General sheep thread

razor8

Young95 wrote: »

Well folks hope the lambing is going well just said I’d ask the question. I’m considering moving from lambing ewe lambs to moving them as lambing down at two year olds for labour reasons but I’m also wondering financially would I be nearly better off ? Ino everyone’s system is different but can anyone here shed a light if u compare the two like ? See the few of the bigger operators liked John large and them gone back to lambing them at two year olds so I’m just curious! Any feedback would be helpful.

When the feeding is right and they are bred for maternal traits I dont believe there’s any significant extra work with them

Siamsa Sessions

Brian Nicholson (from Journal) didn’t put any ewe lambs to the ram this year either.

We’re in a much lower league to Brian and John Large but we also didn’t lamb any ewe lambs this year after trying it for the last 3 years. Lambing was much easier this year despite having more mature ewes than previously. Don’t think we’ll ever lamb ewe lambs again. If you can absorb whatever you might lose for 12 months before the ewe lambs turn into hoggets, then you’ll have new lambers coming every year again

Young95

razor8 wrote: »

When the feeding is right and they are bred for maternal traits I dont believe there’s any significant extra work with them

Ya but when your a part time farmer instead of three weeks looking at ewes lambing you could be only starting on week three with them if you get me ? Time is precious

stantheman1979

We’ve lambed ewe lambs here for a long time now at this stage. It is extra work at the end of a busy few weeks and it won’t suit some people who have other jobs but I think it’s definitely worth it provided you feed both you’re ewe and lamb well afterwards and she gets the chance to recover before going to the ram again. I would very rarely leave 2 lambs on them though. They are much easier handed and are better mothers at 2yo. Also at the end of the day a lamb is a lamb and those extra lambs make a difference believe me.

Young95

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Brian Nicholson (from Journal) didn’t put any ewe lambs to the ram this year either.

We’re in a much lower league to Brian and John Large but we also didn’t lamb any ewe lambs this year after trying it for the last 3 years. Lambing was much easier this year despite having more mature ewes than previously. Don’t think we’ll ever lamb ewe lambs again. If you can absorb whatever you might lose for 12 months before the ewe lambs turn into hoggets, then you’ll have new lambers coming every year again

ya like it’s just a thaught like Perhaps sending them to graze diary farms for the winter months or beet tops etc might work out financially not to far off then letting them rear lambs and that’s if u even get a live lamb off them as yearlings !!

razor8

Young95 wrote: »

Ya but when your a part time farmer instead of three weeks looking at ewes lambing you could be only starting on week three with them if you get me ? Time is precious

Part time here as well. I put a teaser with them for 2 weeks and let ram out with them 3 or 4 days before the mature ewes. Most of them will lamb in sync with the ewes

Young95

razor8 wrote: »

Part time here as well. I put a teaser with them for 2 weeks and let ram out with them 3 or 4 days before the mature ewes. Most of them will lamb in sync with the ewes

Might look into that so thanks 🙂

MeTheMan

Would ye chance licking while there is ewes and lambs in the field?

Lambman

Last crossbred ewe lambed today 7 days behind the others but 2 living lambs... Decent year I suppose... Had a great scanning but lost some lambs that I shouldn't have but that's the way it goes all ewes away till grass with at least 1 lamb under them... No pets this year sold them all till a young lad that setup his own milk feeder. Halfway through the horned ewes now coming till a BFL ram and can't believe how easy lambing they are lambing all outside there hardy lambs... Anyways anybody on here breed mules? Would u advise castrateing ram lambs? They say they will thrive better castrated?

Oldira

arctictree wrote: »

Lads, have a 3 week old lamb that's not interested in anything. Just heads off on its own and won't suck. I'm keeping it alive by tubing it. Any advice?

Not being flippant but I'd write him off. When they want to die thery will.

DJ98

At what age can lambs be done with heptavac p?

kk.man

DJ98 wrote: »

At what age can lambs be done with heptavac p?

About a month old.

razor8

Anyone recommend a good pair of pull up waterproofs that won’t go in ****e after a few days work?

orm0nd

razor8 wrote: »

Anyone recommend a good pair of pull up waterproofs that won’t go in ****e after a few days work?

https://www.chmarine.com/agriculture/trousers/

MeTheMan

razor8 wrote: »

Anyone recommend a good pair of pull up waterproofs that won’t go in ****e after a few days work?

Got a pair of hydrowear pull ups for Christmas. They were got on farmwear.ie. Can't fault them so far. Been through lambing with no problems.

