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How's lambing going?
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2 lambs this morning - first LLeyn lambs we had. They were up and bouncing around when I went into the shed.
The ewe doesn't have much milk, but she will come into milk all right. She should have milk seeing as she's inside on ration for the past month, but anyways...
Only 1 ewe left now... and I am sure she will hang on for as long as possible...
Overall - not a bad lambing, no major problems or hardship. No hard lambings thankfully. And the ewes I did assist were very straight forward, 1 minute jobs...
I had a very high mortality rate tho
I posted in another thread about ewes breaking out and gorging on ration - they were ok, but they both lost their lambs. And they were both doubles acourse... So that was 4 lambs down, before we even started. So they put mortality close to 10%...
Strangely, I feel it kinda didnt go too bad. Whilst I lose a few, they were losses I couldn't have done much about. (Well, there was one lamb I still I could have done more for, but sure)
Anyways - only 1 left to go...
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Going well here, 4 sets of twins this morning. Think the % is back up to around 145%, after a worrying run of singles, this morning has corrected the % to more a more favourable one towards my 150% goal for this year. Touch wood, and I literally do, I haven't lost a lamb yet. Did have one "tiny Tim" yesterday though, 1.6kg, sure he'll be a monster come Autumn
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Username John wrote: »I should have said this year as well, I was a bit more "hands off" for lambing...
Time is getting tighter with me, so I wanted to see how the ewes would manage with less checks, less minding.
Now - to be honest, I could have saved one lamb, maybe two, if I was there more or checking more often.
But for both the numbers I have, and the time I have to commit - I am happy enough with how things went...
Am glad I did it, as I needed to know that they would manage for the most part themselves...
Still think I could make it easier on myself, by maybe getting a easier lambed ram. The Hampshire is good, and his lambs are very nice, but I think another ram would give a better vigour and hardiness, plus would be easier lambed by the ewes... (I think)
I still persist in believing an easier lambing ram or flock will be to your benefit
The price you get in the back end doesn't necessarily indicate the profit you make, or don't when all things are taken into account - time in particular.
Spilt milk @ the losses, every day is a school day 0 -
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[QUOTE=Conmaicne Mara;89842948]I still persist in believing an easier lambing ram or flock will be to your benefit
The price you get in the back end doesn't necessarily indicate the profit you make, or don't when all things are taken into account - time in particular.
Spilt milk @ the losses, every day is a school day[/QUOTE]
I would tend to agree...but not to extent that some would suggest
like walking away and not check them at night/minimal interference...it is literally the only busy time on sheepfarm...unless you are going making hay (even that's not that busy)
for a bit of extra work...the biggest cost on most farms is getting ewes in lamb/lambs out of them.....then why not put in extra effort at lambing time??
there is nothing that pisses me off more than a lamb that have died in dfferent places I worked (and at home:()
for the want of assistance/keeping eye on them!!
+1Green farmer wrote: »I'm arriving to the belief that you have to do a lot of things right and very little wrong to end up with rates up at 1.5 with sheep. They are soft animals and the slightest thing going wrong for you can decimate the numbers. I for one will sit back and have a pint once the lambs are sold in a few months. A lot of work for hopefully good reward.
though there was one year I managed to wean 1.7 :Dthat was a lot of luck....doubt il hit the magic 1.5 sold per ewe this year:o
once you get first week over and lambs out in field (unless charleys!!)your 99% there IMO0 -
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Green farmer wrote: »I'm arriving to the belief that you have to do a lot of things right and very little wrong to end up with rates up at 1.5 with sheep. They are soft animals and the slightest thing going wrong for you can decimate the numbers. I for one will sit back and have a pint once the lambs are sold in a few months. A lot of work for hopefully good reward.
I've only a small flock, so it's easier for me IMO. I'd like the challenge of doing similar with more numbers. Reckon I need two couples and two singles minimum from the last 4 ewes to keep to 1.5, I haven't been looking for big bellies but that's just sooo not going to happen :pac:
Having a plan is a good thing, and keeping a diary - I am keeping one in the house, I just need to fupping write in it :rolleyes:tomwaterford wrote: »I would tend to agree...but not to extent that some would suggest
like walking away and not check them at night/minimal interference...it is literally the only busy time on sheepfarm...unless you are going making hay (even that's not that busy)
for a bit of extra work...the biggest cost on most farms is getting ewes in lamb/lambs out of them.....then why not put in extra effort at lambing time??
there is nothing that pisses me off more than a lamb that have died in dfferent places I worked (and at home:()
for the want of assistance/keeping eye on them!!
