Lambing 2017

davidk1394

We lamb our own ewe lambs in doors just to make it easier on ourselves. Your man lambs them all inside and a few outdoors. Their mainly all singles but there's 5, 16 span straw bedded sheds in a row for them all. You'd be well fit walking those every day

MeTheMan

Would love to see pictures of their setup. That's a massive operation! Can't even imagine feeding 5000.

DJ98

Would a 2 week old lamb take up with a ewe if it was fostered? (Ewe lost lamb yesterday so wet adoption not an option)

IH784man

DJ98 wrote: »

Would a 2 week old lamb take up with a ewe if it was fostered? (Ewe lost lamb yesterday so wet adoption not an option)

Put her in a crate for a week let her out after a week see if she takes or not

davidk1394

MeTheMan wrote: »

Would love to see pictures of their setup. That's a massive operation! Can't even imagine feeding 5000.

If I can get a picture I will

J.O. Farmer

IH784man wrote: »

Put her in a crate for a week let her out after a week see if she takes or not

I think he was asking if the lamb would take to the ewe.
The answer is yes. Once the lamb gets to know that the ewe has milk he'll suck away.

IH784man

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

I think he was asking if the lamb would take to the ewe.
The answer is yes. Once the lamb gets to know that the ewe has milk he'll suck away.

If he's hungry he'll suck anything,it would be the ewe taking him I'd be worried about

J.O. Farmer

IH784man wrote: »

If he's hungry he'll suck anything,it would be the ewe taking him I'd be worried about

Your right about that. The way I read DJs post it sounded like the concern was the lamb taking to a new mother.
A week in the crate as you suggest should do the job.

IH784man

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

Your right about that. The way I read DJs post it sounded like the concern was the lamb taking to a new mother.
A week in the crate as you suggest should do the job.

No I know what you mean and don't disagree I read it the same way

Dickie10

anyone know why im getting ewes with mastitis 3 weeks after lambing? elder goes hard and cold and ewes very shook. what is this? is it blast?

Cran

Dickie10 wrote: »

anyone know why im getting ewes with mastitis 3 weeks after lambing? elder goes hard and cold and ewes very shook. what is this? is it blast?

Viral mastitis would think very hard on ewes, lot of ab and take lambs off

davidk1394

Hows it going for ye now ?? Do any of ye have issues with foxes ?

charolais0153

davidk1394 wrote: »

Hows it going for ye now ?? Do any of ye have issues with foxes ?

Often seen that fox i was oosting about in the dung looking for a dead lamb but we had one taken on a separate block to the yard

arctictree

Have a two day old pet lamb that just will not suck. Seems to have no interest in feeding at all. Was last of a triplet that had to be pulled (last two were all mixed up inside her and were not coming). I think it must be brain damaged or something. Any advice besides a knock on the head?!

mcgiggles

There seems to be nothing but stupid feckin issues with us this year  apart from a ewe killing 2 out of 3 (absolutely gorgeous, healthy, lively, good sized) triplets, we had a lamb last night somehow manage to get half stuck under the rubber mat we used as a wall on one side of the pen, have no idea how he managed it. its all screwed on tight and I'd have trouble getting my hand under it not to mind a 4-5kg lamb pushing his way under it, whether the other ewe pushed him out?! I need to get cameras set up I swear. But now he doesn't want to use his back legs, they are still warm, doesn't feel dislocated or anything, gorgeous lamb too, lovely tan charollais colour, Himself was going to watch him today for a bit. He said he was putting his weight on them a bit on and off, but most of the time he just drags them behind him. Its actually heartbreaking. Will probably have to get the knock on the head too. All healthy lambs. Its so f**king frustrating.

Green farmer

arctictree wrote: »

Have a two day old pet lamb that just will not suck. Seems to have no interest in feeding at all. Was last of a triplet that had to be pulled (last two were all mixed up inside her and were not coming). I think it must be brain damaged or something. Any advice besides a knock on the head?!

A small shot of penicillin ? Might have a infection ? Frustrating alright.

MeTheMan

What do ye actually do if a lamb needs putting out of its misery?

I was just thinking about this the other night. We had a ewe lamb. One lamb was not fully formed. Dead awhile, but the other was sound. I was thinking what would I have done if the not fully formed one was alive. Cruel to leave it suffer. But wouldn't much fancy getting the axe either.

I settled with calling the vet.

Lambman

MeTheMan wrote: »

What do ye actually do if a lamb needs putting out of its misery?

I was just thinking about this the other night. We had a ewe lamb. One lamb was not fully formed. Dead awhile, but the other was sound. I was thinking what would I have done if the not fully formed one was alive. Cruel to leave it suffer. But wouldn't much fancy getting the axe either.

I settled with calling the vet.

You'll leave urself on the street if ur calling the vet for deformed lambs it's nature if it was in a field chances is mother would reject it anyway and a fox would be away with it b4 you even knew about it were you've livestock you've deadstock unfortunately.

Sami23

Lads looking for bit of advice.
What's the best technique for getting the head of a lamb whose front feet are all that's coming when the ewe can't lamb herself.
Had 1 yesterday like this where the feet and head were coming but every time I pulled the feet the head went back for some reason. By the time I got him out he was dead.

