General sheep thread

charolais0153

arctictree wrote: »

Lads, just had a ewe lamb (1 year old) with twins. Would ye always take one off her?

Its probably best to take one off her if you can. She would need a lot of feed. .5kg day at least

wrangler

charolais0153 wrote: »

Its probably best to take one off her if you can. She would need a lot of feed. .5kg day at least

With good grass as well.
We got a refractometer last week to test the immunogloblin levels in the colostrum and every ewe lambed (apart from an abortion) so far is above the maximum reading so grennans ration is delivering the goods

charolais0153

wrangler wrote: »

With good grass as well.
We got a refractometer last week to test the immunogloblin levels in the colostrum and every ewe lambed (apart from an abortion) so far is above the maximum reading so grennans ration is delivering the goods

Thats probably as good as test as any for quality. Would there be any immunoglobin in powdered colostrum?

roosky

wrangler wrote: »

With good grass as well.
We got a refractometer last week to test the immunogloblin levels in the colostrum and every ewe lambed (apart from an abortion) so far is above the maximum reading so grennans ration is delivering the goods

what scale are ye using on the refractometer

wrangler

charolais0153 wrote: »

Thats probably as good as test as any for quality. Would there be any immunoglobin in powdered colostrum?

I've heard different stories, but i think it's only energy and protein, my father used to make up something with milk and sugar and an egg, the theory sounds good but I never did it myself.
He lambed outside and it was hard enough to catch the errant ewe without having to catch another one to get colostrum from.

ganmo

charolais0153 wrote: »

Thats probably as good as test as any for quality. Would there be any immunoglobin in powdered colostrum?

there'd be some but nowhere near the levels in proper colostrum.

Wrangler the refractometers is measuring solids which is a good guide of quality colostrum but not definite.

wrangler

ganmo wrote: »

there'd be some but nowhere near the levels in proper colostrum.

Wrangler the refractometers is measuring solids which is a good guide of quality colostrum but not definite.

Yea a brix refractometer, it measures the density which would give an indication of the protein....... UCD is doing some research at the moment, they might have more info soon.

ganmo

anyone remember the survey that went around a while back from one of the welsh ag colleges asking for our input etagging etc
they promised to send us the results of the survey but i haven't heard a dicky bird

Lambman

Disaster off a day here any lambs that were out are back in looking at the forecast I may order more nuts and rid out any wee sheds I can get ewes and lambs into giving 7cm snow for Sunday... Waiting on the only ewe I'd had till prolapse till lamb now she's gone in the sides checked her she's well opened but water bags still there but seem like a head tight behind it scanned for twins don't no how long till leave her before going looking for lambs... Took harness off her she's not straining anymore.

arctictree

Well just had a ewe lamb triplets in the field. The same ewe that I found in the shed two weeks ago with 3 lambs under her and no milk. She must have stolen the lambs and I didn't cop it. Still has no milk so now I have 6 pet lambs from her! And an empty ewe somewhere in the shed with loads of milk probably!

Dickie10

these things happen! on the bright side you have six healthy lambs be worse if you lost two or three of them as well

charolais0153

Dickie10 wrote: »

these things happen! on the bright side you have six healthy lambs be worse if you lost two or three of them as well

Very few live triplets this year there seems to be always something with one of them

kk.man

arctictree wrote: »

Well just had a ewe lamb triplets in the field. The same ewe that I found in the shed two weeks ago with 3 lambs under her and no milk. She must have stolen the lambs and I didn't cop it. Still has no milk so now I have 6 pet lambs from her! And an empty ewe somewhere in the shed with loads of milk probably!

I have a right b here does it every year...I always look at their rear ends now if that helps!

Birdnuts

charolais0153 wrote: »

Very few live triplets this year there seems to be always something with one of them

Yeah - it takes alot out of an ewe for an uncertain return. Especially true of the smaller Xs

Bleating Lamb

Poor start to lambing here today,ram didn’t go out till 23rd Oct so really shouldn’t be any lambs for another 5 or 6 days at the earliest.
Went to feed ewes carrying triplets this am,are out in good grass,feeding nuts twice a day.Got a lovely Cheviot 2 yr old dead,had pushed out part of her lamb bed but not that far....no sign of a water bag and not much of an udder made yet.Only bright side of my day was fact I’m a Man Utd fan so was still happy after their great win last night.
Dead Animal Collection man came to get her this evening and was saying that even with the great Winter we had he was never busier this early in lambing season collecting dead sheep dying from all different afflictions.

kk.man

On annual leave now for two weeks!...Lambing started yesterday (140 days) 😰.