I am, morally is the wrong word, between two stools in the lambing belief system of this side of the world, and the one on the far side of the world. Something that stuck with me was a Kiwi comment about European farmers saving lambs "...at any price..."
There's a truth in that, and while the welfare standards are probably different I can see the practical reasoning behind the thinking. Another comment was about essential items at lambing, the top two being binoculars and a rifle - they don't have foxes in NZ so leave it to yourself what the rifle was for
In my area I know of one farm that has a hands off, low feed/no feed policy. It's not pretty, and I have to admit it wouldn't be to my taste. But, I have bought ewe lambs from that farm and they are properly bulletproof and make great ewes once they're "down the hill" a while.
A lot of improvement in NZ was based on "tough love" principles like those, the fittest survived, the rest either went on a hook or had a blade across the throat.
I very much understand the feeling and emotion behind losing a lamb. There is a conflict there between the emotional side of farming and the pure profit driven commercial side as well as advancement of breeds I think.
One of my goals, in so far as I can see into the future, is to have a flock that requires pretty minimal assistance that will produce quality lambs as cost effectively as is practical. I'd much rather be in bed at night, I love farming, but I like my bed too 0 -
tomwaterford wrote: »I would tend to agree...but not to extent that some would suggest
like walking away and not check them at night/minimal interference...it is literally the only busy time on sheepfarm...unless you are going making hay (even that's not that busy)
for a bit of extra work...the biggest cost on most farms is getting ewes in lamb/lambs out of them.....then why not put in extra effort at lambing time??
there is nothing that pisses me off more than a lamb that have died in dfferent places I worked (and at home:()
for the want of assistance/keeping eye on them!!
Hi Tom,
I would agree - but to a point as well
I take 2 weeks off for lambing normally. I would check em at night if I thought one was near lambing.
But... This year I had 2 ewes left after the 2 weeks, other years I had more. I am at work all day, so they would have to manage alone...
So it's not that I want to be totally hands off, but I want to be confident that they would manage on their own.
Compare this to Suffolk rams I had a few years ago - SAVAGE lambs, once you had em out of the ewe.
But some of the lambs were very thick, and i dunno if the ewe could have managed on their own.
So - there's a middle ground I guess... I am really thinking of a Charolais ram. I lamb indoors, and would keep em in a few days, which would hopefully get around the being soft when young thing... But, we'll see how these two Lleyns do...0 -
Conmaicne Mara wrote: »I've only a small flock,
A lot of improvement in NZ was based on "tough love" principles like those, the fittest survived, the rest either went on a hook or had a blade across the throat.
One of my goals, in so far as I can see into the future, is to have a flock that requires pretty minimal assistance that will produce quality lambs as cost effectively as is practical. I'd much rather be in bed at night, I love farming, but I like my bed too
I've a smallish flock as well ,100 ewes but trying to expand it to 200 ewes. The only way I can do it is by breading my own replacements over a few years. The only way of having manageable flock like that is self sufficient ewes. Cull hard for any trouble ewes and not giving them a second chance. Bad mothering, behavioural issues, hard lambing, poor milkers.
That's my target, just the hard work between me and it, but I'll get there. Good quality grass and fencing are the absolute other ingredients needed in the mix.0 -
Username John wrote: »Hi Tom,
I would agree - but to a point as well
I take 2 weeks off for lambing normally. I would check em at night if I thought one was near lambing.
But... This year I had 2 ewes left after the 2 weeks, other years I had more. I am at work all day, so they would have to manage alone...
So it's not that I want to be totally hands off, but I want to be confident that they would manage on their own.
Compare this to Suffolk rams I had a few years ago - SAVAGE lambs, once you had em out of the ewe.
But some of the lambs were very thick, and i dunno if the ewe could have managed on their own.
So - there's a middle ground I guess... I am really thinking of a Charolais ram. I lamb indoors, and would keep em in a few days, which would hopefully get around the being soft when young thing... But, we'll see how these two Lleyns do...
