General sheep thread

Siamsa Sessions

wrangler wrote: »

No I wouldn't think so
The sh...y ones always come first, it usually improves as the lambing goes on

Bizarre kinda day in the end, like something off a Netflix series. Turned out the last of the four had already lambed only to have her lamb adopted by another one who thought it was hers, as she was about to lamb herself. Handled the last one (who turned out to be the first one to lamb) and couldn’t feel anything so got the vet who was considering a section.

Then it all became obvious when the one who had initially adopted the first/last one’s lamb rejected it and its biological mother whose lamb had vanished into thin air started licking it.

We’re in talks with several producers to turn it into a screenplay :-)

Ard_MC

wrangler wrote: »

The economics is rubbish now in farming, to put that over 5 years is 9000/year, you'd be doing well to make that on 200 ewes.
But is outwintering the way either, these sort of winters come round fairly often now

Thinkin will have to look into something cheap and cheerful for them next year. Can hardly walk to the feeders at this stage!

sea12

Ard_MC wrote: »

Thinkin will have to look into something cheap and cheerful for them next year. Can hardly walk to the feeders at this stage ...its like walkin on the moon!

Yea doing likewise. Feeding hoggets outdoors with silage but the place is in ****e. Was going to go the grant route and put up a clear span concrete floor shed that could have other uses in the future. But think I will just put up a kit Shed instead. Plenty of straw around me at cheap price.

wrangler

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Bizarre kinda day in the end, like something off a Netflix series. Turned out the last of the four had already lambed only to have her lamb adopted by another one who thought it was hers, as she was about to lamb herself. Handled the last one (who turned out to be the first one to lamb) and couldn’t feel anything so got the vet who was considering a section.

Then it all became obvious when the one who had initially adopted the first/last one’s lamb rejected it and its biological mother whose lamb had vanished into thin air started licking it.

We’re in talks with several producers to turn it into a screenplay :-)

That often happens.....if you're lambing indoors you have to virtually live with them....you'll get used to it though, you'll be watching out for all those things without thinking

arctictree

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Bizarre kinda day in the end, like something off a Netflix series. Turned out the last of the four had already lambed only to have her lamb adopted by another one who thought it was hers, as she was about to lamb herself. Handled the last one (who turned out to be the first one to lamb) and couldn’t feel anything so got the vet who was considering a section.

Then it all became obvious when the one who had initially adopted the first/last one’s lamb rejected it and its biological mother whose lamb had vanished into thin air started licking it.

We’re in talks with several producers to turn it into a screenplay :-)

Have a book here on lambing and it points this out as a common occurrence and something to watch out for. I once spent 3 hours waiting for a ewe to lamb only to finally cop that she had lambed earlier and another ewe had taken her lamb!

Ard_MC

sea12 wrote: »

Yea doing likewise. Feeding hoggets outdoors with silage but the place is in ****e. Was going to go the grant route and put up a clear span concrete floor shed that could have other uses in the future. But think I will just put up a kit Shed instead. Plenty of straw around me at cheap price.

The grant aid doesn't make sense to me. It's too dear. Kit shed of a tunnel i think. But as basic as i can make it!

Siamsa Sessions

wrangler wrote: »

That often happens.....if you're lambing indoors you have to virtually live with them....you'll get used to it though, you'll be watching out for all those things without thinking

Just back from shed and 2 more lambed - all normal thankfully.

Lambing inside is new for us alright so plenty learning to go yet. Nice to have 6 out of the way in the first day all the same. We’ve only 26 to lamb this year (still building numbers slowly) so nearly 25% there already!

Siamsa Sessions

arctictree wrote: »

Have a book here on lambing and it points this out as a common occurrence and something to watch out for. I once spent 3 hours waiting for a ewe to lamb only to finally cop that she had lambed earlier and another ewe had taken her lamb!

Thanks - as I said above tis all new to us so learning the hard way.

And typically the one with the missing lamb is not taking to him now after licking him mad earlier when she got him back first.

kk.man

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

arctictree wrote: »

Have a book here on lambing and it points this out as a common occurrence and something to watch out for. I once spent 3 hours waiting for a ewe to lamb only to finally cop that she had lambed earlier and another ewe had taken her lamb!

Thanks - as I said above tis all new to us so learning the hard way.

And typically the one with the missing lamb is not taking to him now after licking him mad earlier when she got him back first.

