General sheep thread

kk.man · 17-02-2019 11:58pm

Sami23 wrote: »

Do both lambs need to out of sight from the Ewe for adoption crates to work ?

I put them in the 'body' of the crate for the 1st day and then transfer them to where her head is on a few times each day.

Green farmer · 18-02-2019 12:19am

wrangler wrote: »

It's in a good few lamb finisher rations already

I suppose I’m just open minded to learning about all the possible ingredients out there for finishing lambs and feeding ewes. I was looking at a ewe nut I’m feeding atm., €310 a tonne. Has maize as the number one ingredient, but then has a some cheap fillers like Palm in it as well. Same with lamb fatteners. Have good and poor ingredients mixed together. I find it curious that sometimes buy the good ingredients as straights a lot cheaper then rations, that have a lot of rubbish included, that you don’t really want. As I said just open minded to trying different things.

roosky · 18-02-2019 11:35am

Sami23 wrote: »

Great post.

What type of cold milk do you give

Lamblac

DJ98 · 19-02-2019 9:26pm

Some of the ewes in the shed are gone very lame, scalds and an odd case of footrot, footbathing doesn't seem to be helping, they are due to lamb from March 1st on, could they be injected with alymicin or would this do harm to the lambs?

Dickie10 · 19-02-2019 10:03pm

i have a lamb gone off drinking the ewe he was part of a triplet i pulled him off last night , his belly seems bloated he was not cold but left him under the lamp all day, gave him 100 ml of milk in a tube last night and thought he woud be mad for milk today but barely got 250 ml into him all day seems bloated still , gave him a shot of betamox an hour ago any ideas what it is ? hes very lethargic and just wants to lie down , hes not bawling or anything

White Clover · 19-02-2019 10:09pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

i have a lamb gone off drinking the ewe he was part of a triplet i pulled him off last night , his belly seems bloated he was not cold but left him under the lamp all day, gave him 100 ml of milk in a tube last night and thought he woud be mad for milk today but barely got 250 ml into him all day seems bloated still , gave him a shot of betamox an hour ago any ideas what it is ? hes very lethargic and just wants to lie down , hes not bawling or anything

Had a twin like that last year for a few days, he was mad to suck though. I had him in a pen beside the ewe, I think 20 mls liquid paraffin 4 times a day and drop him into the ewe four times a day for a small suck each time. He was flying after 3 or 4 days.

Dickie10 · 19-02-2019 10:13pm

would u think hes bound up? i gave him liquid parfin yesterday 20mls. is that enough? also gave him warm water with fairy liquid in it heard it was great to get stomach moving. amyoone ever hear of it?

Willfarman · 19-02-2019 10:20pm

I’d say he is bound up. Shake him and see does he rattle. If so then tube feed with lectade only for a few days. Give him scourhalt and oxygen and syringe a bit of warm soapy water up rear. Not many live but an odd one does. You have to try.

Dickie10 · 19-02-2019 10:27pm

jaysus i gave warm soapy water down the neck! what do u mean by oxegyn?

ganmo · 19-02-2019 10:42pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

jaysus i gave warm soapy water down the neck! what do u mean by oxegyn?

Maybe oxytocin?

FarmerDougal · 19-02-2019 11:07pm

DJ98 wrote: »

Some of the ewes in the shed are gone very lame, scalds and an odd case of footrot, footbathing doesn't seem to be helping, they are due to lamb from March 1st on, could they be injected with alymicin or would this do harm to the lambs?

What you footbathing with? I use 10:1 bluestone mix with a bit of formalin, leave them stand for a minute, works well

DJ98 · 19-02-2019 11:07pm

FarmerDougal wrote: »

What you footbathing with? I use 10:1 bluestone mix with a bit of formalin, leave them stand for a minute, works well

Formalin

Willfarman · 19-02-2019 11:19pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

jaysus i gave warm soapy water down the neck! what do u mean by oxegyn?

Oxtytetracycline antibiotic.

Green farmer · 20-02-2019 12:27pm

Have some paddocks put aside since November. Nice cover of grass. Would I be mad letting ewes in now and fertilizing after grazing or would ye keep them locked out. Not lambing until last week of March onwards ?

Dinzee Conlee · 20-02-2019 1:31pm

Green farmer wrote: »

Have some paddocks put aside since November. Nice cover of grass. Would I be mad letting ewes in now and fertilizing after grazing or would ye keep them locked out. Not lambing until last week of March onwards ?

