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How's lambing going for ye?

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  • #362
    Farrell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,262 ✭✭✭Farrell


    sea12 wrote: »
    Last ewe lamb lambed today. First lamb born 17th March. A long lambing season. Wasn't meant to be as long but Rams broke back in for a visit after I had them them out. Overall poor numbers and need to think seriously whether to lamb ewes next year or switch to keeping ewe lambs for sale as hoggets following year. Getting harder with work and young family.


    Hard to give up your flock you spent years building up all the same.

    Anyway time for s drink tonight I think.
    What about a tighter lambing season? & maybe sorting some help to give you a night / day off?
    Lambing ran on a bit here too, rather get all over in a shorter time & then you'd have an evener bunch when selling


  • #363
    Willfarman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,239 ✭✭✭Willfarman


    Ah the lambing fade in the mind very quick but the extra few lambs pay a few bills!


  • #364
    sea12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭sea12


    Willfarman wrote: »
    Still 10 hoggets to lamb here. Did your ewe that was down lamb ok sea?

    No unfottunsyrly she kicked the bucket.
    Another ewe had a fine single and 3 days later he dropped dead. Bad finish to it leaves a bad taste.


  • #365
    sea12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭sea12


    Farrell wrote: »
    What about a tighter lambing season? & maybe sorting some help to give you a night / day off?
    Lambing ran on a bit here too, rather get all over in a shorter time & then you'd have an evener bunch when selling

    Yea tried to have it to 5 weeks but Rams broke in. Luckily they did or would have been good tee empties


  • #366
    sea12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭sea12


    Willfarman wrote: »
    Ah the lambing fade in the mind very quick but the extra few lambs pay a few bills!

    That is true.


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  • #367
    Willfarman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,239 ✭✭✭Willfarman


    sea12 wrote: »
    No unfottunsyrly she kicked the bucket.
    Another ewe had a fine single and 3 days later he dropped dead. Bad finish to it leaves a bad taste.

    Feck it.


  • #368
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    sea12 wrote: »
    Last ewe lamb lambed today. First lamb born 17th March. A long lambing season. Wasn't meant to be as long but Rams broke back in for a visit after I had them them out. Overall poor numbers and need to think seriously whether to lamb ewes next year or switch to keeping ewe lambs for sale as hoggets following year. Getting harder with work and young family.


    Hard to give up your flock you spent years building up all the same.

    Anyway time for s drink tonight I think.

    Jesus, time for a drink is right! Its a long time since 17th March :(

    Didnt check the ewes last night, would normally have a look in at em, but one night acourse... found one on her back this morning... :mad: :mad: :mad:


  • #369
    Farrell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,262 ✭✭✭Farrell


    sea12 wrote: »
    Yea tried to have it to 5 weeks but Rams broke in. Luckily they did or would have been good tee empties
    Would sponging help?


  • #370
    Green farmer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,004 ✭✭✭Green farmer


    Farrell wrote: »
    Would sponging help?

    Never sponged here , but how does it work out logically ? Would you want an individual pen for every sheep ?


  • #371
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    Green farmer wrote: »
    Never sponged here , but how does it work out logically ? Would you want an individual pen for every sheep ?

    there'd still be about a week spread. 4 or 5 days either side of the due date.


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  • #372
    Farrell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,262 ✭✭✭Farrell


    ganmo wrote: »
    there'd still be about a week spread. 4 or 5 days either side of the due date.

    I could live with that, rather than 2+months.
    Do you sponge yourself or do you get the vet? Is there any specific procedure (ie husbandry) to help success rate


  • #373
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    Farrell wrote: »
    I could live with that, rather than 2+months.
    Do you sponge yourself or do you get the vet? Is there any specific procedure (ie husbandry) to help success rate

    Whats involved?

    Whats the benfit of sponging? If its to tighten up lambing, then would a teaser not be easier and more cost effective?

    Sponging would seem to be an extra time and cost, I don't see why you would do it?

    But, I am sure there are times / reasons why one would, I am just not aware... :confused:


  • #374
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    Farrell wrote: »
    I could live with that, rather than 2+months.
    Do you sponge yourself or do you get the vet? Is there any specific procedure (ie husbandry) to help success rate

    I never did the sponging but I did the lambing end.
    Its sponges in, sponges out + injection a few days later and rams out.


  • #375
    Jack180570
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 349 ✭✭Jack180570


    Lambing went ok here, did go on for 6 weeks though because I lambed in 2 bunches.
    3 hill rams in for 3 weeks with main breeding flock (about 220).
    Then took the 3 hill rams out and then put in 1 texel ram and added in ewes that were going to be sold after they have reared their lamb(s).

    Not sure if this is a good way of doing it but means that the late lambs are texel and will stay on the lowland so they should finish on time before year end without meals. It also means that I get a chance to get the ewes that did not go in lamb with the main bunch to get in lamb (i dont cull these good ones and they join the main flock the following year)

    The two bunches are kept separate so as to allow dosing and vaccinating (each bunch has only got a 3week spread of age).

    This year I am thinking of using a few teaser rams to try to improve the % of ewes tipped in the main bunch and get a lower overall level of empty ewes.

    Two questions for my fellow shepherds :-)
    1. What do ye think of that way of splitting the flock between early and late lambing bunches?
    2. Is one texel ram enough to cover say 30 cull ewes and say 20 ewes not covered out of the main bunch?
    3. Do any of you use teaser rams and how has it worked for ye?

    Thanks in advance... Jack


  • #376
    Farrell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,262 ✭✭✭Farrell


    Username John wrote: »
    Whats involved?

    Whats the benfit of sponging? If its to tighten up lambing, then would a teaser not be easier and more cost effective?

    Sponging would seem to be an extra time and cost, I don't see why you would do it?

