer

arctictree wrote: »

Do ye always push them back in when this happens?

I'll bring him as he's coming if it's one leg + head. Had one coming with just a head so got a leg as well and brought him out that way.

arctictree

Green farmer wrote: »

I Looked at lambing calendar that I use which seems accurate enough. It calculates They were only due yesterday , so at 1 day late I won't start to panic yet

Well, two ewes lambed twins today so off we go....

Birdnuts

Just in from the shed after greeting the first lamb. Small fella but he's sucking well. Its looking rough on the weather front next week so glad I've got the B and B sorted for this lot.

Green farmer

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

I'll bring him as he's coming if it's one leg + head. Had one coming with just a head so got a leg as well and brought him out that way.

Got one or two of those type today. I'd much prefer when it happens and I'm around to when I have two legs and a tail. I Also got 3 legs the other day, when fishing out a set of twins. Just lucky enough it wasn't in the middle of the night when sheep are by themselves.

farawaygrass

I would try get two push in and get to legs, although you nearly know if they will come with one leg and a head. It depends on how the leg is twisted back, ie back straight under lamb or bent at the knee. If you only got one leg have the sheep turned so the side of the lamb with leg back is facing up to the sky iykwim

ganmo

good weekend lambing, most of the individual pens are occupied but not a great forecast so only the strongest will be goin out

Username John

farawaygrass wrote: »

I would try get two push in and get to legs, although you nearly know if they will come with one leg and a head. It depends on how the leg is twisted back, ie back straight under lamb or bent at the knee. If you only got one leg have the sheep turned so the side of the lamb with leg back is facing up to the sky iykwim

I'd be inclined to agree. The size of the leg will give you fair idea if the lamb will come one leg, or if you'll need to push the head back, and have the two lets coming out together.

Username John

ganmo wrote: »

good weekend lambing, most of the individual pens are occupied but not a great forecast so only the strongest will be goin out

The forecast isn't great the past few days, so didn't let any out.
Sorry now as past few days / night down here haven't been bad at all...

Green farmer

Shed is bursting at seams here. Stockpile of lambs waiting to go out. Reconfigured pens a few times to squeeze more ewes and lambs into groups. Hoping for a dry weather as don't want lambs to go backward. Accuweather says mostly dry but windy tomorrow, so fingers crossed.

Username John

Green farmer wrote: »

Shed is bursting at seams here. Stockpile of lambs waiting to go out. Reconfigured pens a few times to squeeze more ewes and lambs into groups. Hoping for a dry weather as don't want lambs to go backward. Accuweather says mostly dry but windy tomorrow, so fingers crossed.

At the same job here.
Was going to throw em out today, but will move things around and hold off til tomorrow...

AntrimGlens

ganmo wrote: »

good weekend lambing, most of the individual pens are occupied but not a great forecast so only the strongest will be goin out

Had a great weekends lambing, they just wouldn't stop so was turning lambs out at 12 hours old if there was a break in the showers at all.
I'd have a good bit of shelter here in nearly every field, between hedges, trees, banks and stone ditches so anything thats got a good belly full of milk and a good covering of wool gets turned out.
I remember back in 2011 there was a serious cold and wet night that i moved everything into a field covered in whins and a bit of a copse of hazels and never lost a lamb and a guy near me had to go out the next morning and pick up 13 dead lambs along a sheep wire fence as that was all the shelter they had. Often complain about the whins and scrub here, but then i'm thankful for it in the Springtime too.

(I'm scared about writing this next bit in case I jinx myself)
34 left to lamb, 12 twins, 13 singles and 9 triplets so hopefully full sets will be going out the door.
Managed about three hours sleep on the sofa since Thursday night so went to bed last night at 9 planning to get up as usual at 12 to check on everything but must have turned the alarm off and never realised so when I woke at 5 this morning I was like OH FCUK and sprinted half dressed for the shed fully expecting carnage. Not as much as a water bag out, never as thankful to see no lambs - major relief.
Lost one lamb to a fox, 2 sets of dead twins out of prolapsed ewes, one was a caesar and lost one to watery mouth on Saturday. Have a few ewes that are carrying triplets with serious udders, nearly on the floor so can see mastitis problems there.
New ram seems to be breeding well so thats pleasing also.
First spring lamb sale here was on last wednesday - paying £4.50 for Spring lamb, when hoggets are making £4.20- thats fcuking criminal, glad to be out of that early lamb game.

Green farmer

Pulled this one out this morning. The mother is a small enough sheep and I was left scratching my head as to how the lamb even fitted in there.

Bleating Lamb

84 lambed here with 132 lambs alive...happy enough with that as had a few bad days,one eg where,one ewe lay on her twins in pen,another had twins born dead...same day:(....
Had an unusual case in last two days which I only ever saw once before....ewe had triplets safely and they were thriving like goslings for three days...then one after another they started to get weak and struggle to stand,all three RIP....I would put it down to something poisoning them in the ewes milk?.....have others had this...have no other problems like scoured lambs etc.
Around 17 ewes left to lamb.

Birdnuts

2 more last night. All ok despite some very rough weather which cut the power most of yesterday evening and early this morning, plus caused some minor damage to the lambing shed roof.

arctictree

Put a few out this afternoon as I have only one single pen left and knowing my luck a few will lamb at the same time. Weather is a bit wild but they should be OK as the field has a bit of shelter.

Cran

In full swing here, going well even with awful weather last few days. Will be full belt for next 10 days should be easing off by then. First lambing with a full time workman beside myself, quad and farm all in one piece all really making difference

Connemara Farmer

Things seem to have settled here, nothing looking like it's main ambition in life is to linger looking sick and depressed with the intention to die. Have had two sets of twins and three singles without incident now. Even getting the odd ewe lamb!

gazahayes

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Had an unusual case in last two days which I only ever saw once before....ewe had triplets safely and they were thriving like goslings for three days...then one after another they started to get weak and struggle to stand,all three RIP....I would put it down to something poisoning them in the ewes milk?.....have others had this...have no other problems like scoured lambs etc.
Around 17 ewes left to lamb.

Had 2 ewes lamb with triplets and all bar one of each died was putting it down to not enough colostrum as one was being bottle fed and still died