Lambing losses.

kiwi pom · Mar 27, 2024

Question from someone who knows nothing about sheep.
Are the losses from flocks lambed outside and left to get on with it a lot higher than those kept inside with 24/7 supervision?

Northeastfarmer · Mar 27, 2024

kiwi pom said:
Are the losses from flocks lambed outside and left to get on with it a lot higher than those kept inside with 24/7 supervision?

That’ll be very much weather and breed dependant

Estate fencing. · Mar 28, 2024

I was talking to a a chap who lambs a lot outside yesterday in the place where all shepherds meet this time of year (kennels), he said if the weathers good your the cleverest shepherd about but if it’s not your as thick as shite.

neilo · Mar 28, 2024

kiwi pom said:
Question from someone who knows nothing about sheep.
Are the losses from flocks lambed outside and left to get on with it a lot higher than those kept inside with 24/7 supervision?

Having done both, I’d say that, on average, there’s no difference, provided you’ve got the right genetics and at the right time.

We used to lamb prolific, almost pure Texel ewes indoors. Cracking lambs but it had got that we had to assist almost a third of them. They wouldn’t have been much fun outside.

d-wales · Mar 28, 2024

kiwi pom said:
Question from someone who knows nothing about sheep.
Are the losses from flocks lambed outside and left to get on with it a lot higher than those kept inside with 24/7 supervision?

I bet the answer would be that they are surprising similar numbers.

Yale · Mar 28, 2024

Main ewes are due April 1st so was expecting one or two overnight. Luckily they have crossed their legs. Got 180 scanned forward twins on a 3 acre sheltered paddock near the house. Just walked around and it’s bloody wet. Bottom pic normally a dry gully.

Yale · Mar 28, 2024

However not so good around the turned out ewesand lambs. This is the first 50 metres in the first field!

aangus · Mar 28, 2024

Yale said:
View attachment 1172326 View attachment 1172327Main ewes are due April 1st so was expecting one or two overnight. Luckily they have crossed their legs. Got 180 scanned forward twins on a 3 acre sheltered paddock near the house. Just walked around and it’s bloody wet. Bottom pic normally a dry gully.

If the weather doesn't take up soon there could be a lot of april born lamb losses

aangus · Mar 28, 2024

Yale said:
However not so good around the turned out ewesand lambs. This is the first 50 metres in the first field!View attachment 1172335

What do you think has happened

Yale · Mar 28, 2024

aangus said:
What do you think has happened

Yearling ewes, turned out two days , twins but the quantity of cold rain in the night has just killed them. The river has gone back up to the top of its banks. Got water falls where there is normally a trickle.

aangus · Mar 28, 2024

Yale said:
Yearling ewes, turned out two days , twins but the quantity of cold rain in the night has just killed them. The river has gone back up to the top of its banks. Got water falls where there is normally a trickle. View attachment 1172337

Heart breaking this job at the moment.

Yale · Mar 28, 2024

Even got a pustule of turf where the pressure of a spring has pushed up the turf! Feels like a ewes belly when you put your foot on it.

Northeastfarmer · Mar 28, 2024

We start on Monday and I’m dreading it with the way the weather is. It’s as bad now as it’s been all winter

idgni · Mar 28, 2024

I DON’T COUNT SHEEP !.
I learnt a long time ago there is no quicker way to depression than counting sheep .
If you count the live ones that means you count the dead ones, if you count all the dead ones you’ll surely end up depressed.

Count the cheques at the end of the year, if they outweigh the invoices I’m happy.

I’m satisfied that I’ve done my best for them all year and I’m not going to prevent them achieving their ultimate goal if they’re determined, so no point depressing myself along the way.

AftonShepherd · Mar 28, 2024

I think that's the one big drawback with scanning, it means you can quantify losses. Good on an individual basis, but can lead to broad assumptions on a flock basis.

Yale · Mar 28, 2024

I count myself lucky. Another two weeks this weather would have killed 10x more.

neilo · Mar 28, 2024

We're not due to start the outdoor lambs until April 1st, but the tw*ts from the shoot managed to leave a gate open in the Autumn, letting a ram through with 400 ewes a few days early. Had about a dozen lambs yesterday and today, mostly OK but a few that were born alongside a half rotten one, so getting the early rubbish out of the way at the same time I suppose.

Thankfully only a couple of singles born overnight, in heavy rain, and damned cold this morning in the wet. Ewes doing their jobs well to be fair, considering.

March lambing pedigree ewes still dragging on indoors though, with 14 left to lamb. Had enough of that now.

idgni · Mar 28, 2024

AftonShepherd said:
I think that's the one big drawback with scanning, it means you can quantify losses. Good on an individual basis, but can lead to broad assumptions on a flock basis.

Not really, use scanning for what it was meant for,
An indication of feed requirement of the ewe.

Counting on an underdeveloped
Foetus in a picture and expecting it to get all the way to the factory is very optimistic imho.

AftonShepherd · Mar 28, 2024

idgni said:
Not really, use scanning for what it was meant for,
An indication of feed requirement of the ewe.

Counting on an underdeveloped
Foetus in a picture and expecting it to get all the way to the factory is very optimistic imho.

I agree, but many folk (Inc owners/bosses) are guilty of counting them on scanning day. I couldn't even tell you without adding it up how many total lambs we were expecting

aangus · Mar 28, 2024

Northeastfarmer said:
We start on Monday and I’m dreading it with the way the weather is. It’s as bad now as it’s been all winter

I think its worse, too damn cold

Lambing losses.

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Up to 25%

25-50%

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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