Lambing 2017

charolais0153

Had the first of seven early ones this evening... the rest starting the 15th hopefully. Had 6 separated onto a straw own and this one wasn't marked so was left in on the slats. We were lucky she lambed at feeding time because it can be cold on the slats if they're left too long.
Good start to lambing anyways.
When is everybody else starting

kk.man

charolais0153 wrote: »

Had the first of seven early ones this evening... the rest starting the 15th hopefully. Had 6 separated onto a straw own and this one wasn't marked so was left in on the slats. We were lucky she lambed at feeding time because it can be cold on the slats if they're left too long.
Good start to lambing anyways.
When is everybody else starting

Fair play to you...mine starting 16th March...hope to take a couple of weeks of work for 30 of em to lamb am I been over careful by taking off such time?

Dickie10

mine are due from today. just finshed power washing the sheds out, id like to have it done a week but these things happen if nothing lambs tonight il b happy

mcgiggles

kk.man wrote: »

Fair play to you...mine starting 16th March...hope to take a couple of weeks of work for 30 of em to lamb am I been over careful by taking off such time?

We didn't take time off last year and found it busy, had 20 last year. Luckily the mother in law is well used to farming and his brother works next door so we were blessed with the pair of them around as the sheep tended to lamb just after we went to work or at lunchtime! 40 this year so I'm taking a week off and himself is taking the next week off and anyone either side of that will be dealt with as they come

Sami23

charolais0153 wrote: »

Had the first of seven early ones this evening... the rest starting the 15th hopefully. Had 6 separated onto a straw own and this one wasn't marked so was left in on the slats. We were lucky she lambed at feeding time because it can be cold on the slats if they're left too long.
Good start to lambing anyways.
When is everybody else starting

What size lambing pens wud ye recommend lads n lassies. Wud pallets be big enough or would they want to b 5ft ?

razor8

6ft is ideal but you will get away with 5ft. just more vulnerable to a sheep lying on a lamb

arctictree

razor8 wrote: »

6ft is ideal but you will get away with 5ft. just more vulnerable to a sheep lying on a lamb

I have 5 foot pens and have had the odd lamb that I think died from being sat on. Especially if twins or triplets. I used to leave triplets with the dam if she has loads of milk but am going to stop that now. Too many losses doing this.

stantheman1979

We made our own gates for pens here 4ft6 square.

rangler1

arctictree wrote: »

I have 5 foot pens and have had the odd lamb that I think died from being sat on. Especially if twins or triplets. I used to leave triplets with the dam if she has loads of milk but am going to stop that now. Too many losses doing this.

Ewes lie on lambs if they're unusually sick and sore, hardlambing etc.
5ft is plenty big

farming93

Not trying to hijack this thread .. but running low on hay so I'm mixing hay and straw together along with just under a kg of 18% nut to the twin and triplet ewes that are due the 17th of this month. Is this sufficient? Also what would anyone's advice be if I'm low on grass? I've spread urea a week and a half ago it's definitely added a bit of growth to the grass but I'm not sure if it'll be enough to put the ewes out on as in previous years I've grazed way to tight and this has meant that the grass takes too long to recover . Should I put the ewes out on a field that had tyfon on it for 2/3 weeks post lambing and just keep going with a kg of meal a day as well as straw? This field will be put into grass as soon as the weather allows

Sheep breeder

Finished first lot last Saturday and a break till Paddy's day now,

charolais0153

Does any body use the buffalo type ( https://www.donedeal.ie/sheep-for-sale/grant-approvedbuffalo-steel-products-5ft-21-95/8348326 ) lambing pens or do ye make wooden or the normal cormac drop pin gate

rangler1

farming93 wrote: »

Not trying to hijack this thread .. but running low on hay so I'm mixing hay and straw together along with just under a kg of 18% nut to the twin and triplet ewes that are due the 17th of this month. Is this sufficient? Also what would anyone's advice be if I'm low on grass? I've spread urea a week and a half ago it's definitely added a bit of growth to the grass but I'm not sure if it'll be enough to put the ewes out on as in previous years I've grazed way to tight and this has meant that the grass takes too long to recover . Should I put the ewes out on a field that had tyfon on it for 2/3 weeks post lambing and just keep going with a kg of meal a day as well as straw? This field will be put into grass as soon as the weather allows