Can't wait...happy out!...hallelujah.

I love to farm full time but don't have enough arces.

White Clover

kk.man wrote: »

On annual leave now for two weeks!...Lambing started yesterday (140 days) 😰.

Can't wait...happy out!...hallelujah.

I love to farm full time but don't have enough arces.

Jaysus! I'm only bringing in mine tomorrow! Today is 142 days since ram turnout

arctictree

kk.man wrote: »

On annual leave now for two weeks!...Lambing started yesterday (140 days) 😰.

Can't wait...happy out!...hallelujah.

I love to farm full time but don't have enough arces.

Is 2 weeks enough? I started lambing 2 weeks ago and am only half way through now.

stantheman1979

arctictree wrote: »

Well just had a ewe lamb triplets in the field. The same ewe that I found in the shed two weeks ago with 3 lambs under her and no milk. She must have stolen the lambs and I didn't cop it. Still has no milk so now I have 6 pet lambs from her! And an empty ewe somewhere in the shed with loads of milk probably!

Sorry I’m not getting you. So a triplet lambed 2 weeks ago and you thought it was a different ewe and left the 3 lambs on her until now with no milk and now she’s had her own 3 lambs and still has no milk. You’re messing surely

kk.man

arctictree wrote: »

Is 2 weeks enough? I started lambing 2 weeks ago and am only half way through now.

It worked out ok for last two years but that's the most I can get off.

kk.man

stantheman1979 wrote: »

Sorry I’m not getting you. So a triplet lambed 2 weeks ago and you thought it was a different ewe and left the 3 lambs on her until now with no milk and now she’s had her own 3 lambs and still has no milk. You’re messing surely

I heard of that before...he is right it does happen.

arctictree

stantheman1979 wrote: »

Sorry I’m not getting you. So a triplet lambed 2 weeks ago and you thought it was a different ewe and left the 3 lambs on her until now with no milk and now she’s had her own 3 lambs and still has no milk. You’re messing surely

She had no milk 2 weeks ago so had to take 'her' lambs off her. She actually lambed yesterday and still has no milk.

arctictree

kk.man wrote: »

It worked out ok for last two years but that's the most I can get off.

Although it is slowing down now...

Dinzee Conlee

arctictree wrote: »

Is 2 weeks enough? I started lambing 2 weeks ago and am only half way through now.

When we used to lamb, I used to take 2 weeks off as well... now, we only had a small flock, but 90% would be lambed in the 2 weeks...

We had a teaser ran with the ewes 2 weeks before the proper ram went out, and it tightened up the lambing a lot... ram was only with ewes for 3 weeks...

A teaser might be worth looking into artic?

Cran

Anyone know of a good trained dog for sale?

Ard_MC

Cran wrote: »

Anyone know of a good trained dog for sale?

A few up on done deal last few weeks. U would be lookin at a few k for a good one.

arctictree

Lads, do ye ever let a ewe lamb rare twins? Or is it a false economy? Bought a dozen big ewe lambs off a neighbour last autumn. They all went in lamb and half have twins.

wrangler

arctictree wrote: »

Lads, do ye ever let a ewe lamb rare twins? Or is it a false economy? Bought a dozen big ewe lambs off a neighbour last autumn. They all went in lamb and half have twins.

We would if there wasn't a ewe to foster on to, they'd be fine, have them well fed before they lamb, doubles are unlikely to get too big in them, We'd usually give them meal in a seperate batch for a month after they lamb
A neighbour here that'd have a lot of ewe lambs with doubles would use a creep feeder for the doubles and let both ewes and lambs into it.

Dinzee Conlee

wrangler wrote: »

We would if there wasn't a ewe to foster on to, they'd be fine, have them well fed before they lamb, doubles are unlikely to get too big in them, We'd usually give them meal in a seperate batch for a month after they lamb
A neighbour here that'd have a lot of ewe lambs with doubles would use a creep feeder for the doubles and let both ewes and lambs into it.

I think this is it - if you plan to feed the ewe lambs heavy after they go out, leave em with 2 lambs...
If they are going to just go out onto grass, then it’s too much to expect from them...

Same with triples in my experience, if they can be fed afterwards, they should manage 3 lambs... if not, then 2 is enough...

DJ98

Ewe scanned for twins, going about lambing since morning however when I pulled the first lamb it came out wrapped in the cleanings, born dead, she's too tight to get the second lamb anyidea what the cause of this would be?