Mortality rates

kay 9

Hi all, up to this year couldn't complain but thank fook I've only 2 left to drop this year.
30% Mortality rate which is disgusting to be mild.
I've done everything but sleep out with them.
Mule ewes given a nc cheviot as was last year.
I'm considering getting rid of the lot and changing to an entirely different breeding regime.
You name it, I've experienced it this year. Anyone else had a bad one

Mac Taylor

kay 9 wrote: »

Hi all, up to this year couldn't complain but thank fook I've only 2 left to drop this year.
30% Mortality rate which is disgusting to be mild.
I've done everything but sleep out with them.
Mule ewes given a nc cheviot as was last year.
I'm considering getting rid of the lot and changing to an entirely different breeding regime.
You name it, I've experienced it this year. Anyone else had a bad one

We had a similar issue last year, turned out even though we were giving them minerals after discussing with vet we changed our regime re minerals, might be worth having a discussion with your vet before doing anything too radical.

kk.man

kay 9 wrote: »

Hi all, up to this year couldn't complain but thank fook I've only 2 left to drop this year.
30% Mortality rate which is disgusting to be mild.
I've done everything but sleep out with them.
Mule ewes given a nc cheviot as was last year.
I'm considering getting rid of the lot and changing to an entirely different breeding regime.
You name it, I've experienced it this year. Anyone else had a bad one

Didn't have a great 1 either. Lamb about a week old out in shed just died. Vet says it could be the heart.
I lived with them for last 3 weeks too. Had a bad scan which didn't help, I've put that down to the drought last year.

wrangler

kay 9 wrote: »

Hi all, up to this year couldn't complain but thank fook I've only 2 left to drop this year.
30% Mortality rate which is disgusting to be mild.
I've done everything but sleep out with them.
Mule ewes given a nc cheviot as was last year.
I'm considering getting rid of the lot and changing to an entirely different breeding regime.
You name it, I've experienced it this year. Anyone else had a bad one

Have you any reasons for such a high mortality, mule cross cheviot shouldn't be hard lambed

razor8

kay 9 wrote: »

Hi all, up to this year couldn't complain but thank fook I've only 2 left to drop this year.
30% Mortality rate which is disgusting to be mild.
I've done everything but sleep out with them.
Mule ewes given a nc cheviot as was last year.
I'm considering getting rid of the lot and changing to an entirely different breeding regime.
You name it, I've experienced it this year. Anyone else had a bad one

What are the main issues?

Weak lambs?
Ewes with no milk?
Abortions?

With a high scanning rate I would imagine 10% is acceptable but would be aiming for 5% imo

charolais0153

As in 30 lambs in every 100 died?
Lambimg went great until march. Had 75 odd ewes lambed with less than 10 dead lambs but after march must of lost 20+lambs in the remaining 30. No ewes lost this year though

razor8

When people are counting dead lambs are you counting everything?

Absorbed lambs
Still born?

Or just ones you could of saved?

Bleating Lamb

Doing ok as regards lamb losses but have had two in lamb ewes put out their insides,found dead in morning in each case,so not after they were fed nuts.Ewes are in v good condition so should I put it down to that?

wrangler

razor8 wrote: »

When people are counting dead lambs are you counting everything?

Absorbed lambs
Still born?

Or just ones you could of saved?

Losses are counted from scanning to weaning, I think 10 - 12% would be average

arctictree

12.5% losses here. Not too happy with it. About half of those are ewes running dry in the field.

wrangler

arctictree wrote: »

12.5% losses here. Not too happy with it. About half of those are ewes running dry in the field.

6 -8% would be our target but I refuse to work out this years

razor8

wrangler wrote: »

Losses are counted from scanning to weaning, I think 10 - 12% would be average

Agreed it should be bUt I imagine most people don’t but curious to be proved wrong.
Lots of lads tell you they never lost a lamb

Western Pomise

razor8 wrote: »

Agreed it should be bUt I imagine most people don’t but curious to be proved wrong.
Lots of lads tell you they never lost a lamb

Know a man with 200+ ewes,reckoned he lost 4 lambs last year.....now that’s some record!.....


