General sheep thread

Siamsa Sessions

The first of our ewes were tipped on 20-Sept, and it was steady away then for the next two weeks before we changed the raddle colour. Some repeated and have second raddle colour but most didn’t. So, fair to say the first of them will lamb around 14-Feb (145 days) - or so I thought.

While a few are starting to get dugs (or whatever polite people call filling out their udders), there’s no way any of them will lamb in the next week.

Had something similar last year with them lambing a week after I thought they’d start.

Are ours the only ewes that have 155 days gestation or do I need a new calculator/calendar?

charolais0153

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

The first of our ewes were tipped on 20-Sept, and it was steady away then for the next two weeks before we changed the raddle colour. Some repeated and have second raddle colour but most didn’t. So, fair to say the first of them will lamb around 14-Feb (145 days) - or so I thought.

While a few are starting to get dugs (or whatever polite people call filling out their udders), there’s no way any of them will lamb in the next week.

Had something similar last year with them lambing a week after I thought they’d start.

Are ours the only ewes that have 155 days gestation or do I need a new calculator/calendar?

Last year we hadnt a charollais lamb a week after the first suffolk....different gestations for different rams i suppose

wrangler

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

The first of our ewes were tipped on 20-Sept, and it was steady away then for the next two weeks before we changed the raddle colour. Some repeated and have second raddle colour but most didn’t. So, fair to say the first of them will lamb around 14-Feb (145 days) - or so I thought.

While a few are starting to get dugs (or whatever polite people call filling out their udders), there’s no way any of them will lamb in the next week.

Had something similar last year with them lambing a week after I thought they’d start.

Are ours the only ewes that have 155 days gestation or do I need a new calculator/calendar?

When we used to be sponging, the average was 147 -148 days, but plenty lambed at 145 too and over 150

Dickie10

that farm walk was beside me, i didnt get to it though. anyine have any good info from it? when did he shephard the sheep at lambing, or what was the daily routine?

Nekarsulm

My neighbour has built a super sheep shed, with plastic slats.
Went to take a look today, and I see he has made "panels" out of 2x2 inch mesh, that lie on top of the silage along the feed rail.
I assume it stops them pulling it in onto the slats.

Is this common? first time I've seen it.

Siamsa Sessions

charolais0153 wrote: »

Last year we hadnt a charollais lamb a week after the first suffolk....different gestations for different rams i suppose

Thanks. Tis Charollais ram we used so maybe just longer gestation

Siamsa Sessions

wrangler wrote: »

When we used to be sponging, the average was 147 -148 days, but plenty lambed at 145 too and over 150

Sound - thanks for that. We didn’t sponge them but might this year. How did you get on with it?

mcgiggles

Nekarsulm wrote:

My neighbour has built a super sheep shed, with plastic slats. Went to take a look today, and I see he has made "panels" out of 2x2 inch mesh, that lie on top of the silage along the feed rail. I assume it stops them pulling it in onto the slats.

My fella made a few of those this year to stop them pulling the silage into the pens.. they seem to work grand!

wrangler

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Sound - thanks for that. We didn’t sponge them but might this year. How did you get on with it?

Sponging was convenient in that it was busy for a week and then get a week or so off and then the repeats for a week , we only did it for the pedigrees, we'd time them for the week before christmas and then wouldn't be lambing for christmas week.
Results can be variable, you'll have more twins, triplet, and even quads due to PMS.
Sometimes the ewes that don't hold to the first service don't come in for 35 days instead of 17......That's more common in AI'ing as it a surgical procedure but does happen in natural service too.
Results are better in season than out of season, in season they'd lamb as quick using the 'ram effect'

Siamsa Sessions

wrangler wrote: »

Sponging was convenient in that it was busy for a week and then get a week or so off and then the repeats for a week , we only did it for the pedigrees, we'd time them for the week before christmas and then wouldn't be lambing for christmas week.
Results can be variable, you'll have more twins, triplet, and even quads due to PMS.
Sometimes the ewes that don't hold to the first service don't come in for 35 days instead of 17......That's more common in AI'ing as it a surgical procedure but does happen in natural service too.
Results are better in season than out of season, in season they'd lamb as quick using the 'ram effect'

We'd aim to lamb in mid- to late-Feb so kinda between early and mid-season. Is the ram effect as reliable as sponging for getting them all tipping at the same time?

Thanks again!

wrangler

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

We'd aim to lamb in mid- to late-Feb so kinda between early and mid-season. Is the ram effect as reliable as sponging for getting them all tipping at the same time?

Thanks again!

Having all the ducks in a row and ewes in good condition, we could depend on 90%+ lambing in 17 days including the ram effect. I don't know if it does anything but it costs nothing and they do serious chatting up for the few days they're near the ewes.
We'd only get about 75 - 80% to first service with the sponging but itwas out of season

Siamsa Sessions

wrangler wrote: »

Having all the ducks in a row and ewes in good condition, we could depend on 90%+ lambing in 17 days including the ram effect. I don't know if it does anything but it costs nothing and they do serious chatting up for the few days they're near the ewes.
We'd only get about 75 - 80% to first service with the sponging but itwas out of season

90%+ is serious going. I'd be delighted with that. Did you put an apron on the ram and leave him into the ewes? Or was he in a trailer in the field with them for a few days and then removed?

wrangler

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

90%+ is serious going. I'd be delighted with that. Did you put an apron on the ram and leave him into the ewes? Or was he in a trailer in the field with them for a few days and then removed?

just put them in the next paddock is all we do.
They wouldn't be near rams for at least sixweeks before and then two weeks next door to them......

