First time lambing ewe hogs

[Al R]

I certainly don't want them having lambs 'that need lots of help to live'. I expect them to have two on their own, mother up and look after them, as an older ewe would. Certainly happier for them to be 4 kg rather than 5 though.
I would never leave a fast growing lamb like a Charollais on a hogg as twins, but slower growing Beltexes seem to work OK, without dragging the hogg down too much.

Mine are mostly to charolais or 3/4 chartex.
Don’t have to attend to many as their mainly welsh mules or texX’s... I can see the sense in keeping them tight, apart from the odd idiot they are usually brilliant, that’s the same for all white faced sheep, black faced they tend to all be idiots, mother and daughter.

 

[Devil's advocate]

I certainly don't want them having lambs 'that need lots of help to live'. I expect them to have two on their own, mother up and look after them, as an older ewe would. Certainly happier for them to be 4 kg rather than 5 though.
I would never leave a fast growing lamb like a Charollais on a hogg as twins, but slower growing Beltexes seem to work OK, without dragging the hogg down too much.

Well I suppose we all do, & most of mine do.

But there is a spectrum of weights & I do not want a big load in a hogg. Prolapses are very hard to sort out with hoggs. In fact I've persisted with prolapsed cervixs before lambing, they then lamb themselves & then 48 hours later the uterus is out.

I've never been disappointed with a pair of kittens, sometimes they live if not just foster a cade on. A healthy hogg is the most important thing to me. The ones that have done it for me (have kittens) have gone onto to make great productive ewes.

 

[Midlist]

I have found without belly clipping or shearing, lambs haven't a clue where the nipple is

 

[tr250]

I have found without belly clipping or shearing, lambs haven't a clue where the nipple is

Yes because we have always lambed then inside before we just have the machine in the ally way and clip the woolly bagged ones as we go this year hopefully outside we are planning to clip round all their bags sooner rather than later hopefully before we start the main lambing or it won't get done

 

[neilo]

I have found without belly clipping or shearing, lambs haven't a clue where the nipple is

Aren't the majority of ewe lambs clipped in the Autumn anyway these days? I've never touched sheep's bellies after that Autumn shearing, and have never had a lamb that couldn't find a teat for the wool that I can remember. That's with Highlander ewe lambs, that would be woolier than some due to the Romney blood.

 

[tr250]

Aren't the majority of ewe lambs clipped in the Autumn anyway these days? I've never touched sheep's bellies after that Autumn shearing, and have never had a lamb that couldn't find a teat for the wool that I can remember. That's with Highlander ewe lambs, that would be woolier than some due to the Romney blood.

No we don't clip in autumn because of arable workload mainly but probably should and they could be left later in the summer then

 

[Agrivator]

Keep the single-bearing hoggs separate and feed only good roughage with a reasonable protein level.
Give them plenty of time to lamb themselves, and always give a full injection of Calcium half an hour before trying to lamb anything which needs drastic help.
If a hogg obviously has dead lambs inside her, usually the kindest solution is to phone the knacker man. In most cases you will have to phone him anyway, so the quicker the better.

 

[DartmoorEwe]

Keep the single-bearing hoggs separate and feed only good roughage with a reasonable protein level.
Give them plenty of time to lamb themselves, and always give a full injection of Calcium half an hour before trying to lamb anything which needs drastic help.
If a hogg obviously has dead lambs inside her, usually the kindest solution is to phone the knacker man. In most cases you will have to phone him anyway, so the quicker the better.

That's interesting, I've never heard about a calcium injection before interfering - what's that for?

 

[Agrivator]

That's interesting, I've never heard about a calcium injection before interfering - what's that for?

It improves muscle tone and helps to open them up - especially valuable if there is ring womb.
It might not always work, but it is cheap, cannot do any harm, and the half hour delay leaves nature better able to take its course.

And among many others, there are two tips to help a ewe to lamb and to get a lamb to breathe.

When the nose and one or two front legs appear, and if the ewe needs help, insert one or two fingers into the anus (the ewe's, not yours) and press on the back of the lamb's head to bring it out. I am assuming that at least one leg has been drawn out before you bring the head out.

And if the lamb doesn't start to breathe, forget about swinging it round and pushing bits of straw up its nose, simply press hard on its anus and it will invariably gasp for breath. Just like you would if I........... And the same works for calves.

But those are trade secrets, so don't let anyone else know.

 

[Well Refreshed]

It improves muscle tone and helps to open them up - especially valuable if there is ring womb.
It might not always work, but it is cheap, cannot do any harm, and the half hour delay leaves nature better able to take its course.

And among many others, there are two tips to help a ewe to lamb and to get a lamb to breathe.

When the nose and one or two front legs appear, and if the ewe needs help, insert one or two fingers into the anus (the ewe's, not yours) and press on the back of the lamb's head to bring it out. I am assuming that at least one leg has been drawn out before you bring the head out.

And if the lamb doesn't start to breathe, forget about swinging it round and pushing bits of straw up its nose, simply press hard on its anus and it will invariably gasp for breath. Just like you would if I........... And the same works for calves.

But those are trade secrets, so don't let anyone else know.

Remind me to never pass out in your company!

Thanks for the tip though.

 

[Skintagain]

It improves muscle tone and helps to open them up - especially valuable if there is ring womb.
It might not always work, but it is cheap, cannot do any harm, and the half hour delay leaves nature better able to take its course.

And among many others, there are two tips to help a ewe to lamb and to get a lamb to breathe.

When the nose and one or two front legs appear, and if the ewe needs help, insert one or two fingers into the anus (the ewe's, not yours) and press on the back of the lamb's head to bring it out. I am assuming that at least one leg has been drawn out before you bring the head out.

And if the lamb doesn't start to breathe, forget about swinging it round and pushing bits of straw up its nose, simply press hard on its anus and it will invariably gasp for breath. Just like you would if I........... And the same works for calves.

But those are trade secrets, so don't let anyone else know.

All sounds a bit too anal to me.

 

[Agrivator]

All sounds a bit too anal to me.

I was speaking to Dartmoor Ewe. You weren't supposed to eavesdrop.

 

[Skintagain]

I will keep it hush hush

 

[DartmoorEwe]

Ag's back entrance technique sounds like a double glove procedure to me - thanks for the tip Ag, your secret's safe with me, rest assured I'll not tell a soul.

The one good thing about giving a bit of assistance is that you might start off with a freezing cold hand (sorry ewe) but it soon warms up.

 

[neilo]

Ag's back entrance technique sounds like a double glove procedure to me - thanks for the tip Ag, your secret's safe with me, rest assured I'll not tell a soul.

The one good thing about giving a bit of assistance is that you might start off with a freezing cold hand (sorry ewe) but it soon warms up.

I don’t think @Agrivator was advocating a full on entry, just the tip of the fingers to ease things along. Doesn’t everyone, if needed?