Anyone any theory on my ewes putting out innards?....neither was within a week of lambing,outside in good grass.

charolais0153

wrangler wrote: »

6 -8% would be our target but I refuse to work out this years

Really? Seems almost unachievable?
Under 15% is acceptable. Doubt its ever gone below 12% ever here:/
Scan around 2.0

stantheman1979

We had a bad enough scan compared to other years but things went reasonably well. Lost 8 lambs from the first 200 February lambing ewes. I couldn’t count how many from the main bunch. Could be up on 80 off 1000 ewes. Lost 3 month old lambs with black leg even though they are vaccinated. The ewe hoggs and hornys are lambing at the minute and they have been a breeze so far. Hornys outside working away themselves and ewe lambs have in general lambed themselves. Have lost a few ewes with uterine prolapses which we never had but had a dog attack which killed 8 so I’m putting it down to that.

stantheman1979

charolais0153 wrote: »

Really? Seems almost unachievable?
Under 15% is acceptable. Doubt its ever gone below 12% ever here:/
Scan around 2.0

The so called experts reckon 5% ewes and 8-10 lambs is the target

ganmo

stantheman1979 wrote: »

The so called experts reckon 5% ewes and 8-10 lambs is the target

5% of ewes would be a lot

wrangler

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Doing ok as regards lamb losses but have had two in lamb ewes put out their insides,found dead in morning in each case,so not after they were fed nuts.Ewes are in v good condition so should I put it down to that?

When we had 500 + ewes we'd have one or two every year, I just used to put it down to texels being texels, never saw a pedigree vendeen do it and they'd be a lot fatter

wrangler

ganmo wrote: »

5% of ewes would be a lot

Grass tetany would be the problem here but apart from that we would't lose many, it definitely wouldn't be near 5%

farming93

Going well this year with me . I'm lambing them outside this year due to work commitments, I just find it handier. The vast majority of scanned twins have twins at foot now I lost about 6 or seven twin lambs, mainly as still births . I lost a powerful two week old lamb to what I presume was a fox the other day which was a twin . About 8 ewes left to lamb due in the next week then it's a three week break till the hoggets start. I've a pet ewe with triplets in a field by herself and one of her lambs just comes running up to me for a bottle once a day now which keeps the pressure off the ewe

Lambman

Havent had a great year either despite my best ever scanning. Lost a ewe till mastitis 3 weeks after lambing which left behind 2 pet lambs... Lost a few charrlois lambs at the start that lambed outside @140 days and the cold and wet killed them. All singles lambed grand no losses. Didn't work out twins or trips but roughly 14% maybe more as a couple off twins ended up trips (my fault scanned too late). Horned ewes going well so far all lambing outside 32 lambed 45 lambs living lost 3 lambs 2 were twins they were born tiny. Horned ewes scanned 150% so delighted with them hadn't my hand near one yet.

FarmerDougal

Lambman wrote: »

Havent had a great year either despite my best ever scanning. Lost a ewe till mastitis 3 weeks after lambing which left behind 2 pet lambs... Lost a few charrlois lambs at the start that lambed outside @140 days and the cold and wet killed them. All singles lambed grand no losses. Didn't work out twins or trips but roughly 14% maybe more as a couple off twins ended up trips (my fault scanned too late). Horned ewes going well so far all lambing outside 32 lambed 45 lambs living lost 3 lambs 2 were twins they were born tiny. Horned ewes scanned 150% so delighted with them hadn't my hand near one yet.

What ram did you use on horn ewes?

OneMan37

kay 9 wrote: »

Hi all, up to this year couldn't complain but thank fook I've only 2 left to drop this year.
30% Mortality rate which is disgusting to be mild.
I've done everything but sleep out with them.
Mule ewes given a nc cheviot as was last year.
I'm considering getting rid of the lot and changing to an entirely different breeding regime.
You name it, I've experienced it this year. Anyone else had a bad one

I changed a few things this year, like a Mineral Bolus etc but also forgot to vaxinate However so far my lambing has been much better than previous years I run all Belclare cross ewes. One big change is a prayerful intervention, but I'm guessing no one wants to hear about that.

OneMan37

Western Pomise wrote: »

Know a man with 200+ ewes,reckoned he lost 4 lambs last year.....now that’s some record!.....


Anyone any theory on my ewes putting out innards?....neither was within a week of lambing,outside in good grass.

To fat, from my experience, Bolus ewes and run on grass and no supplement feeding up until 3/4 weeks be4 lambing then introduce nuts, as recommended. Building up to about 250g Singles. 1Ib doubles and close to 750g to 1kg triplets. No hay or silage needed or reduce nuts depending on other feed amount.

kk.man

OneMan37 wrote: »

To fat, from my experience, Bolus ewes and run on grass and no supplement feeding up until 3/4 weeks be4 lambing then introduce nuts, as recommended. Building up to about 250g Singles. 1Ib doubles and close to 750g to 1kg triplets. No hay or silage needed or reduce nuts depending on other feed amount.

You must have some land...or an eco climate or both.

This year for grass growth and mildness are not normal. If feeding so little meal I be very afraid of twin lamb disease.

wrangler

kk.man wrote: »

You must have some land...or an eco climate or both.

This year for grass growth and mildness are not normal. If feeding so little meal I be very afraid of twin lamb disease.

