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Feeding pre lambing.

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  • 28-12-2021 12:40am
    #1
    Limestone Cowboy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,531 ✭✭✭


    First year lambing ewes here and I have 27 that are due to start the end of January. Went through them today and checked them all for body condition and they are in really good nick apart from 4 ewe lambs that I pulled aside for a bit of extra tlc. They are outside on nice grass in dry sheltery ground at the moment and there is plenty to keep them going up to lambing. Mostly well bred texel and Suffolk hoggets in lamb to a bleu de maine. Would they want to start getting a bit of feeding now or how much should they be getting. I don't want to overdo it either, the texels in particular are as fat as snails at the moment. 2 sets of triplets and 5 singles. Rest are pairs.



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    #2
    Dinzee Conlee
    Registered Users Posts: 2,149 ✭✭✭Dinzee Conlee


    Did you scan em limestone?

    EDIT - Sorry, missed last line…

    If possible I’d separate them. Give the singles access to a mineral block, if they have good grass they should be ok… if they coming in for lambing, give em a small bit of meal the week before they come in, more to get them used to meal than the feed value really…

    Doubles a shake of meal, maybe 0.1-0.2 kg/day for a start. Again, if good grass I wouldn’t go too heavy with meal… It would be good to get them used to meal now. 0.2kg/day is about maintenance - so it depends on your grass then. Coming closer to lambing I would increase it a bit, but it’s hard to say without knowing how much grass they have…

    Triples maybe 0.2kg/day for a start but would increase this over time coming close to lambing. Actually, they only 4 weeks from lambing now so would go up from 0.2 quick enough…

    i assume they coming in for lambing? Will they be on silage or hay or straw when you have em in? Triples will need good feeding, and you wouldn’t be too worried about big lambs when they have 3 - but split feeds, as they won’t have much room for big feeds…

    We used always have the triples in earlier - like yourself, there was always a small number of them. And it meant less groups outside and you could feed em morning and evening inside and just keep a better eye on em.

    Oats is a good safe feed for maintaining body condition but not throwing huge lambs. We fed singles just oats before, plus access to mineral blocks. If separating was awkward, you could go heavier with oats and you should still be ok…

    Post edited by Dinzee Conlee on


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    #3
    buffalobilly
    Registered Users Posts: 259 ✭✭buffalobilly


    We would find here if they have access to good grass triplets and twins could be prone to prolapse the reason we put them inside the last few years. From six weeks from lambing feed good quality ration starting with 0.25kg per lamb upping to 0.8kg for triplets and 0.5kg for twins and very little silage singles don’t come in just small bit of ration last 3 weeks this system works well here anyway



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    #4
    Limestone Cowboy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,531 ✭✭✭Limestone Cowboy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118380772#Comment_118380772

    Ya they'll be going in for lambing but was hoping to leave them out as long as possible. Ive real nice Hay I bought back in the summer for them. I might put the triplets with the couple of ewe lambs I had put aside so and feed them together. Don't want too many groups now either. Not much time to spare in the days now by the time all the cattle are seen as well.



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    #5
    Limestone Cowboy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,531 ✭✭✭Limestone Cowboy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118381034#Comment_118381034

    Ya ill start giving them a bit from tomorrow on. Thanks for the advice lads.



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    #6
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,192 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118381239#Comment_118381239

    Are you lambing the ewe lambs?



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    #7
    Limestone Cowboy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,531 ✭✭✭Limestone Cowboy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118418160#Comment_118418160

    Ya they are in lamb.



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    #8
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,192 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420426#Comment_118420426

    Personally,id keep em as a different bunch....deffo wouldnt be giving same level of feeding as the triplets for any carrying singles (though re-reading your posts maybe its meant as the ewe lamb couples,if that case id let trips with em-providing not getting bullied)


    Teagasc,for all their faults,have quite good feeding recomendations/charts for feeding ewes pre-lambing


    They have seperate pdf for ewe lambs

    (I know its a ballache having loads of different mini-groups and they all needing tending every day)



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