It might be a Bit late ...put salt on the lamb ewe might lick it

Ard_MC

kk.man wrote: »

It might be a Bit late ...put salt on the lamb ewe might lick it

Or a handful of meal.

roosky

I bought some o donnell feed barriers and fitted them today, they have lugs like a field gate that leaves them too high for the ewes to reach meal on the floor.

Has anyone else had this issue or what is the max height the bottom barrier can be

charolais0153

Ard_MC wrote: »

Or a handful of meal.

Soyabean isbest i find. They go madfor it

charolais0153

After pulling a monster texel single there..backwards. 50-50 for 5 minutes with him taking sporadic breaths.he fairly dwarfs the foster lamb ,she might take to them both though hopefully

wrangler

roosky wrote: »

I bought some o donnell feed barriers and fitted them today, they have lugs like a field gate that leaves them too high for the ewes to reach meal on the floor.

Has anyone else had this issue or what is the max height the bottom barrier can be

Just looked at them on the website, they look the same as my cormacs, the first bar over their neck is adjustable , is it in the middle position or the top position....they will reach down further if it's in the top position.
My ewe lambs could get out through the barrier if they're in the top position so I had to make troughs for them

Siamsa Sessions

charolais0153 wrote: »

Soyabean isbest i find. They go madfor it

Thanks again lads.

Think it might be too late though. She’s not having a bar of it and I have to stand with her while he drinks. Even at that, she tries to lie down!

It’ll be foster crate for her. Don’t have one so I’ll make one this morning. Sure what else would ya be at on a Sunday morning???

wrangler

roosky wrote: »

I bought some o donnell feed barriers and fitted them today, they have lugs like a field gate that leaves them too high for the ewes to reach meal on the floor.

Has anyone else had this issue or what is the max height the bottom barrier can be

,
Mine is twelve inches off the ground and the gap to put their head out is eleven inches, That's for the adult ewes and they can reach the ground at that.

wrangler

Ard_MC wrote: »

Thinkin will have to look into something cheap and cheerful for them next year. Can hardly walk to the feeders at this stage!

Yea, I was looking through our rainfall records and this year is not exceptional, land came into the winter wet alright this year but people shouldn't be thinking other years were better.

Apart from last year the previous 5 yrs were as bad with two years worse.

arctictree

Took a prolapse harness off a ewe yesterday. It had been on her for a week and she seemed OK. Came down to the shed this morning and she was dead with everything out, guts and all. Stupidity on my part?

wrangler

arctictree wrote: »

Took a prolapse harness off a ewe yesterday. It had been on her for a week and she seemed OK. Came down to the shed this morning and she was dead with everything out, guts and all. Stupidity on my part?

Texels seem to do that, I hate finding them alive, they can be in terrible pain.
Never had it in the pedigree vendeens

Green farmer

wrangler wrote: »

Yea, I was looking through our rainfall records and this year is not exceptional, land came into the winter wet alright this year but people shouldn't be thinking other years were better.

Apart from last year the previous 5 yrs were as bad with two years worse.

Probably appears worse because winter started last July

charolais0153

wrangler wrote: »

Yea, I was looking through our rainfall records and this year is not exceptional, land came into the winter wet alright this year but people shouldn't be thinking other years were better.

Apart from last year the previous 5 yrs were as bad with two years worse.

How does july ro feb compare to other yaers

roosky

wrangler wrote: »

,
Mine is twelve inches off the ground and the gap to put their head out is eleven inches, That's for the adult ewes and they can reach the ground at that.

Ya the bottom board is 12 inches on the O’Donnell barrier but the lug is 4 inches making the distance to ground 16 inches which is too much

Sami23

Advice on Fostering please !

Ewes due to start lambing next weekend and have 7 triplets out of 30 ewes to lamb so hoping to have some success fostering some of them.
Any advice would be appreciated. I have a fostering crate but just wondering how long after a single bearing ewe lambing is she likely to successfully take to a foster lamb how many days etc.
Any other tips would be appreciated also as I have never fostered before.
TIA

Green farmer

Think ones with good success are done at point of lambing. Sneak the foster inside your coat and tie the legs so it can’t stand up. I cover the lamb in afterbirth and try to tangle the two up together to get as much scent on foster as possible. If you had a warm bucket of water, have the foster warmed up inside it with afterbirth to make it as newborn as possible. Easier if you can trick the ewe instead of foster gates that lead to a battle over a number of days and still may not work.

roosky

Sami23 wrote: »

Advice on Fostering please !