We used to lamb two bunches of 200 ewes, the starting date 17 days apart so couldn't cope if the first bunch wasn't mostly lambed before the second started.
likewise the second batch had to lamb before the ewelambs seventeen days later

Lambman

+1 for the charrlois being late used texels last year and 1 charrlois on hoggets same thing most off texels were lambed b4 I'd my first charrlois lamb... was 152 days b4 first charrlois arrived from ram went out.

Siamsa Sessions

wrangler wrote: »

just put them in the next paddock is all we do

Need to get the thinking cap on here so. Our paddocks are either divided by ditch and wire (rams too far away) or electric fence (not enough to keep rams back)

Mac Taylor

The first 2 ewes lambed here, both had twins but no milk. Gave them 2cc of Oxytocin, one of them has come into a small bit of milk.


The ewes are outside on Silage and oats.


What if any is the reason for the no show on the milk?


Tks, Mac

charolais0153

Mac Taylor wrote: »

The first 2 ewes lambed here, both had twins but no milk. Gave them 2cc of Oxytocin, one of them has come into a small bit of milk.


The ewes are outside on Silage and oats.


What if any is the reason for the no show on the milk?


Tks, Mac

Is say they need more protein. A bit of soya bean meal wouldnt go astray

Mac Taylor

charolais0153 wrote: »

Is say they need more protein. A bit of soya bean meal wouldnt go astray

Thanks, Charolais, was thinking of mixing some nuts in aswell, the weather is playing havoc with them atm. There just not getting a break!

charolais0153

Mac Taylor wrote: »

Thanks, Charolais, was thinking of mixing some nuts in aswell, the weather is playing havoc with them atm. There just not getting a break!

Ya. Had some ewes out and even though they were getting the exact same feed they were thinner

wrangler

Mac Taylor wrote: »

The first 2 ewes lambed here, both had twins but no milk. Gave them 2cc of Oxytocin, one of them has come into a small bit of milk.


The ewes are outside on Silage and oats.


What if any is the reason for the no show on the milk?


Tks, Mac

Ewes need a lot of protein in the weeks coming up to lambing to have adequate quantity and quality in the biestings, Oats and silage really don't have enough protein. This year is going to test everyones sheep feeding.
For instance ewes should be getting 200 gms Protein/day coming up to lambing, A kg of oats would only have about 100 gms

kk.man

Mac Taylor wrote: »

The first 2 ewes lambed here, both had twins but no milk. Gave them 2cc of Oxytocin, one of them has come into a small bit of milk.


The ewes are outside on Silage and oats.


What if any is the reason for the no show on the milk?


Tks, Mac

Go and buy an expensive 18% proper ewe nut from your nearest mill. All the messing around with feeds makes it cheap to buy a good ration. It's a false economy messing when it comes to ewes and milk.

wrangler

kk.man wrote: »

Go and buy an expensive 18% proper ewe nut from your nearest mill. All the messing around with feeds makes it cheap to buy a good ration. It's a false economy messing when it comes to ewes and milk.

Agreed, Mine were on 18%P and being changed on to 20%P from tomorrow with a fortnight to go

Dickie10

lifeline buckets are a very good source of vitamins and minerals fro ewe colostrum. but i agree ewes should be on a kg/day of 18% nuts for last 3 weeks

Hard Knocks

Dickie10 wrote: »

lifeline buckets are a very good source of vitamins and minerals fro ewe colostrum. but i agree ewes should be on a kg/day of 18% nuts for last 3 weeks

Would the lambs not get too big
Should oats be added?

charolais0153

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Would the lambs not get too big
Should oats be added?

No they wouldnt. The good 18% nuts are well balanced for a ewe, its just theyre awful dear

Hard Knocks

charolais0153 wrote: »

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Would the lambs not get too big
Should oats be added?

No they wouldnt. The good 18% nuts are well balanced for a ewe, its just theyre awful dear

Had problems years ago with big lambs & calves, was told give oats to both.

razor8

charolais0153 wrote: »

No they wouldnt. The good 18% nuts are well balanced for a ewe, its just theyre awful dear

The extra few euros are worth it. Save a few lambs from watery mouth and the nuisance of tubing lambs with the extra boost in colostrum

charolais0153

razor8 wrote: »

The extra few euros are worth it. Save a few lambs from watery mouth and the nuisance of tubing lambs with the extra boost in colostrum

Definitely. Colostrum does be like honey

charolais0153

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Had problems years ago with big lambs & calves, was told give oats to both.

Less is more with cows imo. Plenty of minerals and just enough silage to maintain condition.

Its hard to know with the ewes b maybe you were feeding too much nuts...we used to mix oats soya bean and nuts together one time but ever since we changed to just nuts lambs have been bigger and stronger and more even

wrangler

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Had problems years ago with big lambs & calves, was told give oats to both.

There'd be oats in most rations, no need to add oats.

Do you scan and divide the multiples from the singles,
IF you don't you'll get big lambs if you feed the singles and triplets the same amount