On straw I give over a kilo to multiple in the final 2 weeks of pregancy, up to 1.2kg to triplets divided in three feeds.
Post lambing I'd give at least a kilo/ewe after lambing if there was no grass,
we don't do it here very often, i think twice in the last ten years.
But when i used to lamb the pedigrees at chrismas and leave them in after, they used to get 1.5 -1.75 kg with straw depending whether they had singles or twin.
From memory, I think teagasc recommend 1.25kg with 70DMD silage for twin suckling ewes.....supply of milk is the making or breaking of a lamb at that age IYKWIM

rangler1

charolais0153 wrote: »

Does any body use the buffalo type ( https://www.donedeal.ie/sheep-for-sale/grant-approvedbuffalo-steel-products-5ft-21-95/8348326 ) lambing pens or do ye make wooden or the normal cormac drop pin gate

Don't know about buffalo, but if you buy cormac you'll always have them, there's cormac gates here 25years, the early ones aren't even galvanised

Crow Pigeon and Pheasant

charolais0153 wrote:

) lambing pens or do ye make wooden or the normal cormac drop pin gate

charolais0153 wrote:

Does any body use the buffalo type (

charolais0153 wrote:

Does any body use the buffalo type (

charolais0153 wrote:

) lambing pens or do ye make wooden or the normal cormac drop pin gate

We have a few seem to be strong enough but not too great on rocky ground as sometimes they come apart! Other than that they seem fine! Most of our penning gates were bought of Stanley in Laois grand handy light gates!

Dickie10

i got off and running this morning with two nice hampshire lambs from a half bred lleyn ewe, hardy little divils. i got off to a bad start this year, lost the ewe with triplets to twin lamb , then a ewe aborted twins but i got her to the factory and got 86 euro for her. then yesterday found a ewe that had prolapsed 2 weeks ago onher back/side, got her in but the cold and wet had done her the night before, she was a single. hopefully thats the last of the ewe trouble now. every year i lose a ewe or two before lambing

serfspup

Sami23 wrote: »

What size lambing pens wud ye recommend lads n lassies. Wud pallets be big enough or would they want to b 5ft ?

depends on the size of ewes
I have small ewes lleyns & kerry hills have a range of pens from 4X4 ,4X5,4X6

size of pen has sod all to do with ewe lying on her lambs if the lambs are hungry and up under her all the time you could give them the whole shed and she will lie on them ,sore feet and hard lambing are more of a factor than pen size. cold drafts dont help I prefer wooden hurdle over steel pens for lambing they seem to be warmer.

as I don't use breeds that produce dopey stupid lambs may have a bearing on the fact that I only had one lost last year by being overlayen and that was in a 4X5 adoption pen (the ewe was an FN b!tch)

rangler1

serfspup wrote: »

depends on the size of ewes
I have small ewes lleyns & kerry hills have a range of pens from 4X4 ,4X5,4X6

size of pen has sod all to do with ewe lying on her lambs if the lambs are hungry and up under her all the time you could give them the whole shed and she will lie on them ,sore feet and hard lambing are more of a factor than pen size. cold drafts dont help I prefer wooden hurdle over steel pens for lambing they seem to be warmer.

as I don't use breeds that produce dopey stupid lambs may have a bearing on the fact that I only had one lost last year by being overlayen and that was in a 4X5 adoption pen (the ewe was an FN b!tch)

I always thought that with the steel pens, if a ewe wasn't long lambed, she'd get very unsettled if i put a newly lambed ewe in beside her, so I started buying the solway pens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s5gL55mRXY

They're expensive, but a lifetime job

charolais0153

rangler1 wrote: »

I always thought that with the steel pens, if a ewe wasn't long lambed, she'd get very unsettled if i put a newly lambed ewe in beside her, so I started buying the solway pens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s5gL55mRXY

They're expensive, but a lifetime job

Dare I ask what price. Look a serious job is it like a light version of that stokbord stuff

rangler1

charolais0153 wrote: »

Dare I ask what price. Look a serious job is it like a light version of that stokbord stuff

Yea like stokboard, they're made out of recycled polythene, so we're saving the enviroment as well
They were about €140 per pen in a row of twenty (for three sides), I get them direct from SOLWAY. It was only €30 for the courier for twenty pens on a pallet from england,
They're only useful for lambing, they're very hygienic which is important when 550 are lambing in the one shed over 8 weeks and easy washed and stacked

stantheman1979

rangler1 wrote: »

They were about €140 per pen in a row of twenty (for three sides), I get them direct from SOLWAY. It was only €30 for the courier for twenty pens on a pallet from england,
They're only useful for lambing, they're very hygienic which is important when 550 are lambing in the one shed over 8 weeks and easy washed and stacked

They look the job alright. Nice and tidy looking. I can see that they would be easily cleaned and should last a long time but you're talking 2,830 euro for 20 pens that can only be used for lambing pens!! It seems a lot for something that hasnt many advantages over wooden pens. You would buy 3 5ft wooden hurdles for under 20 euros or make them for about 10.

rangler1

stantheman1979 wrote: »

They look the job alright. Nice and tidy looking. I can see that they would be easily cleaned and should last a long time but you're talking 2,830 euro for 20 pens that can only be used for lambing pens!! It seems a lot for something that hasnt many advantages over wooden pens. You would buy 3 5ft wooden hurdles for under 20 euros or make them for about 10.

