MArking spray brands?

jt65

just wondering what brand folks use for numbering ewes and lambs

here we use
blue for singles
red for twins
and green for unfostered triples

have always used Ritchey but found this year numbers are fading or smudging

maybe 'cos we had to keep indoors longer and packed tighter

any body use Marksman ?

razor8

Find coyles very good, use it at scanning and marks still there at shearing

paddysdream

jt65 wrote: »

just wondering what brand folks use for numbering ewes and lambs

here we use
blue for singles
red for twins
and green for unfostered triples

have always used Ritchey but found this year numbers are fading or smudging

maybe 'cos we had to keep indoors longer and packed tighter

any body use Marksman ?

Use (just up from the shed so fairly sure!!) Pharvet and Marksman.

Have never seen any major difference between the brands to be honest.Usually just buy whatever is handy,not that fussy re. brands.

As regards colours,any one apart from red.Red only used for problem ewes.So any ewe marked with red anywhere is destined for culling,no exceptions!.
Would use red to number the lambs from problem ewes(lack of milk,one spin,rotten lambs,unable to rear lambs etc etc) as well.Makes you look extra closely at them when they are out in the field.

Can be a bit annoying at times though.A few times at shearing over the years I(or lads shearing)have looked at a ewe with red on her somewhere and wondered what on earth she was being culled for.Sometimes you could forget what her problem was but (like the Dept Of Ag.!) rules is rules and off she will go out back to the flock(for a little while only if she is still rearing a lamb) but with more red paint and a little trip to the chilling awaits.

Nekarsulm

When the lad came to scan, I left a few spray cans up at his position, while I kept the sheep moving up the chute. Unfortunately I also left the "purple" can of foot spray within reach, and he marked them all with the foot spray can. Luckily it is lasting as well as anything else. Had a nightmare the night after scanning, as it rained the whole night, and I thought they would be washed clean again.................

tomwaterford

jt65 wrote: »

just wondering what brand folks use for numbering ewes and lambs

here we use
blue for singles
red for twins
and green for unfostered triples

have always used Ritchey but found this year numbers are fading or smudging

maybe 'cos we had to keep indoors longer and packed tighter

any body use Marksman ?

I use numbers for twins....letters for singles (this may not be feasible for larger flocks though:D)
I hate doing it...it help greatly identifying mis mothering/lambs struggling to find ewes etc.....so unavoidable really
hope to put up a proper race this year to keep marking ewes at dosing etc to the bare minimum...looks terrible sheep out in the field with load of different marks IMO
I would only mark lambs after when they are in crate at weighing....different colours for ewes and weathers!!!

Conmaicne Mara

Some of my lambs last year could have been brought to gay rights marches they had so many colours on them for various jobs.

I think it's Coyles thats on my spray tins, haven't a notion about the fleece brand except I'll never ever buy dales whatever it is again, like concrete.

tomwaterford

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Some of my lambs last year could have been brought to gay rights marches they had so many colours on them for various jobs.

I think it's Coyles thats on my spray tins, haven't a notion about the fleece brand except I'll never ever buy dales whatever it is again, like concrete.

oh I know the feeling:o...I think they look much better with minimum marking....hopfully race will go up this year...not have them in a pen busting my knees trying to run through me

I had a pen of ewe lambs I had picked out this year to sell esp for breeding time...minding them well-minimal marking...
a week before the sale 3 got stuck in a turf hole...covered to their neck in ****e:mad::mad:

paddysdream

tomwaterford wrote: »

I use numbers for twins....letters for singles (this may not be feasible for larger flocks though:D)
I hate doing it...it help greatly identifying mis mothering/lambs struggling to find ewes etc.....so unavoidable really
hope to put up a proper race this year to keep marking ewes at dosing etc to the bare minimum...looks terrible sheep out in the field with load of different marks IMO
I would only mark lambs after when they are in crate at weighing....different colours for ewes and weathers!!!

Usually number ewes and lambs going out of the shed.Doubles on the right and singles on the right(trebles are kept seperate),Start with one colour and when numbers reach 99 switch to a different one.Big help when you are trying to find which b**ch owns the 2 dead lambs you found under the ditch or whether the starving lamb you bring back in to foster has a sibling.

jt65

found a fairly aged lamb humped by himself yesterday , obvious pneumonia but also looked not thriving

found his sibling and mother, ewe had orf like scab on one spin and wasn't letting him suck

back into house with the 3 of them and hold the ewe a couple of times a day , she already wearing an orange tag in each ear which only means 1 thing ... one way ticket

only for I had them well marked it would have been one hell of a job matching them up

Dickie10

i want to mark ewe lambs that I intend to keep for breeding as all the sheep lamb together in one shed, I was going to use a little bit of raddle paste on them as I think this might last the best, would it be the job for small lambs just a small stripe on the back , prob only about 14 or 15

razor8

Dickie10 wrote: »

i want to mark ewe lambs that I intend to keep for breeding as all the sheep lamb together in one shed, I was going to use a little bit of raddle paste on them as I think this might last the best, would it be the job for small lambs just a small stripe on the back , prob only about 14 or 15

Ear notcher would be a lot handier and you can be sure it won't disappear, cormacs in tuam sell them

AnFeirmeoir

Dickie10 wrote: »

i want to mark ewe lambs that I intend to keep for breeding as all the sheep lamb together in one shed, I was going to use a little bit of raddle paste on them as I think this might last the best, would it be the job for small lambs just a small stripe on the back , prob only about 14 or 15

I'd imagine that raddle would spread to all lambs before it dried out properly

Dickie10

I used it to mark ewews this year I kept separate great job little touch on the head still as clear now as in sept once its mixed fairly tough/sticky,im in meath anyone know where id get an ear notcher locally ? meath/w.meath area?

ganmo

Dickie10 wrote: »

i want to mark ewe lambs that I intend to keep for breeding as all the sheep lamb together in one shed, I was going to use a little bit of raddle paste on them as I think this might last the best, would it be the job for small lambs just a small stripe on the back , prob only about 14 or 15

you could and stick a tag in their ears

J.O. Farmer

razor8 wrote: »

Ear notcher would be a lot handier and you can be sure it won't disappear, cormacs in tuam sell them

Ear notcher is great for a permanent mark that won't go away. A notch in the left ear for twins and maybe a notch in the right for singles if you are thinking of keeping some of those.
The ear notcher can be used to mark cull ewes too just so long as it's different to lambs something like a notch in both ears.

famer279

Coyles is fairly good