General sheep thread

Kevhog1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118683083#Comment_118683083

No just last years ewe lamb

farawaygrass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118683118#Comment_118683118

You were ahead of the game, Must be a slight degree of satisfaction reading it!

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118683815#Comment_118683815

I'd never feed them silage again but it's difficult to get the stocking rate right during the summer, I don't like selling silage either.

The guy that has rented my tunnel is getting plenty of hassle with lameness, probably footbathing every two weeks, yet his silage is dry......... Might have a convert to all concentrates next year

As you say, nice to see Darren promoting it

Sami23

Opinions please:

Was looking through old dispatch documents today and got me thinking of how old some of my Ewes are. The oldest Ewe I have is 10 years old this year and just after having her 8th crop of lambs so just wondering on average how old are everyone else's oldest Ewe's or what age do ye normally cull at ?

Apologies if it has but I never seen the topic discussed here before.

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118688668#Comment_118688668

We cull 25% of our ewes every year, I think seven year old is the oldest we've had. Our ewes work hard, most have lambs at a year old so a five year old would have five crops

DJ98

Lambing set to begin here in 3 weeks, could anyone tell me roughly how much meal per head per day ewes should be getting, singles, twins and triplets. They are being fed good quality hay and beet also. Currently giving singles 0.4kg, twins 0.5kg and triplets 0.6kg, would this be adequate or should they be getting more?

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118691275#Comment_118691275

You'd need to be giving those amounts twice a day with average quality silage/hay

Increase it slowly now

DJ98

How's best to increase? Add a little extra everyday or an extra 0.1 and keep climbing?

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118693220#Comment_118693220

Yea, .1kg increase every day, you're getting near lambing now and they'd need to be getting .5kg twice a day for doubles, 20% more for triplets and 20% less for singles by two weeks out from lambing. Make sure that they finish it in five mins, sweep it out if they don't finish.

We're feeding .5 kg three times/ day here with straw so you shouldn't have any problems at .5kg twice a day .

Last month of pregancy is the most important time of the year to feed ewe, most cost effective too, stronger lambs, better colostrum, ewes in good condition milk better too

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118688736#Comment_118688736

My mistake - my 10 year old Ewe is after having her 9th crop of lambs as she had her 1st crop as a hoggot.

Sami23

If you have to help a Ewe to lamb say twins or triplets for e.g only head coming or coming backwards how long after getting the 1st lamb out would you go again to take out the 2nd and possibly a 3rd lamb.

Is there any rule of thumb ye use for this ?

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118693566#Comment_118693566

usually immediately, but my forearm is wide so sometimes I can't get in far enough to reach the second/ third lamb so I'd wait about 15mins till she puts the lamb up a bit

DJ98

Ordering lambing supplies from sheep products.ie just now, they have a wide range of artificial colostrum available, all from different brands, is their any better than the other, would usually always have just bought volac. They have others such as iomlán, provita, ark, monoshield, etc. Would there be any difference between them?

Also has anyone tried provita lamb response or kickstart? Did you find it to be any good? I see they are advertising it as an alternative to spectam.

(Usually milk ewes to get colostrum but likes to have some artificial for back up)

clonagh

Screenshot_20220226-081557_Chrome.jpg

Ashill5

i have a ewe that prolapassed last year and unfortunately I never culled her which i had intended.

She was stiched last March.

Looking for advice how i will deal with her, she is scanned with twins to a beltex ram to be lambing around March 20th

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118699669#Comment_118699669

Treat her as normal, put a prolapse harness on here as soon as you see her inclined to prolapse. The harnes is non invasive and doesn't irritate them so can be left on for weeks

k mac

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118695570#Comment_118695570

I am 6 weeks out from lambing so going by the above does this sound right, from now at 6 weeks out concentrate feeds per day per ewe should be 0.1kg for single bearing ewes, 0.2kg for twin bearing ewes and 0.3 kg for triplets and build this up by 0.1kg each week to at lambing to 0.6kg for singles, 0.7kg for twins and 0.9kg for triplets per day. Also see alot of mention of hay and quality of silage, all mine are out on grass but do they also need hay or silage when out. Have plentiful enough supply of grass but not great quality.

farawaygrass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118709253#Comment_118709253

if you. An leave out a bale of either the sheep will let you know themselves. Even if you just cut a bit of plastic of a bale and leave it in the field for a couple of days. If they don’t eat it you can still move it easily to other stock

Bleating Lamb

How much are people paying for a good energy nut for ewes pre lambing?…..say 19% Protein…..would be buying loose by the tonne rather than in bags…..haven’t priced yet tbh but presume it’s up a fair bit since last Spring!

Will let ye know how I get on…..will price by tonne of small bags and loose price per tonne too.

Just be interesting to see any price differences nationwide.

Mad about baa baas

I bought bags of ewe and lamb nuts recently in Brett's in callan co kilkenny. 25kg.20pc protein..10.30.. I don't know what they are charging for loose nuts I assume it would work put cheaper

AntrimGlens

Paid £313.00/T stg for 20% nut 3 weeks ago, was paying £286 for it in December for the early lambers.

Limestone Cowboy

Lambing taking a turn for the worse today 🤦‍♂️

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118714660#Comment_118714660

Feck sake

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711746#Comment_118711746

€10.30 for 19% 25kg bags

Sami23

Had a lamb born today - smaller of a twin.

His bottom jaw/lip is back a bit further than the top. Just wondering what do you call this condition and what is the prognosis for him regarding his ability to suck. So far I've given him a few bottles of beastings as he seems hungry.

Tia

orm0nd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118715951#Comment_118715951

overshot,

unless it's very bad he'll manage away, might be advisable to introduce creep early and finish him

Western Pomise

Bought a tonne of 20% Protein Ewe and Lambs nuts loose for 385 euro a fortnight ago......but heard its going up again in price.

Western Pomise

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118714660#Comment_118714660

It never rains but it poor when things go wrong at lambing time.....was the second pictured lamb born indoors or outdoors?....have had grey crows pull out intestines at the navel at times here when ewes lambing outdoors.

Limestone Cowboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118716915#Comment_118716915

She was indoors, was grand. Milked the ewe and fed her straight away after being born and I'd say the ewe just bit off the navel while she was licking her. Got vet out and he put it back and stitched her up against his will because he wanted to put her down. Was sucking the ewe herself this evening so time will tell. He said she won't do.

clonagh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118717398#Comment_118717398

Had one similar to that a few years ago, Umbilical Hernia, vet stitched him up but unfortunately he died a few days later. Hope yours fairs out better.