Stupid inventions...
- Thread starter killie_cowboy
- Start date
primmiemoo
Member
- Location
- Devon
How do you introduce it, pls? To the top of the lamb's head, or side?
When I was milking and calving cows regular I'd have frequently cupped my hand up over the calves brow to do the same job, but having typical farmers hands there just isn't the room to do such a thing with a sheep.
Never thought of a shoe-horn but once you said it,
Thanks.
- Location
- leics/warks border
The mistake a lot of folks make is to pull the lamb straight. you have to pull the lamb down towards the ewes heels. This opens up space in the top of the pelvic canal for the head.
While your right hand is in the ewe finding the legs and getting the head in the right position use it to feel that your left hand is pushing in the right place. Then as you draw the lamb out keep the head going in the right direction.
The pulling is done with the legs, pushing the head into the pelvic canal guides it and stops it from flopping back. Once in the pelvic canal it tends to keep going straight, but you can keep pushing it through quite a way until you can get you thumb and index finger behind its ears from outside.
I dare say there will be extreme cases where this won't work, but I've only failed to get one lamb out since I started using this method 20 odd years ago and only a caesarean would have saved them, the lamb was so big.
Give it try.
One of the similarities between calving and lambing.
The passage of the calve/lamb should be seen as an "up and back down" loop (assuming the mother stays on her feet) as opposed to a straight path.
If the lambs head is tight in the vulva put a couple fingers up the ewes arse and push the back of the lambs head and it will just pop out
I'd be worried about getting poo on the fingers and then having to go in to the womb again and introducing it there?
- Location
- North Yorkshire
Use your other/spare hand.
- Location
- East Ayrshire
I was just about to post that I'd heard the above suggestion on here in the last couple of years. Definitely works a treat, used it a few times since.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
It's well worth all the hassle if it generates 90kg+ sheep that still need wormedits not a faff at all.
as ive written above, it mixes very very easily with out the need to part mix.
how much easier need to be
never keep orphans even though they are most likely to be of triples here, because if nothing else they are a pita.It's well worth all the hassle if it generates 90kg+ sheep that still need wormed
the challenge is getting them fit enough to go quick enough/as possible.
I haven't wormed a ewe or Ram for donkeys years.
Further to that the Breeding that i buy in Rams for a few years are being selected for amongst other things even more resistance to worms.
good design / size of one of these will be a good invention ?
Would be a bit wrong to say wool on a sheep is a stupid invention but equally not wrong to invent a sheep without wool ?
Just squeeze either side of the head on the outside of the ewe with your spare hand and it'll pop out, no need for the risk (however small) of tearing something by putting a hand in
That’s what I used to do, slight strain on legs and squeez head through from outside. One of those lambing snitch things like @neilo posted was a revelation too
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
That depends on what compromises you have to make to 'invent' that, imo.
If you are aiming at conformation Wooled breeds have been improved for ages longer than any current shedders have had chance too. Got to start somewhere .
I know im not looking forward to bel lying / crutching for tomorrow's kill stressful for the anjmal well. Where as the pen full of shedders are all clean .
When we used to keep pigs they had fantastic shape and ko % never had to clip
Them.
Same with continental cattle breeds no wool on them