wrangler wrote: » No I wouldn't think so The sh...y ones always come first, it usually improves as the lambing goes on
wrangler wrote: » The economics is rubbish now in farming, to put that over 5 years is 9000/year, you'd be doing well to make that on 200 ewes. But is outwintering the way either, these sort of winters come round fairly often now
Ard_MC wrote: » Thinkin will have to look into something cheap and cheerful for them next year. Can hardly walk to the feeders at this stage ...its like walkin on the moon!
Siamsa Sessions wrote: » Bizarre kinda day in the end, like something off a Netflix series. Turned out the last of the four had already lambed only to have her lamb adopted by another one who thought it was hers, as she was about to lamb herself. Handled the last one (who turned out to be the first one to lamb) and couldn’t feel anything so got the vet who was considering a section. Then it all became obvious when the one who had initially adopted the first/last one’s lamb rejected it and its biological mother whose lamb had vanished into thin air started licking it. We’re in talks with several producers to turn it into a screenplay :-)
sea12 wrote: » Yea doing likewise. Feeding hoggets outdoors with silage but the place is in ****e. Was going to go the grant route and put up a clear span concrete floor shed that could have other uses in the future. But think I will just put up a kit Shed instead. Plenty of straw around me at cheap price.
wrangler wrote: » That often happens.....if you're lambing indoors you have to virtually live with them....you'll get used to it though, you'll be watching out for all those things without thinking
arctictree wrote: » Have a book here on lambing and it points this out as a common occurrence and something to watch out for. I once spent 3 hours waiting for a ewe to lamb only to finally cop that she had lambed earlier and another ewe had taken her lamb!
Siamsa Sessions wrote: » arctictree wrote: » Have a book here on lambing and it points this out as a common occurrence and something to watch out for. I once spent 3 hours waiting for a ewe to lamb only to finally cop that she had lambed earlier and another ewe had taken her lamb! Thanks - as I said above tis all new to us so learning the hard way. And typically the one with the missing lamb is not taking to him now after licking him mad earlier when she got him back first.
kk.man wrote: » It might be a Bit late ...put salt on the lamb ewe might lick it
Ard_MC wrote: » Or a handful of meal.
roosky wrote: » I bought some o donnell feed barriers and fitted them today, they have lugs like a field gate that leaves them too high for the ewes to reach meal on the floor. Has anyone else had this issue or what is the max height the bottom barrier can be
charolais0153 wrote: » Soyabean isbest i find. They go madfor it
Ard_MC wrote: » Thinkin will have to look into something cheap and cheerful for them next year. Can hardly walk to the feeders at this stage!
arctictree wrote: » Took a prolapse harness off a ewe yesterday. It had been on her for a week and she seemed OK. Came down to the shed this morning and she was dead with everything out, guts and all. Stupidity on my part?
wrangler wrote: » Yea, I was looking through our rainfall records and this year is not exceptional, land came into the winter wet alright this year but people shouldn't be thinking other years were better. Apart from last year the previous 5 yrs were as bad with two years worse.
wrangler wrote: » , Mine is twelve inches off the ground and the gap to put their head out is eleven inches, That's for the adult ewes and they can reach the ground at that.
Sami23 wrote: » Advice on Fostering please ! Ewes due to start lambing next weekend and have 7 triplets out of 30 ewes to lamb so hoping to have some success fostering some of them. Any advice would be appreciated. I have a fostering crate but just wondering how long after a single bearing ewe lambing is she likely to successfully take to a foster lamb how many days etc. Any other tips would be appreciated also as I have never fostered before. TIA
roosky wrote: » I dont like foster crates from an animal welfare point of view and the fact it never worked for me but that's down to a patience issue! I have a method that never fails if all steps are taken and although time consuming with 30 only 7 triplets its worth the time. 1. When the single ewe starts to lamb pen her up so you can get the water bag easily. 2. burst the water bag into a bucket. 3.cable tie the foster lambs legs so that it cant get up. 4. wash the foster lamb in luke warm salty water giving the head and back end special attention. 5. dry off the lamb and cover him in the birth fluids in bucket again giving special attention to back end and head/neck. 6. handle the ewe gently to mimic her lambing 7. present her with the wet foster lamb she just "lambed" 8. leave her to bond with the foster lamb 9. when she lambs her own lamb she will be happy with both 10. milk out the ewe and give colostrum to her own lamb so the foster doesn't take it all. 11.when her own lamb is up and standing/sucking cut the cable ties off the foster.
charolais0153 wrote: » Make sure foster lamb is hungry is another one
razor8 wrote: » I Would say the opposite. If foster lambs is a few days old I always make sure he’s full and doesnt go under the ewe dunting her elder making her suspicious
roosky wrote: » I dont like foster crates from an animal welfare point of view and the fact it never worked for me but that's down to a patience issue! I have a method that never fails if all steps are taken and although time consuming with only 7 triplets its worth the time. 1. When the single ewe starts to lamb pen her up so you can get the water bag easily. 2. burst the water bag into a bucket. 3.cable tie the foster lambs legs so that it cant get up. 4. wash the foster lamb in luke warm salty water giving the head and back end special attention. 5. dry off the lamb and cover him in the birth fluids in bucket again giving special attention to back end and head/neck. 6. handle the ewe gently to mimic her lambing 7. present her with the wet foster lamb she just "lambed" 8. leave her to bond with the foster lamb 9. when she lambs her own lamb she will be happy with both 10. milk out the ewe and give colostrum to her own lamb so the foster doesn't take it all. 11.when her own lamb is up and standing/sucking cut the cable ties off the foster.
