General sheep thread

Siamsa Sessions

Lambman wrote: »

Any body else's ewes slow in lambing only have 40% lambed in first 18 days... ewes with 2nd raddle colour lambing now but still a good 50% with first raffle colour till lamb... all scanned in lamb... seems till be the older ewes that's slower with hoggets lambing bang on time.

Had the same thing here with first raddle colour slow to lamb and second colour ones lambing before a good few of them. Would they have been tipped a second time but we missed it?

sheepfarmer92

We used to use spectam on everything but like razor says, iv cut down and only started using it this week after nearly 1000 ewes gone through the shed, hoggets and stragglers left now so im.happy to just use it on them
Also havent had a case of joint ill in years probably due to using hydrated lime and cleaning out pen after each ewe

stantheman1979

Our pens are cleaned out. Disinfected and limed and a good bed of straw under them. But like I said I’ve mule lambs that never saw the shed and are in a clean dry field getting joint ill. I doubt if using spectam is going to influence if they get it or not. As always I’m open to correction though.

wrangler

sheepfarmer92 wrote: »

We used to use spectam on everything but like razor says, iv cut down and only started using it this week after nearly 1000 ewes gone through the shed, hoggets and stragglers left now so im.happy to just use it on them
Also havent had a case of joint ill in years probably due to using hydrated lime and cleaning out pen after each ewe

I'm surprised that spectam hasn't been restricted more, or the practice of giving a ml of penicillen to every lamb when it's born, I don't agree with blanket treating newborn lambs with any antibiotic.
Navel dipping and cleaning and disinfecting the pens between ewes does the job here as well

sheepfarmer92

wrangler wrote: »

I'm surprised that spectam hasn't been restricted more, or the practice of giving a ml of penicillen to every lamb when it's born, I don't agree with blanket treating newborn lambs with any antibiotic.
Navel dipping and cleaning and disinfecting the pens between ewes does the job here as well

Yea it seems to be more restricted in the uk, i dont agree with it either, cant beat good hygene and plenty of lime and straw, just do the last 200 with it as im always afraid wed get a flair up
When we get this far we dont like to take any chances

farming93

lost one lamb to joint ill and two more have it a while but are walking and it's not getting worse .. will these lambs be ok ? I've never had it before here.

Lambman

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Lambman wrote: »

Any body else's ewes slow in lambing only have 40% lambed in first 18 days... ewes with 2nd raddle colour lambing now but still a good 50% with first raffle colour till lamb... all scanned in lamb... seems till be the older ewes that's slower with hoggets lambing bang on time.

Had the same thing here with first raddle colour slow to lamb and second colour ones lambing before a good few of them. Would they have been tipped a second time but we missed it?

If that was the case they'd still have another colour off raffle on them.... thinking a changing the raddle after 30 hours next year when the excitement settles say yellow for first time then green then whatever after that... saying that id a good lotta first raddlers lambed since just back in house now after finding 5 sets a twins lambed and took another set a twins from a ewe both heads were coming and no feet all's alive and well. All within 3.5 till 4 hours off being last checked.

farawaygrass

Some heat out there now, if the land would only dry up we’d be laughing. Great kinda day for grass growth in a normal year

roosky

My farm insurance (FBD) is very high I think for what I have:

My machinery: tractor, quad and digger: €664 just third party fire and theft

Public and employers liability:€470

Sheep worrying : €297

Sheds & contents: €230

Livestock cover: €174

I though it was a lot of money seeing as im only a small farm, how is this comparing to ye, the farm is technically in my dads name so I need employers liability for me but thinking of dropping it.

FarmerDougal

looking to get a feeder to rear 8-10 pets..where can they be got?

J.O. Farmer

roosky wrote: »

My farm insurance (FBD) is very high I think for what I have:

My machinery: tractor, quad and digger: €664 just third party fire and theft

Public and employers liability:€470

Sheep worrying : €297

Sheds & contents: €230

Livestock cover: €174

I though it was a lot of money seeing as im only a small farm, how is this comparing to ye, the farm is technically in my dads name so I need employers liability for me but thinking of dropping it.

The insurance I'd be looking to drop is the sheep worrying. What does it actually cover, I presume dead sheep, knackery charges and vet bills but apart from that does it cover much.

Unless you have a lot of sheep worrying resulting in dead going on at €300 a year is it really value for money or just a savings scheme where every few years you get a lump sum back. €300 would nearly cover an average of 3 dead sheep per year unless you have pedigree sheep or exceptional commercial sheep.

On the employer's liability does that cover family members anyway or would there be a loophole where they get out of paying.

What does the livestock cover give you and is it value or a savings scheme. I presume public liability from them is covered under the public liability.

