Lambing 2017

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

Willfarman

stantheman1979 wrote: »

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

Big Suffolk fan here but I wouldn't run a ram. Big heads and legs and lazy,

Inchilad

Willfarman wrote:

Big Suffolk fan here but I wouldn't run a ram. Big heads and legs and lazy,

Nothing like a hampshire down for up and at em type lambs.up literally straight away looking for a teat.

stantheman1979

Hampshire very good but can't beat the Charolais imo.If you've to lamb a ewe often seen the 1st lamb up trying to suck while you're pulling the 2nd. You've to keep them in for a few days but they grow like hell. I've one Suffolk but he's a nice small head. Cross him with belclare to breed a few ewe lambs to keep/sell.

Crow Pigeon and Pheasant

stantheman1979 wrote:

Hampshire very good but can't beat the Charolais imo.If you've to lamb a ewe often seen the 1st lamb up trying to suck while you're pulling the 2nd. You've to keep them in for a few days but they grow like hell. I've one Suffolk but he's a nice small head. Cross him with belclare to breed a few ewe lambs to keep/sell.

Charllaois haven't hardly no wool though puny sort of yolk if the weather isn't good! Dorsets aren't bad! Big enough bit nicely hardy!

Inchilad

Crow Pigeon and Pheasant wrote:

Charllaois haven't hardly no wool though puny sort of yolk if the weather isn't good! Dorsets aren't bad! Big enough bit nicely hardy!

Would be my thinking too regarding wool or lack thereof .lambs in this feckin climate need every chance they can get.

Inchilad

No doubt everyone has their own opinion on the best ram.but at the end of the day it's what work for each individual.but lads should try to see beyond the usual Suffolk,charrolais texels rams.some very good alternatives that are far better suited to our wondrous climate

arctictree

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?

Iodine on the navel. A shot of spectam for scour. Check that both the ewes teats are working. Then leave them at it but check again in a few hours if I have time. I know lads that always give the lambs 100ml via stomach tube but not sure if that's necessary. I believe they need to be hungry to find the teat.

charolais0153

arctictree wrote: »

Iodine on the navel. A shot of spectam for scour. Check that both the ewes teats are working. Then leave them at it but check again in a few hours if I have time. I know lads that always give the lambs 100ml via stomach tube but not sure if that's necessary. I believe they need to be hungry to find the teat.

Interesting trend here. Let out 4 rams same day yet only have lambs of 2 of them yet after 8 or so ewes lambed, gestation length a factor .

mcgiggles

Inchilad wrote: »

Crow Pigeon and Pheasant wrote:

Charllaois haven't hardly no wool though puny sort of yolk if the weather isn't good! Dorsets aren't bad! Big enough bit nicely hardy!

Would be my thinking too regarding wool or lack thereof .lambs in this feckin climate need every chance they can get.

I actually wondered about that last year, some of our Charollais/ suffolk crosses came out with barely any wool, I nicknamed them the inside out lambs, cos they were black and pink and had narrow faces and long legs earning 2 of them the nicknames horse and donkey. I wondered what side it came from cos the suffolks are usually wooly as f*ck. I was scared to let them out cos the weather was crap but they thrived (? throve?) well though, nice big lambs

charolais0153

Very anti Suffolk on here. As long as you don't have the big block head ones they come alright ime.we cross the Suffolk and the texel ewes and get some lovely lambs .the lambs are 75%suffolk nearly. We don't really rate the easy lambing because we always are kind of there to pull them if needs be and we move the ewes from the slats immediately to pens sobif we have to pull its no big deal.

Sometimes especially with hoggets you can get one lamb bigger than the other and its always the small lad that gets neglected IMO. I'll have to stick up a video of the Suffolk lambs sucking to prove to ye;):D