I agree about them being too dear, but i wouldn't agree with timber pens. they can't be properly cleaned.There'd be some buidup of bugs by the time I'd get to lambing the ewe lambs after 400 ewes
I don't agree with powerwashing for adult animals but Hygiene is important for newborns. Whatever bug occurs in those pens is isolated in them. They get 6 weeks constant use and 40 of them cost us €10/ewe, I think they're well justified

farming93

Use buffolo steel drop pin hurdles here. Bought twenty for €30 a hurdle. We have the old T. D election posters so tie them to the hurdles during lambing , they prevent draft and completely rules out the chance of lambs getting out of the pen. The pens are nice and light to transport around so if I want to catch the sheep in the field for anything I'd just set the pens up there.

mcgiggles

Dickie10 wrote: »

i got off and running this morning with two nice hampshire lambs from a half bred lleyn ewe, hardy little divils. i got off to a bad start this year, lost the ewe with triplets to twin lamb , then a ewe aborted twins but i got her to the factory and got 86 euro for her. then yesterday found a ewe that had prolapsed 2 weeks ago onher back/side, got her in but the cold and wet had done her the night before, she was a single. hopefully thats the last of the ewe trouble now. every year i lose a ewe or two before lambing

That sounds a lot like how our year started last year too Dickie, hope all goes well from here on out. have you a photo of the hampshire/ lleyn cross? sounds like it'd be a lovely lamb. Love the look of the hampshire. Thinking about trying to get some lleyn in for next year. How do you find the lleyn ewes?

stantheman1979

rangler1 wrote: »

I agree about them being too dear, but i wouldn't agree with timber pens. they can't be properly cleaned.There'd be some buidup of bugs by the time I'd get to lambing the ewe lambs after 400 ewes
I don't agree with powerwashing for adult animals but Hygiene is important for newborns. Whatever bug occurs in those pens is isolated in them. They get 6 weeks constant use and 40 of them cost us €10/ewe, I think they're well justified

Ive used the solway pens before and not knocking them. I found them goodoverall. Personally I found it hard to see the lambs from a distance unless you were right over them as theyre quite high and have no gaps in them.After a while a few worked out how to open them and the adoption unit broke and was a pain to fix which are minor issues. At the end you just line them up and powerwash and disenfect them knowing they are clean when u need them again. They would work out a bit cheaper again if they're back to back and will pay for themselves over their lifetime but its a massive outlay for something that has a simple job to do.
We'll be lambing 1000 over 8weeks and ours will get constant use also. Each pen will be cleaned out, limed and rebedded practally every 24-36 hrs so i dont think what material the pen is made from will make a massive difference to the bug count. Timber will have more than the plastic or metal pens but you can only do you're best to keep them to a minium.

sheepfarmer92

Use mostly home made timber hurdles for lambing pens and a fair few cormac gates here and manage fine, dont think we could justify the solway pens but they would be the job, we use plenty of lime in the pens which keeps the bugs at bay, had over 100 ewes lamb here in 24 hours last year and 50 or 60 most days at peak so there does be a fair few bugs round our place

rangler1

stantheman1979 wrote: »

Ive used the solway pens before and not knocking them. I found them goodoverall. Personally I found it hard to see the lambs from a distance unless you were right over them as theyre quite high and have no gaps in them.After a while a few worked out how to open them and the adoption unit broke and was a pain to fix which are minor issues. At the end you just line them up and powerwash and disenfect them knowing they are clean when u need them again. They would work out a bit cheaper again if they're back to back and will pay for themselves over their lifetime but its a massive outlay for something that has a simple job to do.
We'll be lambing 1000 over 8weeks and ours will get constant use also. Each pen will be cleaned out, limed and rebedded practally every 24-36 hrs so i dont think what material the pen is made from will make a massive difference to the bug count. Timber will have more than the plastic or metal pens but you can only do you're best to keep them to a minium.

