Lambing Pens / Essentialls

Westernrock · 11-01-2017 08:26PM #1

How many ewes/lambing pen do most people allow for?

Also anything else that you think of as an essential to have on hand during lambing?

Dickie10 · 11-01-2017 09:04PM

1 pen to 10 ewes, lube, iodine, oxytocin for letting down milk but use within half hour of birth. one of them gadgets for keeping up the head when pulling a lamb, plenty of beastings in freezer and a bit of powder beastings, keep the beastings in small containers so you dont need to thaw out a load. i have a few ice cube making trays. i fill these with beastings then pop out two or three for a lamb very easy to thaw out if needed quick. markers, pen strep, daggin shears, rubber rings.

stantheman1979 · 11-01-2017 09:08PM

Have about 50 pens and 6 adoption units for 850 ewes. Essentials- ewes scanned, cow colostrum, powdered milk, iodine, rubber rings and pliers, spray markers, ear notcher, tags for lambs, red tags for problem ewes, notebook and pen, clean needles, antibiotics, calcium, prolapse harnesses, foot shears, disprin, lube, lambing rope/aid, hot water source, patience

farawaygrass · 11-01-2017 09:36PM

stantheman1979 wrote: »

Have about 50 pens and 6 adoption units for 850 ewes. Essentials- ewes scanned, cow colostrum, iodine, rubber rings and pliers, spray markers, ear notcher, tags for lambs, red tags for problem ewes, notebook and pen, clean needles, antibiotics, calcium, prolapse harnesses, foot shears, disprin, lube, lambing rope/aid, hot water source, patience

What do you use the disprin for?

DJ98 · 11-01-2017 09:43PM

stantheman1979 wrote: »

Have about 50 pens and 6 adoption units for 850 ewes. Essentials- ewes scanned, cow colostrum, iodine, rubber rings and pliers, spray markers, ear notcher, tags for lambs, red tags for problem ewes, notebook and pen, clean needles, antibiotics, calcium, prolapse harnesses, foot shears, disprin, lube, lambing rope/aid, hot water source, patience

What antibiotics?
Why a foot shears?

Also I would consider the stomach tube and bottles/teats and lamlac an essential, plenty of rope/twine/cable ties

rangler1 · 11-01-2017 09:44PM

farawaygrass wrote: »

What do you use the disprin for?

Two down the ewes neck after a hard lambing for pain helps to reduce shock

DJ98 · 11-01-2017 09:44PM

Anybody use this at lambing?
https://www.agridirect.ie/product/lamb-kickstart-100ml

farawaygrass · 11-01-2017 10:22PM

rangler1 wrote: »

Two down the ewes neck after a hard lambing for pain helps to reduce shock

It's a bad day when you don't learn something new!

stantheman1979 · 11-01-2017 10:43PM

DJ98 wrote: »

What antibiotics?
Why a foot shears?

Also I would consider the stomach tube and bottles/teats and lamlac an essential, plenty of rope/twine/cable ties

To trim ewes with bad feet!! What else would you use a foot shears for!!
Sorry forgot the stomach tube!! Vital!! Pen strep LA, Electrolites etc

stantheman1979 · 11-01-2017 10:46PM

rangler1 wrote: »

Two down the ewes neck after a hard lambing for pain helps to reduce shock

I mix two with some water in a beer bottle and give it to them that way. find it just helps the pain

DJ98 · 11-01-2017 10:58PM

stantheman1979 wrote: »

To trim ewes with bad feet!! What else would you use a foot shears for!!

Well sorry for being such a fool, I assumed most people treat sheep with bad feet before entering the house? Oh you could also use it for cutting rope as well, it has more than one use!!!!

charolais0153 · 11-01-2017 11:00PM

DJ98 wrote: »

Well sorry for being such a fool, I assumed most people treat sheep with bad feet before entering the house? Oh you could also use it for cutting rope as well, it has more than one use!!!!

I wouldn't like turning 850 ewes!!!

DJ98 · 11-01-2017 11:02PM

charolais0153 wrote: »

I wouldn't like turning 850 ewes!!!

You wouldnt have to turn 850 ewes, he's hardly going to need to pair every ewes feet just the ones that need it!!!

charolais0153 · 11-01-2017 11:06PM

Sagging shears, plenty of gloves big and small,straw, tube,kettle ,harnesses for prolapse,lube,markers,soyabean for sprinkling on top of lambs to get them to lick the lamb.
Have about seventeen pens for hundred and fifteen ewes but usually keep the majority in until2 day old ,let some out if they're strong enough

DJ98 · 11-01-2017 11:12PM

The crook stick, to catch the mad cheviot ewe!

Hagimalone · 11-01-2017 11:28PM

stantheman1979 wrote:

Have about 50 pens and 6 adoption units for 850 ewes. Essentials- ewes scanned, cow colostrum, powdered milk, iodine, rubber rings and pliers, spray markers, ear notcher, tags for lambs, red tags for problem ewes,

Are theses just blank tags?

stantheman1979 · 11-01-2017 11:31PM

charolais0153 wrote: »

I wouldn't like turning 850 ewes!!!