+1
If ewes were overfat , they were overfat before meal feeding started,
Something like 70% of a lambs body weight is put on in the last six weeks hence it's very hard to get the ewe to put on fat in those weeks.
They'd have to be on good grass to survive on those rates of concentrates

OneMan37

kk.man wrote: »

You must have some land...or an eco climate or both.

This year for grass growth and mildness are not normal. If feeding so little meal I be very afraid of twin lamb disease.

True this year was different. But if you have young enough ewes, then you don't need them fat or in great condition to lamb down, all you need is mid sized lambs and ewes with milk. Both of which can be achieved by feeding ewes well only in late pregnancy. I've had fat ewes leading into lambing before and pulling lambs and pushing out the red broke my heart.

I also pray to diseased Holy souls and promise them masses if lambing goes V well or they help it go well, and I keep that promise to them when it all runs smoothly.

Lambman

Bought a 3yr old crossing Leicster and he's with horned ewes ran a texel then after 5 weeks but he didn't tip anything. Jeez but there hardy lambs I lost 2 charrlois @ 4 days old on a bad bad night the same night 2 horned ewes had 3 lambs outside couldn't catch them in the morning. I know the ram lambs won't be worth much but hopefully the surplus ewe lambs will sell well till make up for it.

kay 9

wrangler wrote: »

Have you any reasons for such a high mortality, mule cross cheviot shouldn't be hard lambed

No reasons. Can't understand it tbh

kay 9

razor8 wrote: »

What are the main issues?

Weak lambs?
Ewes with no milk?
Abortions?

With a high scanning rate I would imagine 10% is acceptable but would be aiming for 5% imo

Lambs coming wrong was the main reason thinking back

kay 9

charolais0153 wrote: »

As in 30 lambs in every 100 died?
Lambimg went great until march. Had 75 odd ewes lambed with less than 10 dead lambs but after march must of lost 20+lambs in the remaining 30. No ewes lost this year though

30 in the 100 yes. It's crazy

kay 9

razor8 wrote: »

When people are counting dead lambs are you counting everything?

Absorbed lambs
Still born?

Or just ones you could of saved?

I count everything

kay 9

wrangler wrote: »

When we had 500 + ewes we'd have one or two every year, I just used to put it down to texels being texels, never saw a pedigree vendeen do it and they'd be a lot fatter

Was plagued with prolapses as well

kay 9

Excuse later delayed replies.
I've it down to the ewes being in too good of condition and possibly over feeding on my behalf.
Never seen as many prolapses and lambs with both legs back.
Feels as if I pulled every second lamb.

White Clover

I had a good few where both lambs were coming together, i.e. one head, and back leg of other lamb. A few times I pushed back the head and ended up bringing the other lamb backwards first.

arctictree

kay 9 wrote: »

Was plagued with prolapses as well

One of mine prolapsed and she lambed during the night with the harness on. I know they can lamb past it but first one came breach and got it's legs stuck in the harness. Dead. Second one was just about alive. Third one dead. She was so opened up that after I took the harness off the lambs literally fell out of her.

kay 9

White Clover wrote: »

I had a good few where both lambs were coming together, i.e. one head, and back leg of other lamb. A few times I pushed back the head and ended up bringing the other lamb backwards first.

My biggest problem is I'm working full time and only see them in the mornings and evenings/ night
Going to go on the rip when I've the last lambs out.
They'd drive a person to an asylum

kay 9

arctictree wrote: »

One of mine prolapsed and she lambed during the night with the harness on. I know they can lamb past it but first one came breach and got it's legs stuck in the harness. Dead. Second one was just about alive. Third one dead. She was so opened up that after I took the harness off the lambs literally fell out of her.

Had the vet out to a couple of ewes which I never had to do before. He was a good 40 mins trying to get a half couple out, actually didn't believe he was half of a couple.
I'm really considering cleaning out this flock and starting afresh with a new breed or something. Only for the wife I'd have lost more

White Clover

kay 9 wrote: »

My biggest problem is I'm working full time and only see them in the mornings and evenings/ night
Going to go on the rip when I've the last lambs out.
They'd drive a person to an asylum

I understand. I took 3 weeks leave from work and practically lived with them and still lost 7 from a scan of 134 lambs from 70 ewes.

kk.man

White Clover wrote: »

I understand. I took 3 weeks leave from work and practically lived with them and still lost 7 from a scan of 134 lambs from 70 ewes.

I am f##@&×# after almost 3 weeks off work too. Lost a fair few lambs and no ewes this year.

Am considering selling them with lambs at foot in the next while. It's not fair on man nor beast if working full time. Like you I have lived with them, still waking at 3am every morning since I returned to work.

arctictree

I left my job in December so was looking forward to lambing. Sick of it now though! Going to try and work part time and farm for the next 10 months or so.

charolais0153

White Clover wrote: »

I understand. I took 3 weeks leave from work and practically lived with them and still lost 7 from a scan of 134 lambs from 70 ewes.

