Lambing season

buffalobilly

Just finished lambing here 4 tight weeks thank god everything went good
But for the life of me I can’t understand how some people are lambing ewes from January to the end of April they have to be a lot of losses as the dedication has to be gone after the first month with early mornings and late nights up at night checking ewes has to be a lot of grief getting true the lambing season
As far as I’m concerned 5 weeks max for lambing

J.O. Farmer

buffalobilly wrote: »

Just finished lambing here 4 tight weeks thank god everything went good
But for the life of me I can’t understand how some people are lambing ewes from January to the end of April they have to be a lot of losses as the dedication has to be gone after the first month with early mornings and late nights up at night checking ewes has to be a lot of grief getting true the lambing season
As far as I’m concerned 5 weeks max for lambing

Can't imagine anyone is lambing that length continuously. Lambing in the country goes on that length but not on too many farms.

If you took the first and last lamb they could be that length but dig deeper and the first was probably from a ram breaking in and the last was probably a very late one but they were hardly checking her at night.

arctictree

I left the ram in for 2 months with a group of ewe lambs. For my sins I have a group now, with 80% lambed since March 1st and now slowed right down. I'll probably be watching this group until May but sooner or later I'll give up the 3am checks...

buffalobilly

I know it’s hard to believe but I know of some who are lambing since 3rd week in January and there horned ewes just started last week glutens for punishment

farawaygrass

Or lads that lamb in two batches, it would be hard to face into the second one! Three weeks of round the clock checking and working is more than enough more me. I am psyched for lambing, about half way through the Energy starts draining and by the end I’m glad that it’s over

Mad about baa baas

I have a neighbour that leaves the ram with the ewes all year round...probably has 50 ewes that lamb from Jan to whenever... often had a random ewe lamb in the summer..no raddle or scanning involved..needless to say he would have more losses than most..big Suffolk ram to add to the excitement

Mad about baa baas

I have a neighbour that leaves the ram with the ewes all year round...probably has 50 ewes that lamb from Jan to whenever... often had a random ewe lamb in the summer..no raddle or scanning involved..needless to say he would have more losses than most..big Suffolk ram to add to the excitement

Bleating Lamb

Mad about baa baas wrote: »

I have a neighbour that leaves the ram with the ewes all year round...probably has 50 ewes that lamb from Jan to whenever... often had a random ewe lamb in the summer..no raddle or scanning involved..needless to say he would have more losses than most..big Suffolk ram to add to the excitement

Likes of him need a good kick up the hole!!....any of the ewes lambing later for him would have big grass lambs and big suffolk lambs would cinder the poor ewes trying to lamb.

Mad about baa baas

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Likes of him need a good kick up the hole!!....any of the ewes lambing later for him would have big grass lambs and big suffolk lambs would cinder the poor ewes trying to lamb.

For sure... I asked him the other day had he many left to lamb... I couldn't tell you he said.. less lambs in the field than ewes is all.i know...whatever hope the ewes have of help during the day I reckon they are on their own if they lamb at night..he probably should not have them really... shame because he has a fine big type of ewe.. borris..suffolk and north country cheviot. .. in various crosses

Dinzee Conlee

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Likes of him need a good kick up the hole!!....any of the ewes lambing later for him would have big grass lambs and big suffolk lambs would cinder the poor ewes trying to lamb.

Ah, feck it, that’s a bit harsh

He might be a lad that never has much lush grass if it’s a very extensive system, so the lambs might not be massive... plus if the ewes are big roomy ones, and the ram isn’t too Suffolky he might get on ok...

I think it’s easy to criticise...

Sure maybe that man has bred super sheep to lamb unaided, purely cos they have had to for generations

Dinzee Conlee

Mad about baa baas wrote: »

For sure... I asked him the other day had he many left to lamb... I couldn't tell you he said.. less lambs in the field than ewes is all.i know...whatever hope the ewes have of help during the day I reckon they are on their own if they lamb at night..he probably should not have them really... shame because he has a fine big type of ewe.. borris..suffolk and north country cheviot. .. in various crosses

Sure if he checks them during the day, they’d have a fair chance...

Do the lads lambing outside check them during the night? I didn’t think they did? But maybe those boys need a kick up the hole as well?

Young95

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

Sure if he checks them during the day, they’d have a fair chance...

Do the lads lambing outside check them during the night? I didn’t think they did? But maybe those boys need a kick up the hole as well?

Check outside at 11 at night and after that there on there own . Havnt lost a lamb this year yet to one lambing early in the morning hours .

Bleating Lamb

Just had a ewe that was scanned for 3 have one dog of a ram lamb.....saw her with water bag out ,left her a while but no progress so handled her....lamb coming right but I thought the legs were very strong for triplet legs....had a fair wee pull but she gave me good help....would say yon lamb is 6 or 7kg Suffolk.

She was getting extra ration with the other ewes carrying 3 for last 6 weeks so great to get him out alive.

To be fair to scanner it’s the first sheep to be wrong numbers wise.

arctictree

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Just had a ewe that was scanned for 3 have one dog of a ram lamb.....saw her with water bag out ,left her a while but no progress so handled her....lamb coming right but I thought the legs were very strong for triplet legs....had a fair wee pull but she gave me good help....would say yon lamb is 6 or 7kg Suffolk.

She was getting extra ration with the other ewes carrying 3 for last 6 weeks so great to get him out alive.

To be fair to scanner it’s the first sheep to be wrong numbers wise.

Unusual for a scanner to scan for more than what's there. The machine wouldnt normally pick up heartbeats that aren't there. I'd say the scanner just made a mistake marking the ewe.

charolais0153

arctictree wrote: »

Unusual for a scanner to scan for more than what's there. The machine wouldnt normally pick up heartbeats that aren't there. I'd say the scanner just made a mistake marking the ewe.

Definitely bits of embryos /foetuses to come , happens often enough

Bleating Lamb

arctictree wrote: »

Unusual for a scanner to scan for more than what's there. The machine wouldnt normally pick up heartbeats that aren't there. I'd say the scanner just made a mistake marking the ewe.

Twas me that was marking them as he called them out so was scanned for 3 alright.

razor8

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Twas me that was marking them as he called them out so was scanned for 3 alright.

Can absorb foetus. Can often see a gooey discharge after a big lamb