Have charolais here for the first time this year john, put him with the hoggets and am really happy with how they have worked out. They are very easy lambed and are heading for the teat for a suck nearly straight away. The only down side is they are very bare, hard to believe how little wool some of them have but when your lambing indoors and keeping them in that wouldnt be a problem.0 -
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We're fasted from 10 at night and scanned at 10 next day which is much the same as every year, was told 4 hours was enough. Was chatting a vet who said same scanner has left a few people head scratching!
its just my first year fating this year and results 100% so far...I hope its geos better for you next year:)Username John wrote: »Hi Tom,
I would agree - but to a point as well
I take 2 weeks off for lambing normally. I would check em at night if I thought one was near lambing.
But... This year I had 2 ewes left after the 2 weeks, other years I had more. I am at work all day, so they would have to manage alone...
So it's not that I want to be totally hands off, but I want to be confident that they would manage on their own.
Compare this to Suffolk rams I had a few years ago - SAVAGE lambs, once you had em out of the ewe.
But some of the lambs were very thick, and i dunno if the ewe could have managed on their own.
So - there's a middle ground I guess... I am really thinking of a Charolais ram. I lamb indoors, and would keep em in a few days, which would hopefully get around the being soft when young thing... But, we'll see how these two Lleyns do...
how are them lleyns going??do they give the big numbers of lambs as suggested??
only thing with charolais is if you are away (I do as well a lot of days) and you get heavy rain have heard it to kill charolais lambs up to 3 weeks old...you would want to run them in IMO0 -
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Conmaicne Mara wrote: »
I am, morally is the wrong word, between two stools in the lambing belief system of this side of the world, and the one on the far side of the world. Something that stuck with me was a Kiwi comment about European farmers saving lambs "...at any price..."
There's a truth in that, and while the welfare standards are probably different I can see the practical reasoning behind the thinking. Another comment was about essential items at lambing, the top two being binoculars and a rifle - they don't have foxes in NZ so leave it to yourself what the rifle was for
In my area I know of one farm that has a hands off, low feed/no feed policy. It's not pretty, and I have to admit it wouldn't be to my taste. But, I have bought ewe lambs from that farm and they are properly bulletproof and make great ewes once they're "down the hill" a while.
A lot of improvement in NZ was based on "tough love" principles like those, the fittest survived, the rest either went on a hook or had a blade across the throat.
I very much understand the feeling and emotion behind losing a lamb. There is a conflict there between the emotional side of farming and the pure profit driven commercial side as well as advancement of breeds I think.
One of my goals, in so far as I can see into the future, is to have a flock that requires pretty minimal assistance that will produce quality lambs as cost effectively as is practical. I'd much rather be in bed at night, I love farming, but I like my bed too
its just getting ewes inlamb and to point of lambing is the most expensive part and not to put work in at lambing time for two weeks??
every needless dead lamb is adding cost to every other lamb?
there no doubt NZ are doing it right...but they can get away with the huge numbers they have...irish flocks is something 50% <50 ewes...every lamb counts IMO
obviously somethings cant be helped like ewes lying on lambs etc....but to have lambs die for want of hunger/not getting colostrum...you don't even need to intervene in 90% cases...but an odd one will need handling...there nothing worse than to go out and lambs head swelled and ewe not able to have it
for 5 mins of intervention before its too late/during lambing...its putting extra hardship on man and beast trying to get that lamb out after cutting them up etc.....have seen sheep to die in different places after this type of butchery...how many lambs would it take to replace a good ewe?
im not critizing atall...just think it wouldn't be my cup of tea to go too much down NZ path:)0 -
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tomwaterford wrote: »its just my first year fating this year and results 100% so far...I hope its geos better for you next year:)
how are them lleyns going??do they give the big numbers of lambs as suggested??
only thing with charolais is if you are away (I do as well a lot of days) and you get heavy rain have heard it to kill charolais lambs up to 3 weeks old...you would want to run them in IMO
I only had the first two Lleyns this morning. And it was a Lleyn ram, not ewes.
We'll see how they grow...
Hmmm, that's not good after 3 weeks. And we wouldn't have much shelter either... 0
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