Thtas fairly unreal tbh. 5% mortality.

kay 9

kk.man wrote: »

I am f##@&×# after almost 3 weeks off work too. Lost a fair few lambs and no ewes this year.

Am considering selling them with lambs at foot in the next while. It's not fair on man nor beast if working full time. Like you I have lived with them, still waking at 3am every morning since I returned to work.

There's absolutely no appreciation from farm to fork either.
I've extra grey hairs after this year.
Short fuse from tiredness as well but I try not bring it inside the door but I can be like a bitch at times.
Only two left lol. Praise the Lord. Not going through this next year. Had no trouble during calving but they're worth next to nothing either.
The whole thing is up in a heap.
We'd never be rich but by jasus worse it's getting.
Don't even mention the 'b' word. I'll bite the next prison to mention that lol

kay 9

charolais0153 wrote: »

Thtas fairly unreal tbh. 5% mortality.

Great to see some done well. Wouldn't wish my year on anyone.
Fair play with those figures ðŸ‘

Dinzee Conlee

kay 9 wrote: »

Great to see some done well. Wouldn't wish my year on anyone.
Fair play with those figures ðŸ‘

It’s tough to take Kay9, after a year of looking after em to lose so many...
When we had ewes, we lost about 25% of the lambs one year... we only had about 70ewes, but it was sickening...

But then, I think about 2 years later, we didn’t lose any lambs... Not 1 loss, from about 50ewes I think...

Not much consolation I know, just some years are bad, some are good...

kay 9

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

It’s tough to take Kay9, after a year of looking after em to lose so many...
When we had ewes, we lost about 25% of the lambs one year... we only had about 70ewes, but it was sickening...

But then, I think about 2 years later, we didn’t lose any lambs... Not 1 loss, from about 50ewes I think...

Not much consolation I know, just some years are bad, some are good...

Yep, can have a bad year now and then. It's not all roses, brings a person back to earth though. Here's to a good summer though.

FarmerDougal

Finished lambing at 10% losses from scanning, 1.67 on the ground atm
Supervised from 6am to 11pm
5 lost overnight in 5/6 weeks
Mainly small weak lambs not properly managed and some bad luck

2 pets

Lost 3 sheep, hard lambing and 2 from Tetany
Even with a high mag buckets out
Quite disappointed with size of some lambs and milk from some ewes even though in very good condition and all fed heavily a month out, any ideas??
Happy enough overall

kay 9

FarmerDougal wrote: »

Finished lambing at 10% losses from scanning, 1.67 on the ground atm
Supervised from 6am to 11pm
5 lost overnight in 5/6 weeks
Mainly small weak lambs not properly managed and some bad luck

2 pets

Lost 3 sheep, hard lambing and 2 from Tetany
Even with a high mag buckets out
Quite disappointed with size of some lambs and milk from some ewes even though in very good condition and all fed heavily a month out, any ideas??
Happy enough overall

That's was a great return. Keep doing what you're doing

Dickie10

my ewes finished with 122 lambs from 70 ewes out of a scan of 1.95 i ended with 1.75 in field. higher mortality rate than last year and 5 very strange deaths. one ewe with tripets, they seemed to all get rattle belly or something , they got a hump on them about a week old and all died off over a fortnight one by one with all going down on the legs one by one i presume it was a mineral deficency maybe in ewes milk, she was about 7 year old ewe. another ewe lost her two lambs, one i found dead then about 5 days later i found the other with very little power in his legs and within a couple of hours he couldnt stand at all , he wouldnt drink milk from a bottle either and was dead the next morning. i wonder was it white muscle disease? its a selenium deficiency and drought condtions can bring a selenium deficiency.

Dickie10

labing ewe lambs now and i have 10 lambed with 11 lambs another 12 to go.

kay 9

Dickie10 wrote: »

my ewes finished with 122 lambs from 70 ewes out of a scan of 1.95 i ended with 1.75 in field. higher mortality rate than last year and 5 very strange deaths. one ewe with tripets, they seemed to all get rattle belly or something , they got a hump on them about a week old and all died off over a fortnight one by one with all going down on the legs one by one i presume it was a mineral deficency maybe in ewes milk, she was about 7 year old ewe. another ewe lost her two lambs, one i found dead then about 5 days later i found the other with very little power in his legs and within a couple of hours he couldnt stand at all , he wouldnt drink milk from a bottle either and was dead the next morning. i wonder was it white muscle disease? its a selenium deficiency and drought condtions can bring a selenium deficiency.

Were they in our out? Sounds like hypothermia. Had it here twice and the bulb didn't do any good. It's hard to get ahead of it