Or even what's best to do if front feet only coming

AntrimGlens

Sami23 wrote: »

Lads looking for bit of advice.
What's the best technique for getting the head of a lamb whose front feet are all that's coming when the ewe can't lamb herself.
Had 1 yesterday like this where the feet and head were coming but every time I pulled the feet the head went back for some reason. By the time I got him out he was dead.

Or even what's best to do if front feet only coming

Get yourself a head snare or a small lambing rope. Get plenty of lube and work the ewe till she opens up a bit more and then push the lamb back in until you have enough room to work the wires/rope in with one hand whilst getting them around the back of the head and into the mouth of the lamb with your hand thats inside her. Often best to have already tied a bit of twine to the lambs legs before pushing it back in, that way when you tighten up the snare at least you'll be able to bring the legs and head together. Don't think you're gonna get it on first attempt and don't be panicking about trying to get it out real fast. It would be worth a practice or two on a live lamb trying to place it around the head and into the mouth with one hand as it's about technique.

Westernrock

Sami23 wrote: »

Lads looking for bit of advice.
What's the best technique for getting the head of a lamb whose front feet are all that's coming when the ewe can't lamb herself.
Had 1 yesterday like this where the feet and head were coming but every time I pulled the feet the head went back for some reason. By the time I got him out he was dead.

Or even what's best to do if front feet only coming

Get a head snare like the one in the link below, been using it for years, great when there's not enough room to bring a head by hand. Once you get used to it you wouldn't lamb a ewe without it.

http://www.beaverstateplastics.com/lambing_supplies.html

Edit: You will have to scroll down to the diagram. I never put the legs in the snare just the head, what do others do?

Username John

Sami23 wrote: »

Lads looking for bit of advice.
What's the best technique for getting the head of a lamb whose front feet are all that's coming when the ewe can't lamb herself.
Had 1 yesterday like this where the feet and head were coming but every time I pulled the feet the head went back for some reason. By the time I got him out he was dead.

Or even what's best to do if front feet only coming

As Antrim says, a rope around the feet is good, so if they go back you can still pull em...

It's practice really...

Don't be afraid to kinda pull the head as well when pulling the legs (but don't just pull the head either, you need the legs too)

A lot is feeding, and a lot is breeding... we used to have suffolks - Suffolk ewes and a Suffolky ram... savage lambs, but you'd have to pull a good few, and often they'd have big boxy head and wide legs... so you'd learn quick with em
That lambing snare thing is all right, but I found things would want to be serious before you'd use it...

Be careful not to feed singles too much. I found scanning to do away with a lot of those very hard lambings, as you knew what to feed each ewe...

I know a lot of the above doesn't really answer your question, but it might help in the far future...

davidk1394

If you don't have a head snare. Put twine on the 2 front legs, then lift the ewes behind into the air keeping her face on the ground. Shove the lamb back in to the womb. Then put in your hand and see if you can feel the head. Try and straighten it up and line it up with the legs. Use the twine and pull out the legs slowly. Be careful trying to get the head out through the pelvis. Once you get the head through the pelvis you should be safe. Just remember to keep a cool head and don't panic

serfspup

i find head and one leg easier to get out even with big lambs push second leg well back snare head and get it through the pelvis.lube is very important a nob of margarine can be very useful sit it in the palm of your hand and it will melt inside the ewe as you rub it on the lamb.

Green farmer

Username John wrote: »

A lot is feeding, and a lot is breeding... we used to have suffolks - Suffolk ewes and a Suffolky ram... savage lambs, but you'd have to pull a good few, and often they'd have big boxy head and wide legs... so you'd learn quick with em

Be careful not to feed singles too much. I found scanning to do away with a lot of those very hard lambings, as you knew what to feed each ewe...
..

Slightly off topic , Had to pull near every second lamb here last year. This year left the big texel in the pen and didn't use him. Instead mostly used llyen with a bit of help of Charley / small Texel. Only had to pull one so far and the ewes are lambing themselves away. Going to source some alternative terminal Rams this year. Just want easy lambing.

ganmo

Just stated here.
Let's the games begin!

Bullocks

ganmo wrote: »

Just stated here.
Let's the games begin!

First one of the year with a water bag out here aswell

Lambman

Started here 2 days ago texel ram seems till be throwing is lambs first as went out as same time as charrlois (separated ewes) is this a trait off the charrlois a longer gestation period than texels? Singles also coming first there scanned at 1.84 bit 8 lambed just 11 lambs 1 double 1 triplet n 6 singles... pulled 1 texel ram lamb that's it buts it's an awful size be happy if you'd ones size off it at 3 weeks!

davidk1394

Just had 5 there since I last commented. I hope it isn't the start to a long night. But just around half way now. Another 300 to go

Green farmer

Lads was someone asking as to why ewes reject one of their lambs ? Had 3 seperate instances of it here in the last week . At first I thought maybe the lamb was weak or something, but then I saw a trend, all ewes doing it were Charley x ewes from a ram I had a few years ago. All about 4 yr old sheep. Another reason why not to seek Charley x genes as breeders.