OH always said that I'm too particular until we were on a farm last year that was dealing with Crypto. She sees it now.
Do you guys have companies or what that you don't begrudge paying 50% on the money you save to revenue

MayoAreMagic

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rangler1 wrote: »

OH always said that I'm too particular until we were on a farm last year that was dealing with Crypto. She sees it now.
Do you guys have companies or what that you don't begrudge paying 50% on the money you save to revenue

Better than spending it all on stuff you probably don't really need in fairness...

Unless you are selling them all on again on the quiet! :P

To be honest a good, cheaper, substitute would be to set up your normal hurdles and just get a roll of that clear wrapping plastic and go around them a few times. They cant get through the bars, it is sealed in but see through and plenty light gets in. Plus you can wash it or replace it easily.

rangler1

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

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Better than spending it all on stuff you probably don't really need in fairness...

Unless you are selling them all on again on the quiet! :P

To be honest a good, cheaper, substitute would be to set up your normal hurdles and just get a roll of that clear wrapping plastic and go around them a few times. They cant get through the bars, it is sealed in but see through and plenty light gets in. Plus you can wash it or replace it easily.

We don't employ anyone usually, so feel justified to get it right, life's short.
Mostly 8fts and 10 ffts. used in the handling units here, so they can't be used and i Don't like the 5fts for lambing,
Sounds like 5fts are costing the guts of €100 for 3 anyway

sheepfarmer92

rangler1 wrote: »

OH always said that I'm too particular until we were on a farm last year that was dealing with Crypto. She sees it now.
Do you guys have companies or what that you don't begrudge paying 50% on the money you save to revenue

Never had crypto touch wood but id say its horrific, haha i dont anyway its hard to get by as it is!

stantheman1979

We employ a neighbour 6days a week at lambing time. He stays till about 12. So just the two of us at the busiest time of yr. nothing I hate more than a dirty yard or pallets for pens and the like. There's nothing wrong with making gates and stuff and spending the money on other areas. Doesn't mean we are neglecting the place or like giving money to revenue.

MayoAreMagic

rangler1 wrote: »

We don't employ anyone usually, so feel justified to get it right, life's short.
Mostly 8fts and 10 ffts. used in the handling units here, so they can't be used and i Don't like the 5fts for lambing,
Sounds like 5fts are costing the guts of €100 for 3 anyway

Fair enough, but just because something is purpose built and expensive, doesn't mean using it is 'getting it right' either (e-voting machines anyone?)... Not being able to see what is going on would be a fairly big design flaw for my money. I wouldn't consider that justified to be honest with you, but everyone to their own.

Also, Im pretty sure you could get 4 5fts for 100 euro...

jmrc

wet day given for tomorrow, grand time to clean out the lambing shed, and disinfect the whole thing.
We use a mixture of pen sizes from 5 x 5 to 6 x 4... manage to pull a bunch of doors out of a skip a few years ago and the come in very handy for emergency accommodation if the need arises.
Exposed hill farm, then the weather turns bad, ye have to get everything inside.
Looking back at the notes from when the rams went out it looks like we’ll be busy for two weeks come March 1st.

rangler1

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

Fair enough, but just because something is purpose built and expensive, doesn't mean using it is 'getting it right' either (e-voting machines anyone?)... Not being able to see what is going on would be a fairly big design flaw for my money. I wouldn't consider that justified to be honest with you, but everyone to their own.

Also, Im pretty sure you could get 4 5fts for 100 euro...

My ''all bells and whistles'' prattley scales wouldn't interest you so

MayoAreMagic

rangler1 wrote: »

My ''all bells and whistles'' prattley scales wouldn't interest you so

Free to good home?

premier10

Question for ye lads - anybody lambing now coming across cases of Schmallenberg. Seem to be going through a phase of it here, fairly depressing stuff not to mention the losses.
So if any of ye had it, did it affect the entire flock or just some ewes?

charolais0153

charolais0153 wrote: »

Does any body use the buffalo type ( https://www.donedeal.ie/sheep-for-sale/grant-approvedbuffalo-steel-products-5ft-21-95/8348326 ) lambing pens or do ye make wooden or the normal cormac drop pin gate

Decided against buying at 35e per gate so made a few of these instead(9 in total). One hundred euro for timber and I'd say 40 for hinges & pins. Easy enough to make and only took two half days.

IH784man

charolais0153 wrote: »

Decided against buying at 35e per gate so made a few of these instead(9 in total). One hundred euro for timber and I'd say 40 for hinges & pins. Easy enough to make and only took two half days.