    But, I am sure there are times / reasons why one would, I am just not aware... :confused:

    Though it would be like coiling cows.
    Are teasers easy come by?


  • #377
    Jack180570
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 349 ✭✭Jack180570


    Farrell wrote: »
    Though it would be like coiling cows.
    Are teasers easy come by?

    I have not been at a mart for a long time but I imagine that they should not be too difficult... what you are looking for (i think) are a few ram hoggets and then castrate them.. Im not 100% sure but think they need to have been left entire for at least a year (so they know what it is for:D) and then castrated so they dont do damage :pac:

    Only reason I thought of teasers was that I accidentally ended up with 3 yearling rams that should have been sold last Sept. I had to squeeze them for safety and that is how I thought of the idea.


  • #378
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    Jack180570 wrote: »
    I have not been at a mart for a long time but I imagine that they should not be too difficult... what you are looking for (i think) are a few ram hoggets and then castrate them.. Im not 100% sure but think they need to have been left entire for at least a year (so they know what it is for:D) and then castrated so they dont do damage :pac:

    Only reason I thought of teasers was that I accidentally ended up with 3 yearling rams that should have been sold last Sept. I had to squeeze them for safety and that is how I thought of the idea.

    Hmmm, I dunno if castrated rams will do the job...
    They need to be vasectomised, rather than castrated...

    I got it done on a ram land last year, not a cheap operation, would need to look up how much it was now. Somewhere around the 150 or more maybe... But will keep him for a few years...

    I lamb in March, so ewes would prob be cycling anyways... But I can only take 2 weeks hols, so anything at all that helps more of em lamb in the two weeks is a help...


  • #379
    Bullocks
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,893 ✭✭✭Bullocks


    Username John wrote: »
    Hmmm, I dunno if castrated rams will do the job...
    They need to be vasectomised, rather than castrated...

    I got it done on a ram land last year, not a cheap operation, would need to look up how much it was now. Somewhere around the 150 or more maybe... But will keep him for a few years...

    I lamb in March, so ewes would prob be cycling anyways... But I can only take 2 weeks hols, so anything at all that helps more of em lamb in the two weeks is a help...
    Do you have to keep him seperate from the ewes except for teasing time ?


  • #380
    sea12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭sea12


    Username John wrote: »
    Hmmm, I dunno if castrated rams will do the job...
    They need to be vasectomised, rather than castrated...

    I got it done on a ram land last year, not a cheap operation, would need to look up how much it was now. Somewhere around the 150 or more maybe... But will keep him for a few years...

    I lamb in March, so ewes would prob be cycling anyways... But I can only take 2 weeks hols, so anything at all that helps more of em lamb in the two weeks is a help...

    What's your process. How long do you put him in for


  • #381
    gazahayes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 455 ✭✭gazahayes


    Username John wrote: »
    I got it done on a ram land last year, not a cheap operation, would need to look up how much it was now. Somewhere around the 150 or more maybe... But will keep him for a few years.

    Got 2 done here last year and was only charged 80 for them.


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  • #382
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    gazahayes wrote: »
    Got 2 done here last year and was only charged 80 for them.

    I got one done 2 years ago, in the clinic and twas less than 100...

    But he called out to me to do the one this year, and twas around the 150 mark. Now, I dunno whether that was cos of the call out, or an increase, or what... But twas more than I was expecting anyways.
    But - tis my own fault a bit too, for not asking up front...


  • #383
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,918 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    Only 2 to go and then thats it for another year. Thankfully weather came good just as I was giving up hope in terms of having anything to show for my efforts in terms of a bit of pocket money by the end of the summer.


  • #384
    rangler1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,497 ✭✭✭rangler1


    gazahayes wrote: »
    Got 2 done here last year and was only charged 80 for them.

    They only need to be with the ewes for a couple of days, some farmers tie a bag around their breeding rams for the two days that they're chatting them up


  • #385
    rangler1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,497 ✭✭✭rangler1


    sea12 wrote: »
    What's your process. How long do you put him in for

    It's important that rams aren't within sight or smell of the ewes for eight weeks before the teasers are put with the ewes.
    put in the teasers for two or three days and put the rams in fourteen days from the day you introduced the teasers.
    We had 90% of the adult ewes lambed in 17 days using the ''ram effect'' this year......naturally enough rams have to be in good order too, very demanding on them when the ewes come in heat so quick


  • #386
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    not a bad week here
    last ewe lambed
    hoggets shorn and out on the hill
    and pet lambs weaned


  • #387
    sea12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭sea12


    ganmo wrote: »
    not a bad week here
    last ewe lambed
    hoggets shorn and out on the hill
    and pet lambs weaned

    How long was the season. When did the first one lamb?


  • #388
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    Last days of Jan...they were a surprise really kicked off middle of March


  • #389
    sea12
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,244 ✭✭✭sea12


    ganmo wrote: »
    Last days of Jan...they were a surprise really kicked off middle of March

    Long season so. Don't share the lambing spread with the dairy folk on the main forum. They'll have a stroke😀


  • #390
    rangler1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,497 ✭✭✭rangler1


    Had an interesting one this week,
    We've more ewe deaths this year than usual so when one died last week we decided on a PM.
    She aborted and cleaned in Feb and the PM of the lamb and cleanings showed Campylebactor,
    However last week there was still one lamb in her and one of his bones went out through her lambbed.
    Vet lab always tells us that we come up with something unusual.
    Incidentally, cost of knackery €20 if we put her in there
    Cost of PM. €15.67 plus €5 for disposal..... 0.67 extra to know what she died of...


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  • #391
    davidk1394
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,323 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    It's a handy way of finding out if there is anything wrong with your flock alright. Fortunately we didn't go to our local lab in a couple if months touch wood !!


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