Finish Lambs inside??

[devonbrion1998]

I have 60 lambs left, the not so good doers, they are out on Turnips which are coming to an end now
with haylage and 10kgs of pellets daily, no grass to talk of, some are getting close to fit and half are still struggling, we have had no end of rain here persistent and cold.
Would they be better off inside? I have a good supply of cake and good haylage.
Another question while I'm at it, this particular field always has had bad grass, the Turnips I grow there this year were a joy to grow and to watch the lambs going through them leaving no waste, could I sow another crop there for the spring may be more Turnips of Kale?if so what's a good time to get the seed down? Thanks!

 

[HarryB97]

I have 60 lambs left, the not so good doers, they are out on Turnips which are coming to an end now
with haylage and 10kgs of pellets daily, no grass to talk of, some are getting close to fit and half are still struggling, we have had no end of rain here persistent and cold.
Would they be better off inside? I have a good supply of cake and good haylage.
Another question while I'm at it, this particular field always has had bad grass, the Turnips I grow there this year were a joy to grow and to watch the lambs going through them leaving no waste, could I sow another crop there for the spring may be more Turnips of Kale?if so what's a good time to get the seed down? Thanks!

Definitley bring them in I got my last 30 in about 5 weeks ago as they were just going backwards with the wether as bad as it is. A spring crop is definitley an option be it kale or forage rape etc, I have always found roots dont do well in the spring so need something that's mainly leaf. Drill early - mid April so it can get going before it turns dry

 

[pgk]

Accept they will usually check for a couple of weeks. We brought batch of culls and ewe lambs into polytunnel 2.5wks ago having been paddling out in waterlogged fields. Will draw some this weekend. Ram lambs on seeds doing ok. Last month been a trial all round.

 

[neilo]

Accept they will usually check for a couple of weeks. We brought batch of culls and ewe lambs into polytunnel 2.5wks ago having been paddling out in waterlogged fields. Will draw some this weekend. Ram lambs on seeds doing ok. Last month been a trial all round.

I doubt they’ll check if they’ve been having hard feed for a while already, the rumen bugs will already be in place.

 

[livestock 1]

Although I accept that lambs that lie dry and aren’t exposed to the cold and wet will finish faster than the ones that aren’t, there are a hell of a lot fattened outside

 

[rancher]

It's taking half a kilo/day to counteract the weather, maybe more on a bad day

 

[neilo]

I have 60 lambs left, the not so good doers, they are out on Turnips which are coming to an end now
with haylage and 10kgs of pellets daily, no grass to talk of, some are getting close to fit and half are still struggling, we have had no end of rain here persistent and cold.
Would they be better off inside? I have a good supply of cake and good haylage.
Another question while I'm at it, this particular field always has had bad grass, the Turnips I grow there this year were a joy to grow and to watch the lambs going through them leaving no waste, could I sow another crop there for the spring may be more Turnips of Kale?if so what's a good time to get the seed down? Thanks!

You might get away with a second brassica crop, as long as you don’t intend sowing brassicas there for some time again. Ideally they want a four year break between brassica crops, or you run the risk of club root developing. High calcium levels in the soil are said to help with that, but a break would be safer.

If you do go with a brassica, don’t sow it too early or you will run the risk of some of it bolting. Choice of crop would depend on when you want to graze it, with different crops maturing at different rates, and with different yield potential & frost hardiness.

 

[Hfd Cattle]

I have 60 lambs left, the not so good doers, they are out on Turnips which are coming to an end now
with haylage and 10kgs of pellets daily, no grass to talk of, some are getting close to fit and half are still struggling, we have had no end of rain here persistent and cold.
Would they be better off inside? I have a good supply of cake and good haylage.
Another question while I'm at it, this particular field always has had bad grass, the Turnips I grow there this year were a joy to grow and to watch the lambs going through them leaving no waste, could I sow another crop there for the spring may be more Turnips of Kale?if so what's a good time to get the seed down? Thanks!

