Lambing 2017

adam14

No not letting any out apart from big singles. All in big group pens now. It's a disaster and added hugely to the workload.

charolais0153

Are lamb jackets any good in this kind of weather

Green farmer

Just looked at Met, weather appears to be changing from wed onwards, drying up and temp rising. How long it will take for ground to dry out is another matter

DJ98

On what day of the first week is best to tail dock lambs? (I.E. do it just after being born or wait a couple of days?)

Sami23

adam14 wrote: »

No not letting any out apart from big singles.

What age are the singles you are letting out ?

arctictree

I have had twins out now for the past week and not a bother. I kept them in though for 3 or 4 days longer them normal until they hardend up a bit.

The field though has great shelter. Along one side is those kind of bushes that they can get right under. Its nearly like being in a shed. I was going to cut back those bushes this year but might change my mind.

MeTheMan

Had to let out 2 singles today. One a week old the other 4 days. Shed is completely full. Still no pens free for the next one to lamb. This weather is a disaster.

So far 15 lambed. One ewe picked triplets early, and one twin died. Very close with a ewe lying on a triplet but got him just in time. 15 lambed and 35 lambs. Triplets are coming fast.

Out of 80 ewes scanned 17 sets of triplets. Going to be busy!!

Lambman

MeTheMan wrote: »

Had to let out 2 singles today. One a week old the other 4 days. Shed is completely full. Still no pens free for the next one to lamb. This weather is a disaster.

So far 15 lambed. One ewe picked triplets early, and one twin died. Very close with a ewe lying on a triplet but got him just in time. 15 lambed and 35 lambs. Triplets are coming fast.

Out of 80 ewes scanned 17 sets of triplets. Going to be busy!!

What type off ewes you running and what ram you use?

rangler1

Green farmer wrote: »

Just looked at Met, weather appears to be changing from wed onwards, drying up and temp rising. How long it will take for ground to dry out is another matter

Ground would recover very quick this time of the year if it'd only stop raining

arctictree

Have a set of triplets here, 2 days old. Suddenly the ewe seems to be rejecting one of them. I'm only at this a few years but never seen this happen. Has anyone else seen this? What are my options?!

Lambman

arctictree wrote: »

Have a set of triplets here, 2 days old. Suddenly the ewe seems to be rejecting one of them. I'm only at this a few years but never seen this happen. Has anyone else seen this? What are my options?!

Where you intending on leaving it on the ewe if it got a suck and has the colostrum in it then I'd be trying till swap it onto a single with milk if possible or rear as a pet.

ganmo

arctictree wrote: »

Have a set of triplets here, 2 days old. Suddenly the ewe seems to be rejecting one of them. I'm only at this a few years but never seen this happen. Has anyone else seen this? What are my options?!

ya seen that before. theres not much ya can do to change her mind

DJ98

On what day of the first week is best to tail dock lambs? (I.E. do it just after being born or wait a couple of days?)

arctictree

ganmo wrote: »

ya seen that before. theres not much ya can do to change her mind

Agree with you there. Looks like I'll have a pet. She seems to be getting the odd suck when the ewe isn't looking, so isn't that hungry.

ganmo

arctictree wrote: »

Agree with you there. Looks like I'll have a pet. She seems to be getting the odd suck when the ewe isn't looking, so isn't that hungry.

Maybe try and give him a bottle but keep him with the ewe. I did that in the past and it was easier than having a full time pet. If he doesn't get something he won't be long dropping behind his mates

rangler1

DJ98 wrote: »

On what day of the first week is best to tail dock lambs? (I.E. do it just after being born or wait a couple of days?)

24 hrs old

kk.man

rangler1 wrote: »

24 hrs old

Just wondering how do u dock them?..I have done them about 3 weeks myself

rangler1

kk.man wrote: »

Just wondering how do u dock them?..I have done them about 3 weeks myself

Thought he meant put rings on them, don't know if I'd be publicising any other method on here....is it not illegal now to cut them

DJ98

Rubber rings

kk.man

DJ98 wrote: »

Rubber rings

Yes the rings

DJ98

kk.man wrote: »

Yes the rings

Do you use the rings at 3 weeks old?

