Ewes not milking well

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
I’m outside lambing and seem to have a far few 1 and 2 crop ewes lacking milk, they are very fit and plenty of grass, they where run on beet for 4 months and I’m thinking maybe they are lacking something. It’s not a major problem but am having to lift some of the twins off and would like to sort it for next year.
 

Boydvalley

Member
Location
Bath
Same here but indoor. Mostly Mules, Tex cross OK, next door the same. Even a couple of the late ones are short and it can’t be a lack of feed for them. Can’t remember the last time I had any number of ewes short of milk. Scratching my head as well.
 

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Same here but indoor. Mostly Mules, Tex cross OK, next door the same. Even a couple of the late ones are short and it can’t be a lack of feed for them. Can’t remember the last time I had any number of ewes short of milk. Scratching my head as well.
Not just me then. Last year had no grass and they milked like dairy cows. It’s making me scratch my head.
 

emd

Member
Location
North
Same here.
only thing I’ve done different is not given ewe bolus before tupping and lambing and gone onto free access powder minerals. Had better scan so thought I’d done better. Lamb outside. Mostly young sheep with little milk.
 

TexelBen

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Yorkshire
Same here.
only thing I’ve done different is not given ewe bolus before tupping and lambing and gone onto free access powder minerals. Had better scan so thought I’d done better. Lamb outside. Mostly young sheep with little milk.
Slightly off topic, but what minerals are you using, and how are you feeding them?
 

Sheepfog

Member
Location
Southern England
Sorry to hear that. It's such a pain when they look great but aren't milking like they should. IME mules never seem to milk as well when they are very fit/fat compared to when they are a bit leaner. Although, they usually start to mobilise those reserves once the lambs are a few weeks old so the milk should increase in time.
 

gwi1890

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North wales
Fair Few ewes that have lambed in door here have been lacking in milk also no idea why, outdoor lambing ewes have been milky , and hoggs and they are shut on bare ground with no concs or blocks.
 

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Sorry to hear that. It's such a pain when they look great but aren't milking like they should. IME mules never seem to milk as well when they are very fit/fat compared to when they are a bit leaner. Although, they usually start to mobilise those reserves once the lambs are a few weeks old so the milk should increase in time.
Mules seam ok but they are older 3-4 crop. It’s manly Suffolk cross Welsh and Suffolk cross mules. Just had another fat a pig and big lambs just no milk.
 

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Fair Few ewes that have lambed in door here have been lacking in milk also no idea why, outdoor lambing ewes have been milky , and hoggs and they are shut on bare ground with no concs or blocks.
Funny enough my singles and Welsh ewes are having no problems with milk and there on no grass. I trailer the singles out of there field once they lamb and seem to have loads of milk when I check.
 
Last edited:

tepapa

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Wales
I’m outside lambing and seem to have a far few 1 and 2 crop ewes lacking milk, they are very fit and plenty of grass, they where run on beet for 4 months and I’m thinking maybe they are lacking something. It’s not a major problem but am having to lift some of the twins off and would like to sort it for next year.
If colostrum quantity and quality are the last on the priority list for protein after lamb growth and wool cover, is it a case of lack of protein in the final trimester? Now in theory you'd think 4weeks on grass would be plenty but maybe the couple of weeks it's taken for the rumen flora to change over to grass has been too long to adequately supply nutrients for the growing lamb?. Can't think of anything else other than nutrition that should affect quality assuming the ewes are healthy. But then what do I know🤷.
 

emd

Member
Location
North
Slightly off topic, but what minerals are you using, and how are you feeding them?
Dennis Brinicombe gen purpose. In buckets in a tyre topped up regularly it seems pretty weather proof. But I’m trying to find a dryer way. so far trying to cut hole in 25lt drums and either going to put concrete in bottom to stop blowing away or pegging down somehow.
 

TexelBen

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Yorkshire
Dennis Brinicombe gen purpose. In buckets in a tyre topped up regularly it seems pretty weather proof. But I’m trying to find a dryer way. so far trying to cut hole in 25lt drums and either going to put concrete in bottom to stop blowing away or pegging down somehow.
Sounds like a good idea 👌🏾
 

David.

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
J11 M40
Same here.
only thing I’ve done different is not given ewe bolus before tupping and lambing and gone onto free access powder minerals. Had better scan so thought I’d done better. Lamb outside. Mostly young sheep with little milk.
Doubt it will be lack of bonuses caused it, so long as they constantly have minerals in front of them.
 

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