Got a pair of regatta ones before that. Worst things I ever had. They had an open slot to get to your trouser pocket. First time I put them on and went for something in my pocket they tore an inch down the leg. That type of meterial just keeps tearing after. The crotch tore the same day and that was the end of them.

stantheman1979

razor8 wrote: »

Anyone recommend a good pair of pull up waterproofs that won’t go in ****e after a few days work?

The guy cotton bib and brace will not be faulted. Comfortable strong and great value at around €55

Lambman

Where you getting the guy cotton bib and brace for that money €100 cheapest I seen them

razor8

MeTheMan wrote: »

Got a pair of hydrowear pull ups for Christmas. They were got on farmwear.ie. Can't fault them so far. Been through lambing with no problems.

Got a pair of regatta ones before that. Worst things I ever had. They had an open slot to get to your trouser pocket. First time I put them on and went for something in my pocket they tore an inch down the leg. That type of meterial just keeps tearing after. The crotch tore the same day and that was the end of them.

Bought a pair of regatta last week when sorting wet lambs. Were in bits after an hour. Complete waste of time

sheepfarmer92

razor8 wrote: »

Bought a pair of regatta last week when sorting wet lambs. Were in bits after an hour. Complete waste of time

Regatta waste of time, I have a pair they're new Zealand make think they're called iso, they're pretty good but fierce heavy they were a bloody 100 quid though, I wear flexothane mostly usually get a few months out them

davidk1394

Have a surprise inspection today for the sheep welfare scheme. How many years back in the records can they go ?

AntrimGlens

Best trousers I've ever bought are Tempest Fortex 5000. Double skin and are a pleasure to work in, either summer or winter. I guarantee you will not sweat a drop in them and are actually quite tough.
Our local store stocks them and i think they cost about the £20 mark for a pair last autumn. Have two zipped pockets and a drawstring waist so a nice fit.
Honestly can't recommend them highly enough.

Sami23

davidk1394 wrote: »

Have a surprise inspection today for the sheep welfare scheme. How many years back in the records can they go ?

It will be just a one year inspection - most likely for 2018

memorystick

Has anyone a photo of a handy foot bath with gates? Only for store lambs so nothing permanent or concrete. Thanks

Dinzee Conlee

memorystick wrote: »

Has anyone a photo of a handy foot bath with gates? Only for store lambs so nothing permanent or concrete. Thanks

I'll tell you what I use... you couldn't get farther from permanent or concrete

I have a footbath, something like this

Throw it down outside the door of the shed, to the side of where the door opens... the tractor gets parked outside it, with the front wheel of the tractor stopping the shed door opening fully, forcing them to walk out via the footbath...
Sheet of galvanise is put against the tractor, to they cant jump out between the wheels of the tractor, they have to go to the end of the footbath...

To be honest, its a bollox of a job, and I keep meaning to do something better...
But, it works... And I only use it a few times a year, for store lambs like yourself...

Siamsa Sessions

memorystick wrote: »

Has anyone a photo of a handy foot bath with gates? Only for store lambs so nothing permanent or concrete. Thanks

We've the same plastic footbath as Dinzee, only we put it in an old cattle crush. The crush is wider than the bath so we tie a pallet on one side to narrow the "walk-way" and that makes sure they have to step into it.

davidk1394

Made it through the inspection. Got on fine and had all the medicines up to date. He said it was an animal welfare inspection. Inspected by the Tipp DVO

roosky

I have lambs two weeks old and at grass and have about 4ish scoured out of 120.

They are only two weeks old so think its too early for worms or coccidia?

They have a kinda black scour or dark anyway and just messy behind.

Any ideas??

TIA

wrangler

roosky wrote: »

I have lambs two weeks old and at grass and have about 4ish scoured out of 120.

They are only two weeks old so think its too early for worms or coccidia?

They have a kinda black scour or dark anyway and just messy behind.

Any ideas??

TIA

We had a neighbour that had the same, we tested them for nematodirus and coccidia but they had nothing,
The samples were full of grass so maybe they're just getting used to grazing

arctictree

Starting to get joint ill now in lambs 5 or 6 weeks old. Pain in the arse, have to bring in the whole flock today to grab them and isolate for a Penicillin course. Need a good dog that can grab a single lamb...

sheepfarmer92

arctictree wrote: »

Starting to get joint ill now in lambs 5 or 6 weeks old. Pain in the arse, have to bring in the whole flock today to grab them and isolate for a Penicillin course. Need a good dog that can grab a single lamb...

That's a pain, any idea what might be the cause?