First reaction - "mad"

However - if you could strip graze, then it might work out. If you cant, then I'd leave for ewes and lambs...

Interested to hear others opinions tho.

roosky · 20-02-2019 1:38pm

You have saved it this long i would keep it for post lambing and strip graze it then

Buford T. Justice XIX · 20-02-2019 2:11pm

Green farmer wrote: »

Have some paddocks put aside since November. Nice cover of grass. Would I be mad letting ewes in now and fertilizing after grazing or would ye keep them locked out. Not lambing until last week of March onwards ?

To get grass growing for the year, it needs to be grazed earlier than most are currently doing. The target, though not set in stone, is to get around 30% of the ground grazed by the end of February. Then fertilise it. That ground will have greened up nicely by the start of April and grass will be growing there where the stuff grazed later will still be sluggish to get going.

I'd be inclined to let that cover alone for ewes and lambs and go into some lighter covers now so you will have that ready for grazing in early/mid April?

Again, that's the angle being pushed for growing more grass atm. You could go half and half and graze some of it now and see how both halves do this spring?

charolais0153 · 20-02-2019 2:25pm

7 weeks till first week of april. Id be inclined to give it a quick graze,dont go too hard on it.

Green farmer · 20-02-2019 3:03pm

Hard to know what to do lads. Will be up at 15 degrees by the weekend. Everything their eating atm is from the mill. Prefer to spend it on a bag of fert then a bag of meal if possible. Could be worse, never usually have grass this early.

roosky · 20-02-2019 3:36pm

Lads will ye settle a bit, I really hope I'm wrong but we might not be out of the woods yet....the talk of graze now and graze again in early April and 30% grazed by end of Feb is all grand until ye think back to last year when the beast from the east didnt hit until March

See the images below:

https://www.thejournal.ie/photos-of-snow-ireland-3881088-Mar2018/

Green farmer · 20-02-2019 3:46pm

roosky wrote: »

Lads will ye settle a bit, I really hope I'm wrong but we might not be out of the woods yet....the talk of graze now and graze again in early April and 30% grazed by end of Feb is all grand until ye think back to last year when the beast from the east didnt hit until March

See the images below:

https://www.thejournal.ie/photos-of-snow-ireland-3881088-Mar2018/

I was looking at the met uk webcast yesterday and they compared this day last year when the beast was brewing up and now. Completely opposites. They are now talking of feb record tempatures being broken across the water, expecting up to 18degrees. Also predicted mild weather for the rest of this month. We’re more on the edge of it here and mightn’t be as warm, but you never know, but all the signs are positive as far as the eye can see.

charolais0153 · 20-02-2019 3:51pm

roosky wrote: »

Lads will ye settle a bit, I really hope I'm wrong but we might not be out of the woods yet....the talk of graze now and graze again in early April and 30% grazed by end of Feb is all grand until ye think back to last year when the beast from the east didnt hit until March

See the images below:

https://www.thejournal.ie/photos-of-snow-ireland-3881088-Mar2018/

Should we also pump meal into lambs in may because there will be a lack of grass in june and july.
Grazed grass is by far the cheapest feed available and isnt it the Same thing to feed in april if you have to rather than definitely feed now because your "saving" the grass. Grass cant grow if you dont eat it

Dinzee Conlee · 20-02-2019 4:45pm

Interesting...

You have to keep us informed as to what you do Green_farmer - given there has been such varied responses

roosky · 20-02-2019 4:54pm

charolais0153 wrote: »

Should we also pump meal into lambs in may because there will be a lack of grass in june and july.
Grazed grass is by far the cheapest feed available and isnt it the Same thing to feed in april if you have to rather than definitely feed now because your "saving" the grass. Grass cant grow if you dont eat it

No obviously not but like the chances of frost and poor growth in march is a hell of a lot higher than having no grass in June and July!

We all know grass is best but like if you have ewes heavy in lamb which was the original question they cant take in enough grass to meet demand anyway so in my view its better to leave them in and feed them till lambing then when their intake ability is at its optimum and their feed demand is peaking you have more than enough grass in front of them and cut out the meal feeding to ewes post lambing.

