Ewe Mortality

muleman

Member
Yeah I always work on as long as it’s under 20% from scanning to selling it isn’t horrendous. I had a day mid March of 137 alive and 1 triplet born dead outside, couldn’t have been happier! Next day 12 dead first thing and ended the day on 19 dead and 70 alive 🤦🏻‍♂️
I usually look on it as 'if you could do something about it and youve lost it its a bit of a problem'...but most of them are usually beyond your control within reason so whats the point beatin yourself up about it, if you were sat in the house and they were dying then fair enough!
 

Mc115reed

Member
Livestock Farmer
Its very refreshing to see some of these stories and see the national average of 15%
Last year i thought id had a very good lambing, got to counting up time at 1st dose...15% gone, its surprising how they add up!
When your in the thick of lambing and things are going wrong you can easily begin to think it is just me with the losses.
None of the neighbours ever seem to lose much when you talk to them anyways!

I tell all my neighbours im lambing 500 ewes doesn’t mean I am [emoji23] my mrs wants too use ear tag individual numbers too mark ewes and lambs next year too wind then neighbours up too [emoji24][emoji23]
 

Thomashall1994

New Member
Two reasons I would say. We are only scanning about 2 weeks before lambing and having lambed around 600 pure Romneys in lamb to a Romney the last week there have been 7 dead from halves of pairs and triplets 5 dead singles and 3 complete write offs (ewes and lambs, prolapse and ruptured guts) 2 halves of pairs disappeared, presume foxes. At a lambing % scanned of 158% then a total of 20 is less than 3%.
Ironically these weather conditions are perfect for outdoor lambing as the ewes don't get tired as the lambs are mostly not too big and the lambs get up and suck quick.
Weather conditions make a massive difference and can easily be close to 10% with a wet time.

Scanner does miss some of the triplets scanning this late, but did get a quad as a triplet!!
Surely 20 lambs lost out of 158 is 12percent losses or there abouts not 3 percent
 

JoeFo

Member
Removal of dead stock also creates more dead stock I reckon. If I've had problems with a fox taking lambs, I've forgotten to pick up a dead ewe and it'll pretty much stop overnight.
Had issues with raven attacking anything in trouble this year. Sure it wouldn't be if there was dead stuff around.

Interesting point. A theory also that it draws them into a place and encourages them to take livestock
 

Macsky

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Highland
Removal of dead stock also creates more dead stock I reckon. If I've had problems with a fox taking lambs, I've forgotten to pick up a dead ewe and it'll pretty much stop overnight.
Had issues with raven attacking anything in trouble this year. Sure it wouldn't be if there was dead stuff around.
I half agree and half disagree. Ravens/hoodies/black backs seem magnetically drawn to death, and are more than happy to add to it if the chance appears, whereas if you lift the dead they’ll find somewhere else and maybe that ewe hanging a lamb will have just enough time to be spotted before the tongue is out of it.
 

shearerlad

Member
Livestock Farmer
Bit of a mixed bag with me. I don’t have the exact numbers of cross ewes yet - start vaccinating this week.
Cheviots are taken to grazing with pickup and trailer so counted out.

Top ewes that have pure lambs. 112 tupped, 2 scanned empty. 106 running with lambs, 2 dry. I’m delighted with that group of ewes. Plenty ewe lambs to choose from.

Middle group with mule lambs. 103 tupped, 4 scanned empty. 86 running with lambs, 6 running dry.

Bottom draw crossed with beltex 204 ewes tupped, 17 scanned empty, 153 running with lambs. Unsure of dry ewes. Bit disappointing but bottom draw ewes and some could be 7-8 years old.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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    Votes: 79 42.9%
  • Up to 25%

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  • 50-75%

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  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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