Put them in the stores !

 

[livestock 1]

It's taking half a kilo/day to counteract the weather, maybe more on a bad day

I don’t think the weather makes as much difference as you think. Look at the health status of the sheep and what they are eating you shouldn’t go far wrong

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I don’t think the weather makes as much difference as you think. Look at the health status of the sheep and what they are eating you shouldn’t go far wrong

The actual weather might not make the difference but if it's wet they will go backwards fast without some dry lying. I find they fatten best in winter when it's cold and dry. Sheep just don't like being p**s wet through!

I'd get them inside if you have room. But the argument for selling the bottom end as stores definitely needs considering!

 

[livestock 1]

The actual weather might not make the difference but if it's wet they will go backwards fast without some dry lying. I find they fatten best in winter when it's cold and dry. Sheep just don't like being p**s wet through!

I'd get them inside if you have room. But the argument for selling the bottom end as stores definitely needs considering!

That is true.
I have some of the wettest land in the country and some of the highest too.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

That is true.
I have some of the wettest land in the country and some of the highest too.

Mines just bloody wet!!! ?

 

[devonbrion1998]

yeh, I will fetch the buggers in on Sunday sort through them and see if the stragglers are worth a shilling in the store them make a decision,I don't think they have ever dried out in the past month or so, the odd day it does not rain they are still drenched with the fog

 

[livestock 1]

yeh, I will fetch the buggers in on Sunday sort through them and see if the stragglers are worth a shilling in the store them make a decision,I don't think they have ever dried out in the past month or so, the odd day it does not rain they are still drenched with the fog

We’ve been wet since the end of July apart from the good week in September

 

[Green farmer]

. But the argument for selling the bottom end as stores definitely needs considering!

That would be the sensible thing to do. To my detriment, I'm usually too stubborn to admit defeat on them and keep going.

 

[devonbrion1998]

That would be the sensible thing to do. To my detriment, I'm usually too stubborn to admit defeat on them and keep going.

Yeh that's me all over, always think if someone else can finish them why can't I

 

[livestock 1]

Yeh that's me all over, always think if someone else can finish them why can't I

In my case someone else can do it cheaper on better farms and better at it

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Yeh that's me all over, always think if someone else can finish them why can't I

The price they are paying at the moment I'm pretty sure they can't! I'm running 500 lambs light this time, they shot up in price and I just can't see the end product being worth the extra money! Then everything went from damp to flooded and I'm half pleased I stopped buying when I did!!

 

[Estate fencing.]

In my case someone else can do it cheaper on better farms and better at it

Sold 300 (150 mine and 150 contract shepherded) good stores to someone I do work for 5 weeks ago, gone onto good dairy grass and 250 finished this week. They have done much better than if they stayed with me, freed up some drier ground for the ewes and put some money into the accounts. Sent the rubbish to market 2 weeks ago and very very happy with what they made. Sometimes you have to except that someone can do the lambs better than you at less cost.

 

[livestock 1]

Sold 300 (150 mine and 150 contract shepherded) good stores to someone I do work for 5 weeks ago, gone onto good dairy grass and 250 finished this week. They have done much better than if they stayed with me, freed up some drier ground for the ewes and put some money into the accounts. Sent the rubbish to market 2 weeks ago and very very happy with what they made. Sometimes you have to except that someone can do the lambs better than you at less cost.

Yes. On a backend like this here grass was in abundance in August but disappeared fast due to the wet. I’ve never known lambs eat so much and do so little good. What we have here are doing better now than they were a few months ago when they should have been flying. I think it’s due to dosing vaccinating and moving them weekly in some cases. Everything has been to do more frequently and earlier due to the weather. But I agree a lot of lambs now fattened by big feeders who can take a couple of quid out of them and make good money at the end of it. Everything has gone finished from here usually but this year the lambs were clashed room was tight and stores were up so the store ring makes sense to me