Rockie1845

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

The insurance I'd be looking to drop is the sheep worrying. What does it actually cover, I presume dead sheep, knackery charges and vet bills but apart from that does it cover much.

Unless you have a lot of sheep worrying resulting in dead going on at €300 a year is it really value for money or just a savings scheme where every few years you get a lump sum back. €300 would nearly cover an average of 3 dead sheep per year unless you have pedigree sheep or exceptional commercial sheep.

On the employer's liability does that cover family members anyway or would there be a loophole where they get out of paying.

What does the livestock cover give you and is it value or a savings scheme. I presume public liability from them is covered under the public liability.

Ya sheep worrying is a lot for a man who was never attacked!

The employers liability is just for me as I take a wage from the Farm but not the Farm owner!

The stock are covered every way so will cut them back if say

Hard Knocks

Rockie1845 wrote: »

Ya sheep worrying is a lot for a man who was never attacked!

The employers liability is just for me as I take a wage from the Farm but not the Farm owner!

The stock are covered every way so will cut them back if say

Think employers liability covers if anything happened to a neighbor/friend who was giving a hand.

Remember employment doesn’t refer to a wage, it could be payment in kind

roosky

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Think employers liability covers if anything happened to a neighbor/friend who was giving a hand.

Remember employment doesn’t refer to a wage, it could be payment in kind

No I am covered for casual labor separately and also all non paid family members are covered but seeing as Im "taking a wage" from the farm I am technically an employee!

ganmo

I’d drop the sheep worrying insurance for a few reasons
If you get the dog/know the ppl claim off their house insurance.
If there’s none killed the vets fees won’t be huge(if there any)
300 quid will buy plenty of pen strep

DJ98

At what age should lambs get there first dose?

wrangler

DJ98 wrote: »

At what age should lambs get there first dose?

Nematodirus is usually the first parasites that effect lambs, a rapid rise in temperature after cold and wet weather usually triggers them.
I don't think there's any yet, but all lambs over 5 weeks old will need to be dosed once temperatures rise.
A cheap white dose is good enough to control them

Sami23

wrangler wrote: »

DJ98 wrote: »

At what age should lambs get there first dose?

Nematodirus is usually the first parasites that effect lambs, a rapid rise in temperature after cold and wet weather usually triggers them.
I don't think there's any yet, but all lambs over 5 weeks old will need to be dosed once temperatures rise.
A cheap white dose is good enough to control them

Would you recommend giving the ewes a dose at the same time when doing the lambs ?

Lambman

Heptavac p + the ewes 4 weeks per lambing so gonna do the booster injection for the lambs this week and was wondering what people use... always used heptavac here with out much bother but vet reckons bravoxin 10 is as good and half the price while not as sore on lambs... there's a lot off choices like covexin and lambivac aswell so what are people using?

Willfarman

Lost a ewe rearing 2 3 week old lambs with tetany yesterday. 5 metres from a lick bucket and had gotten meal day before. These days I hate the woolly stupid hoores!!

DJ98

Is it OK to give sheep grass that has been cut with a lawn mower?

solerina

DJ98 wrote: »

Is it OK to give sheep grass that has been cut with a lawn mower?

Am not sure but we have, they ate it and none died !!

mcgiggles

DJ98 wrote:

Is it OK to give sheep grass that has been cut with a lawn mower?

I think I've read somewhere that you can while its freshly cut, but not to if its been a while.. But can't remember the definition of "a while"..

Buford T. Justice XIX

DJ98 wrote: »

Is it OK to give sheep grass that has been cut with a lawn mower?

As long as it's fresh, they should be OK. If it's there a while and sheep start eating it, they can get listeria like they would get from moldy silage.

Green farmer

Isn’t that the same as zero grazing on a tiny scale. I wouldn’t see anything wrong with it. Just don’t leave it there for days

DJ98

Green farmer wrote: »

Isn’t that the same as zero grazing on a tiny scale. I wouldn’t see anything wrong with it. Just don’t leave it there for days

Thought it would be then heard someone say that it was bad for sheep

roosky

DJ98 wrote: »

Thought it would be then heard someone say that it was bad for sheep

Its got to do with chop length and the fact they can take in so much that is easily digested and they can get bloat, if you scatter it it will delay them eating a big belly full

serfspup

DJ98 wrote: »

Is it OK to give sheep grass that has been cut with a lawn mower?

make sure it is not contaminated with dog turd

Lambman

I know few older boys used till say it could twist there gut never questioned how but remember them saying it and same for calves aswell.

wrangler

Sami23 wrote: »

Would you recommend giving the ewes a dose at the same time when doing the lambs ?

Never dose all ewes here but would give some thin ones a dose when coming near lambing