Green farmer · 20-02-2019 5:21pm

I don’t know lads, flip a coin. The weather is all over the place , totally unpredictable, but luckily on the right side of that unpredictablility.
Edit,
Actually I’m going to see if I can tighten them up further and fertilise a paddock or two and see what growth is coming. If it’s shooting up, might then leave ewes in to others, on a limited basis.

charolais0153 · 20-02-2019 5:37pm

Green farmer wrote: »

I don’t know lads, flip a coin. The weather is all over the place , totally unpredictable
Edit,
Actually I’m going to see if I can tighten them up further and fertilise a paddock or two and see what growth is coming. If it’s shooting up, might then leave ewes in to others, on a limited basis.

What county are you in?

Green farmer · 20-02-2019 5:39pm

charolais0153 wrote: »

What county are you in?

Midwest

charolais0153 · 20-02-2019 5:51pm

Its up to yourself,buts its a ling time till april to have grass just sitting in fields
Dairy men will be starting their 2nd round then...

razor8 · 20-02-2019 9:09pm

You’ll be feeding lambs all winter if you haven’t any grass when they lamb. Good green grass is rocket fuel for a milking ewe

Letting a batch of ewes into lush grass could cause prolapses

Birdnuts · 20-02-2019 9:54pm

Green farmer wrote: »

I don’t know lads, flip a coin. The weather is all over the place , totally unpredictable, but luckily on the right side of that unpredictablility.
Edit,
Actually I’m going to see if I can tighten them up further and fertilise a paddock or two and see what growth is coming. If it’s shooting up, might then leave ewes in to others, on a limited basis.

I'd agree - The British Met got their Winter forecast badly wrong this season

wrangler · 20-02-2019 10:24pm

razor8 wrote: »

You’ll be feeding lambs all winter if you haven’t any grass when they lamb. Good green grass is rocket fuel for a milking ewe

Letting a batch of ewes into lush grass could cause prolapses

Yea, meal will keep them going at the moment but it's vital to have grass when they lamb

Dickie10 · 20-02-2019 10:29pm

id save it til after they lamb, ewes heavy in lamb wont have enough room for the amount of forgae they need to get their minerals and nutririon from and you will need to feed them meal anyway 6 weeks out from lambing, i find ewes on bare ground with a pick of grass and hay along with a lifeline bucket and nuts do very well. lush grass isnt much use to them now

wrangler · 20-02-2019 10:50pm

Green farmer wrote: »

I don’t know lads, flip a coin. The weather is all over the place , totally unpredictable, but luckily on the right side of that unpredictablility.
Edit,
Actually I’m going to see if I can tighten them up further and fertilise a paddock or two and see what growth is coming. If it’s shooting up, might then leave ewes in to others, on a limited basis.

Do you have loads of grass for the ewes when they lamb, big difference comparing to dairy farmers with their fancy grass varieties and super fertility, don't graze it if you're not sure it'll grow back/
As you have a lot of singles you could do something different with them, a neighbour put his out on grass and even though he was strip grazing them very tight to avoid big lambs, they've all scoured , they'll be some mess for lambing

Green farmer · 20-02-2019 11:52pm

Fair enough lads, will keep them out of it, tempting and all it is. Might still put out some fert on later closed up ground and see how it comes back.

roosky · 21-02-2019 12:22pm

Green farmer wrote: »

Fair enough lads, will keep them out of it, tempting and all it is. Might still put out some fert on later closed up ground and see how it comes back.

I await your post in early April of you cutting excess silage off the said paddock telling us that we are all a bunch of clowns

Green farmer · 21-02-2019 1:06pm

roosky wrote: »

I await your post in early April of you cutting excess silage off the said paddock telling us that we are all a bunch of clowns

Even if I don’t have a blade of grass, I’ll post it for the crack, just to wind lads up !!!

White Clover · 21-02-2019 1:25pm

What way are lads here going to tag lambs this year?
Is it as well to double tag them at birth, be easier for management records too, or are the Cormac tags I usually use too big for young lambs?

ganmo · 21-02-2019 1:38pm

White Clover wrote: »

What way are lads here going to tag lambs this year?
Is it as well to double tag them at birth, be easier for management records too, or are the Cormac tags I usually use too big for young lambs?

i'd wait for a day or 2 at least.

White Clover · 21-02-2019 1:49pm

ganmo wrote: »

i'd wait for a day or 2 at least.

Ya, sorry ganmo, I meant tag them when they're going out after being in the individual pens for a couple of days. Would the tags be too big/heavy or is there a smaller option?