Ewes due to start lambing next weekend and have 7 triplets out of 30 ewes to lamb so hoping to have some success fostering some of them.
Any advice would be appreciated. I have a fostering crate but just wondering how long after a single bearing ewe lambing is she likely to successfully take to a foster lamb how many days etc.
Any other tips would be appreciated also as I have never fostered before.
TIA

I dont like foster crates from an animal welfare point of view and the fact it never worked for me but that's down to a patience issue!

I have a method that never fails if all steps are taken and although time consuming with only 7 triplets its worth the time.

1. When the single ewe starts to lamb pen her up so you can get the water bag easily.
2. burst the water bag into a bucket.
3.cable tie the foster lambs legs so that it cant get up.
4. wash the foster lamb in luke warm salty water giving the head and back end special attention.
5. dry off the lamb and cover him in the birth fluids in bucket again giving special attention to back end and head/neck.
6. handle the ewe gently to mimic her lambing
7. present her with the wet foster lamb she just "lambed"
8. leave her to bond with the foster lamb
9. when she lambs her own lamb she will be happy with both
10. milk out the ewe and give colostrum to her own lamb so the foster doesn't take it all.
11.when her own lamb is up and standing/sucking cut the cable ties off the foster.

charolais0153

roosky wrote: »

I dont like foster crates from an animal welfare point of view and the fact it never worked for me but that's down to a patience issue!

I have a method that never fails if all steps are taken and although time consuming with 30 only 7 triplets its worth the time.

1. When the single ewe starts to lamb pen her up so you can get the water bag easily.
2. burst the water bag into a bucket.
3.cable tie the foster lambs legs so that it cant get up.
4. wash the foster lamb in luke warm salty water giving the head and back end special attention.
5. dry off the lamb and cover him in the birth fluids in bucket again giving special attention to back end and head/neck.
6. handle the ewe gently to mimic her lambing
7. present her with the wet foster lamb she just "lambed"
8. leave her to bond with the foster lamb
9. when she lambs her own lamb she will be happy with both
10. milk out the ewe and give colostrum to her own lamb so the foster doesn't take it all.
11.when her own lamb is up and standing/sucking cut the cable ties off the foster.

Make sure foster lamb is hungry is another one

razor8

charolais0153 wrote: »

Make sure foster lamb is hungry is another one

I Would say the opposite. If foster lambs is a few days old I always make sure he’s full and doesnt go under the ewe dunting her elder making her suspicious

wrangler

razor8 wrote: »

I Would say the opposite. If foster lambs is a few days old I always make sure he’s full and doesnt go under the ewe dunting her elder making her suspicious

agreed
We'd usually be taking them from a ewe anyway so they're never hungry and it works most of the time

Westernrock

roosky wrote: »

I dont like foster crates from an animal welfare point of view and the fact it never worked for me but that's down to a patience issue!

I have a method that never fails if all steps are taken and although time consuming with only 7 triplets its worth the time.

1. When the single ewe starts to lamb pen her up so you can get the water bag easily.
2. burst the water bag into a bucket.
3.cable tie the foster lambs legs so that it cant get up.
4. wash the foster lamb in luke warm salty water giving the head and back end special attention.
5. dry off the lamb and cover him in the birth fluids in bucket again giving special attention to back end and head/neck.
6. handle the ewe gently to mimic her lambing
7. present her with the wet foster lamb she just "lambed"
8. leave her to bond with the foster lamb
9. when she lambs her own lamb she will be happy with both
10. milk out the ewe and give colostrum to her own lamb so the foster doesn't take it all.
11.when her own lamb is up and standing/sucking cut the cable ties off the foster.

Agree with that, if done properly rarely fails. Foster crate is still a good job for a ewe that rejects a lamb. Might not be most welfare friendly alright but then neither is a hungry lamb

MeTheMan

Does anyone use lambing cameras in there shed. Thinking of getting 4 cheap and cheerful stationary ip cameras. Two for inside the shed for lambing and two for outside security. As well as two stand alone move able ip cameras with 180 movement and zoom. Cost about 150-200 for the cameras and 20 a month for Internet for the shed. I'd set it up myself.