7 weeks before lambing - too early to get them in?

[james-stephens2014]

Hi all

Very wet here! Got the sheep sorted into their bunches based on scan result (and BCS for the odd fat/thin ones).... Thinking about getting the triplets in but worried it's a bit early.... How do I stop them getting to lazy and not lambing well? Or is that a myth?

Diet wise they will be on the normal 18% concentrate starting at 0.5kg once per day and eventually ramping up to 0.75kg twice a day (triplets remember!)... They also have haylage/silage pretty much adlib, and this year I am going to put a rack of straw out for them, hopefully slow them up on the silage a bit and something to chew on....

It's just so wet and next week doesn't look any better.

Thank you in advance!

 

[james-stephens2014]

Located in Midlands..... Breeds are north country mule, Suffolk X Mule and texel X Mule.

 

[M-J-G]

That's some feeding, our triplets get 0.8/day total plus hay.

 

[Estate fencing.]

I bought 500 mid March lambing ewes in yesterday. I would rather them be in than make anymore mess trying to feed them.

 

[M-J-G]

As long as you can keep their feet good, they're better in than out wading through skitter.

 

[james-stephens2014]

That's some feeding, our triplets get 0.8/day total plus hay.

How much do your twins and singles get? Lambing in or out? What lambing percentage? Any energy blocks? What sort of food? ... Making me wonder if I have been over feeding!
But don't want to go away from the should I bring them in topic!

 

[puppet]

Only you can decide how much mess you are making. Lot less work outside and if grass is rested from end February (start of your lambing) it will soon recover. I wouldn't feed hay or straw unless snow or absolutely no grass. They don't eat it anyway if any nibble available

 

[james-stephens2014]

Diet wise they will be on the normal 18% concentrate starting at 0.5kg once per day and eventually ramping up to 0.75kg twice a day (triplets remember!)... They also have haylage/silage pretty much adlib, and this year I am going to put a rack of straw out for them, hopefully slow them up on the silage a bit and something to chew on....

This is when they are in.

 

[DanM]

How much do your twins and singles get? Lambing in or out? What lambing percentage? Any energy blocks? What sort of food? ... Making me wonder if I have been over feeding!
But don't want to go away from the should I bring them in topic!

Are they going backwards outside? Have you got plenty of grass, turnips etc to maintain them on? Housing them will add cost and is for your convenience, if the sheep aren’t losing body condition (doesn’t make it wrong)!

 

[Skintagain]

If you have the room and the straw bring them in. Weather is set to be terrible this next week and the mud will be bad by weekend if you are feeding outside

 

[DanM]

This is when they are in.

what ME is your concentrate?

 

[Optimus]

Hi all

Very wet here! Got the sheep sorted into their bunches based on scan result (and BCS for the odd fat/thin ones).... Thinking about getting the triplets in but worried it's a bit early.... How do I stop them getting to lazy and not lambing well? Or is that a myth?

Diet wise they will be on the normal 18% concentrate starting at 0.5kg once per day and eventually ramping up to 0.75kg twice a day (triplets remember!)... They also have haylage/silage pretty much adlib, and this year I am going to put a rack of straw out for them, hopefully slow them up on the silage a bit and something to chew on....

It's just so wet and next week doesn't look any better.

Thank you in advance!

Might as well bring them in if you have the space.mine will be in next week but will be clipped an don't lamb till April.

 

[james-stephens2014]

what ME is your concentrate?

Nuts are 13 ME...... Silage/haylage is about 10.

 

[puppet]

April is a long way away. Do you get a build up of foot problems and E Coli issues in lambs? We bring triplets in 2 weeks before due and I can assure you it gets very wet here but just keep outside feeding moved around.

 

[Optimus]

April is a long way away. Do you get a build up of foot problems and E Coli issues in lambs? We bring triplets in 2 weeks before due and I can assure you it gets very wet here but just keep outside feeding moved around.

It seems to come round fast enough.feet are generally OK but they all get checked at turn out.shed is cleaned again before lambing.like to give the grass a rest before it gets stock on in spring

 

[Estate fencing.]

It all depends on your circumstances. For me shepherded sheep that only job is to graze parks in the summer, with a big sheep shed and plenty of straw are better in. No mess, give the grass a chance to grow and I can get them done before 6 in the morning and keep the loader clean.

 

[MRT]

Feed much more and the lambs will get smaller as the ewes will spend half thier day acidotic

 

[Pistonbroke]

It's a bad time for a ewe to lose condition or,more accurately,a bad time to try and put it back on. One small bunch of February lambers are in here on silage and lick buckets and they're as fat as toads. Some March lambers out and looking plain so as fat lambs are going out of the shed, they're coming in

 

[hally]

Bring them in, we often house for 2months plus, but we vaccinate with footvax and foot bath with 5% formalin every fortnight ( usually coincide it with fluke or heptovac) never had a problem. In fact we get more lame outside as they get a bit neglected when away from home.

 

[Estate fencing.]

Bring them in, we often house for 2months plus, but we vaccinate with footvax and foot bath with 5% formalin every fortnight ( usually coincide it with fluke or heptovac) never had a problem. In fact we get more lame outside as they get a bit neglected when away from home.

I’m footvaxing this afternoon. The ewes are spit in 2 big pens at them moment, I kick them out to feed hay and beet inside and as they come back in they have to go through a footbath, clean water 5 days a week and formalin 2 days.