Mad_maxx · 21-02-2019 2:11pm

I bought and owned a dozen ewe lambs for five months last year to keep the field surrounding house eaten down, got away with only dosing once, what is the earliest you might be able to buy weaned lambs which wouldn't need shearing for the coming season, with the early spring, I've a nice cover of grass developing, would mid April see any weaned lambs or is that far too early

roosky · 21-02-2019 3:00pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

I bought and owned a dozen ewe lambs for five months last year to keep the field surrounding house eaten down, got away with only dosing once, what is the earliest you might be able to buy weaned lambs which wouldn't need shearing for the coming season, with the early spring, I've a nice cover of grass developing, would mid April see any weaned lambs or is that far too early

Probably looking later like june, Early lambs will either be pedigree or be finished commanding a high price as its out of season

Mad_maxx · 21-02-2019 4:08pm

roosky wrote: »

Probably looking later like june, Early lambs will either be pedigree or be finished commanding a high price as its out of season

Ok thanks, not the end of the world to wait until june

chippy78 · 22-02-2019 1:57am

Hi lads
I’m lambing on April 1st and housing on Paddy’s day. I have plenty grass and am wondering if I should supplement ewes at grass before they go indoors to lamb or is the grass sufficient?

I can’t find a grass based supplement table online all of them seem to be silage based.

Lambman · 22-02-2019 2:37am

chippy78 wrote: »

Hi lads
I’m lambing on April 1st and housing on Paddy’s day. I have plenty grass and am wondering if I should supplement ewes at grass before they go indoors to lamb or is the grass sufficient?

I can’t find a grass based supplement table online all of them seem to be silage based.

What do u intend till feed indoors? If silage then I'd want them eating silage pre housing.

arctictree · 22-02-2019 9:46am

And we're off. Triplets born to a scanned twin. Good start!

Lambman · 22-02-2019 9:58am

You must a scanned over the 90 days when he couldn't pick the 3 up?

Siamsa Sessions · 22-02-2019 10:11am

chippy78 wrote: »

Hi lads
I’m lambing on April 1st and housing on Paddy’s day. I have plenty grass and am wondering if I should supplement ewes at grass before they go indoors to lamb or is the grass sufficient?

I can’t find a grass based supplement table online all of them seem to be silage based.

Have a look at the bottom of p.21 here: http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/BRP-Improving-ewe-nutrition-manual-12-050416.pdf

If a ewe is eating a kg of grass she'll get 10-11MJ of her nutrition. The table on p.4 will tell you you how much she needs as she gets into her last weeks before lambing.

A decent meal/concentrate ration will have 12MJ per kg. So, if he needs say 17MJ the week she's lambing, 0.5kg of meal will give her the 6MJ she needs in addition to the 10-11MJ she gets from the kg of grass.

Double-check all these numbers for your own situation but this example should give you ball-park figures at least.

arctictree · 22-02-2019 10:13am

Lambman wrote: »

You must a scanned over the 90 days when he couldn't pick the 3 up?

Yeah, think so. Ram in on 30/09 and scanned on 06/01. Plan was to bring in the flock today. Nice to see 3 healthy lambs born without assistance in the field.

charolais0153 · 22-02-2019 1:38pm

arctictree wrote: »

Yeah, think so. Ram in on 30/09 and scanned on 06/01. Plan was to bring in the flock today. Nice to see 3 healthy lambs born without assistance in the field.

Had 3 born last night fine lambs were all standing last night. Gave them a suck and went to bed,got up this morning at 9 woke up and went out,nothing happening so i ate my breakfast and went inside. Came out at half 9 and one was lied on. Sheep eh:rolleyes:

Willfarman · 22-02-2019 3:07pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Have a look at the bottom of p.21 here: http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/BRP-Improving-ewe-nutrition-manual-12-050416.pdf

If a ewe is eating a kg of grass she'll get 10-11MJ of her nutrition. The table on p.4 will tell you you how much she needs as she gets into her last weeks before lambing.

A decent meal/concentrate ration will have 12MJ per kg. So, if he needs say 17MJ the week she's lambing, 0.5kg of meal will give her the 6MJ she needs in addition to the 10-11MJ she gets from the kg of grass.

Double-check all these numbers for your own situation but this example should give you ball-park figures at least.

if you have good grass under them then just give the triplets a half kg a this stage. make sure have the doubles on a kg a week before you house or the change will have you in bother from calcium deficiency.

General sheep thread

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