Username John

We used to ring a few hours or maybe the night before they went out...

So they got mixed into a bigger group, left settle. They ringed and then out...

Usually that would be 1 - 3 days, depending on space, weather, lambs, ewes, weather, time, weather...
Mainly weather

kk.man

DJ98 wrote: »

Do you use the rings at 3 weeks old?

No getting confused here...lack of sleep!

MeTheMan

Lambman wrote: »

What type off ewes you running and what ram you use?

To be totaly honest im not sure what ya'd call them. Quite a mix really few suffolky ones. My father would call most them brockies (what exactly is a brocky) few brown heads one cheviot and a good few Kerry hills we kept on from 2015 they'll be 1at timers.

Ran with two PB texels. Mighty looking rams. Slightly disapointed with some of the lambs so far. The single was small enough the few twins were nothing to ring home about but the triplets so far are mighty lambs. No runts, just three mighty lambs. One thing I noticed, we got two new texels after selling the Kerry hill rams and our other texel was constantly throwing up cud. The lambs off the two new texels are much livelier then off the old one. Up and at it much quicker.

About the Kerry hills. Anyone lamb them before. They are a pain in the shed. Easily spooked, constantly jumping around. I feel they are going to be tough to deal with when they start lambing. The few I've asked say they are good with milk but a bit lively for the lamb. Maybe the sleepy texel with the hyper Kerry hill will be a good mix.

Green farmer

Lads, anyone here lamb lowland sheep outside ? I think ( optimist ) the weather might turn nice. Was thinking about letting the singles out of the shed, back into field and only lambing twins indoors as run out of silage / hay and only buying as needed. Have a 5 acre paddock with grass at the back of house. Good or bad idea ?

skoger

Green farmer wrote: »

Lads, anyone here lamb lowland sheep outside ? I think ( optimist ) the weather might turn nice. Was thinking about letting the singles out of the shed, back into field and only lambing twins indoors as run out of silage / hay and only buying as needed. Have a 5 acre paddock with grass at the back of house. Good or bad idea ?

If they've got a bit of shelter I think they should be okay. Although I wonder if the change in diet so close to lambing would be an issue?

rangler1

Green farmer wrote: »

Lads, anyone here lamb lowland sheep outside ? I think ( optimist ) the weather might turn nice. Was thinking about letting the singles out of the shed, back into field and only lambing twins indoors as run out of silage / hay and only buying as needed. Have a 5 acre paddock with grass at the back of house. Good or bad idea ?

Have you much straw, if you increase the meal and bed them with some fresh straw every day, they'll have enough.
half a kilo of ration plus a bit of straw has the same feed value as silage

Lambman

I'm lambing all singles out bit will be keeping a close eye and take the odd 1 in til put a triplet on her iv she's lambing... plenty off grass here so far for the singles not lambing for 10 days yet hopefully the ground closed off for ewes and lambs picks up in that time not much off a leaf on it yet bit looks green so bita warmth should push it up.

arctictree

ganmo wrote: »

Maybe try and give him a bottle but keep him with the ewe. I did that in the past and it was easier than having a full time pet. If he doesn't get something he won't be long dropping behind his mates

Took the lamb away this morning. She was getting battered around and was very hungry. Ah well, at least its one of 3 and probably needed to be taken away anyway.

sheepfarmer92

Green farmer wrote: »

Lads, anyone here lamb lowland sheep outside ? I think ( optimist ) the weather might turn nice. Was thinking about letting the singles out of the shed, back into field and only lambing twins indoors as run out of silage / hay and only buying as needed. Have a 5 acre paddock with grass at the back of house. Good or bad idea ?

we lamb some outside, far less trouble with twins compared to singles, be careful the singles dont get too much grass or there will be problems lambing them