Good looking job,I buy ones similar to that and they have eye hooks that you can screw in to the wood,might be a bit cheaper for you the next time you make some.

Inchilad

premier10 wrote:

Question for ye lads - anybody lambing now coming across cases of Schmallenberg. Seem to be going through a phase of it here, fairly depressing stuff not to mention the losses. So if any of ye had it, did it affect the entire flock or just some ewes?

charolais0153 wrote:

Decided against buying at 35e per gate so made a few of these instead(9 in total). One hundred euro for timber and I'd say 40 for hinges & pins. Easy enough to make and only took two half days.

Look good.are they 5 fts?need to make a few.just trying to figure what they'll cost each.

Dickie10

mcgiggles wrote: »

That sounds a lot like how our year started last year too Dickie, hope all goes well from here on out. have you a photo of the hampshire/ lleyn cross? sounds like it'd be a lovely lamb. Love the look of the hampshire. Thinking about trying to get some lleyn in for next year. How do you find the lleyn ewes?

yeah there a good lamb, they would be one quarter lleyn , one quarter texel/suffolk and half hampshire. i have the lleyn for milk,twins (prolificay),docile and not too big. the hampshire for quick growth. i get paid flat rate in factory so dosent matter if i have U or R grade. all i need is 21 kg carcase as quick as possible when price is ok in early summer. lleyn are good ewes

charolais0153

A treble was sick today and lambed. She was tipped after the 25th of September however they're all still alive. There is two I'm very hopeful of but the other small one doesn't seem to have the same life to him. The hairdryer is great for warming them

Small lad after dying so hopefully she leaves the shed with two lambs

charolais0153

If the ram was let out the nineteenth of September when would ye expect lambs(that are born normally and are healthy)

rangler1

charolais0153 wrote: »

If the ram was let out the nineteenth of September when would ye expect lambs(that are born normally and are healthy)

They'd be viable after 143 days so about last Friday

charolais0153

rangler1 wrote: »

They'd be viable after 143 days so about last Friday

We'd usually say 5months less 5 days after he was let out so was caught out a bit by the few this morning and last night

Username John

charolais0153 wrote: »

We'd usually say 5months less 5 days after he was let out so was caught out a bit by the few this morning and last night

We always counted the same - 5 months less 5 days... But you'd often get one or two a bit early...
It's a lovely greeting to go into the shed and find the first of the seasons lambs looking back at you

rangler1

charolais0153 wrote: »

We'd usually say 5months less 5 days after he was let out so was caught out a bit by the few this morning and last night

We used to sponge ewes so would know the exact length and they invariably would start at 143 and finish at 152 days

Dickie10

what are peoples routine once lambs are born? does every one give them 100ml of colostrum from the mother? had two big lambs born last night and put them in a pen this morning, looked full and were dry and standingable to walk around so presumed they were full. put iodine on them and there this evening one of them was dead, any ideas ? would the ewe have lied on one of them or would he just not have drank the ewe? is it common for lambs that are on thier feet and warm and dry not to get a drink?

ganmo

first one here today... came out dead unfortunately
she wasn't being watched because the rest aren't near yet

rangler1

Dickie10 wrote: »

what are peoples routine once lambs are born? does every one give them 100ml of colostrum from the mother? had two big lambs born last night and put them in a pen this morning, looked full and were dry and standingable to walk around so presumed they were full. put iodine on them and there this evening one of them was dead, any ideas ? would the ewe have lied on one of them or would he just not have drank the ewe? is it common for lambs that are on thier feet and warm and dry not to get a drink?

Sounds more like she lay on him alright if he wasn't sickly looking this morning. We just leave them to themselves but we'd be nearly living with them so they don't be long hungry until we cop them. The theory now is the joint ils, e colis etc is introduced through the mouth more so than the navel so a clean bed is essential during the lambing

Willfarman

Dickie10 wrote: »

what are peoples routine once lambs are born? does every one give them 100ml of colostrum from the mother? had two big lambs born last night and put them in a pen this morning, looked full and were dry and standingable to walk around so presumed they were full. put iodine on them and there this evening one of them was dead, any ideas ? would the ewe have lied on one of them or would he just not have drank the ewe? is it common for lambs that are on thier feet and warm and dry not to get a drink?

Always pull both tits make sure she has a sup and if lambs look reasonable then off to bed and leave it to God. There still be casualties but fuc it if they all lived then lamb would definately be worth nothing!

stantheman1979

Bet they were Suffolk lambs. Never seen lambs with less fight than them. Laziest sheep ever