Neither would I!!! Its nurishment i want not punishment!! Id only be doing an odd one that got lame while inside as they're going out.

stantheman1979 · 11-01-2017 11:35PM

Hagimalone wrote: »

stantheman1979 wrote:

Have about 50 pens and 6 adoption units for 850 ewes. Essentials- ewes scanned, cow colostrum, powdered milk, iodine, rubber rings and pliers, spray markers, ear notcher, tags for lambs, red tags for problem ewes,

Are theses just blank tags?

No small tags with numbers on so i can track the lambs to make sure ewes are doing their job properly during the year. I would just use the plain button tags for ewes that gave problems

Westernrock · 11-01-2017 11:40PM

stantheman1979 wrote: »

Hagimalone wrote: »

No small tags with numbers on so i can track the lambs to make sure ewes are doing their job properly during the year. I would just use the plain button tags for ewes that gave problems

Find the ear notchers great for problem ewes, best thing I ever bought. They won't lose it.
Notch any lame ewes in opposite ear to culls, if their notched more than once there in the hook.

razor8 · 12-01-2017 10:30AM

DJ98 wrote: »

Well sorry for being such a fool, I assumed most people treat sheep with bad feet before entering the house? Oh you could also use it for cutting rope as well, it has more than one use!!!!

Take a read of this

http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/BRP-Focus-on-lameness.pdf

mcgiggles · 12-01-2017 12:11PM

stantheman1979 wrote: »

Have about 50 pens and 6 adoption units for 850 ewes. Essentials- ewes scanned, cow colostrum, powdered milk, iodine, rubber rings and pliers, spray markers, ear notcher, tags for lambs, red tags for problem ewes, notebook and pen, clean needles, antibiotics, calcium, prolapse harnesses, foot shears, disprin, lube, lambing rope/aid, hot water source, patience

Cow colostrum? why cow? cheaper?
Red tags great idea! Every day is a school day!
And thanks for tip on disprin! thought it might have gone hand in hand with the patience

rangler1 · 12-01-2017 01:08PM

mcgiggles wrote: »

Cow colostrum? why cow? cheaper?
Red tags great idea! Every day is a school day!
And thanks for tip on disprin! thought it might have gone hand in hand with the patience

I'd always be milking colostrum from ewes with a good supply, some ewes would have more than the lambs need, of course let her own lambs suck first.
Ewes colostrum is better than Cows and bought colostrum powder is better than nothing....marginally.
I like using the dispirin, I think the ewe looks after the lamb if you can take the sting off the pain

stantheman1979 · 12-01-2017 01:25PM

rangler1 wrote: »

mcgiggles wrote: »

Cow colostrum? why cow? cheaper?

I get it for free from a good dairy farmer up the road. It's not as good as ewe colostrum but I really really hate milking ewes. Also it's handy to have to get a weak triplet going. Also I give a couple litres to the newborn calves so I'd have it around anyway

charolais0153 · 15-01-2017 08:00PM

Spectam and orf vaccine are important too

cattle man · 15-01-2017 08:15PM

charolais0153 wrote: »

Spectam and orf vaccine are important too

How soon do you give scabivax?
Can you give it at 1-2 days old before they go to grass ?

rangler1 · 15-01-2017 08:33PM

cattle man wrote: »

How soon do you give scabivax?
Can you give it at 1-2 days old before they go to grass ?

We do them at about 5 days old, it's when they go from the intensive care paddocks to the big groups, but I'd imagine it'd be fine to do it coming out of the shed, I wouldn't like to do them and leave them in the sheds though.

cattle man · 15-01-2017 08:50PM

rangler1 wrote: »

We do them at about 5 days old, it's when they go from the intensive care paddocks to the big groups, but I'd imagine it'd be fine to do it coming out of the shed, I wouldn't like to do them and leave them in the sheds though.

Yep just wanted to cut down on work bringing them back in. Be going out at 2-3 days of age so be hand do them on way to paddock.

charolais0153 · 15-01-2017 09:08PM

Ya as they are let out usually around 2 days old ,they're numbered ,done with scabivax and the ewe is crutched

cattle man · 15-01-2017 09:21PM

charolais0153 wrote: »

Ya as they are let out usually around 2 days old ,they're numbered ,done with scabivax and the ewe is crutched

Any issue with ewes getting sores on teats ? And mastitis ?

charolais0153 · 15-01-2017 09:40PM

cattle man wrote: »

Any issue with ewes getting sores on teats ? And mastitis ?

Some older ewes get it and its a bitch but some bactokil and a few days to watch them usually sorts them out.

rangler1 · 15-01-2017 09:48PM

charolais0153 wrote: »

Some older ewes get it and its a bitch but some bactokil and a few days to watch them usually sorts them out.

Do you blame the scabivax for it, we've only one years experience of using Scabivax, but we didn't get any more mastitis or sore udders

Lambing Pens / Essentialls

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