Flushing ewes when there’s no grass

[ARW]

I normally drop the ewes in fresh growth from the hay fields 3 or so weeks before the tup goes in, however with little to no growth of grass and some ewes are still looking thin.
Do I feed them some grain to help them on, I don’t have a 3 in 1 feeder but I can feed it in troughs or run it on the grass off the quad, will this be benifical or will the feeding time stress not benefit them?
Do I move them to a fresh field of nothing?
We have a half decent lambing rate but with a tough winter and spring then a drought it’s been a hard time for them with little good grass

 

[Lovegoodstock]

The feeding will certainly be beneficial and not detrimental due to stress!! Remember reading no benefit flushing ewes in good (too good) a condition, think it was body score3.5 and over, but as you stated some ewes looking thin, this is not the case. Id have thought regular moving would help a lot, even if it appears a change of scenery more than a move to fresh grass, they always find a fresh bit of something even in this dry summer. The obvious reason of flushing is providing a rising plane of nutrition, so feeding will help, and a build up of energy over time the way to go, especially, as depending on how lean ewes are, they may not come tupping at all and a prolonged lambing spell or high barren rate may occur

 

[neilo]

When are you planning on tupping them?

If ‘some’ ewes are still looking thin, it would be worth pulling them out separately and feeding them harder. It’s something 8 always intend to do, rarely get round to, and usually regret not doing so later in the winter.

 

[Al R]

We BCS’d every ewe 2 weeks ago and fed silage to anything under 3.5/4 which were predominantly ewe lambs that had reared twins, it’s amazing how even the groups look now that the thins are out, the thins are a small bunch and on silage and already they’ve come on in leaps and bounds!

We’ve never “flushed” any ewes and the mules run around 185-190% and the texX around 190-195%, it’s only the more recent years we’ve only kept twins which were ewe lambs, before we used to keep singles to.

Feeding a bit of barley in the troughs to the thinner ones will make a big difference to them - it’s worth putting all the thins in 1 group to make it cheaper than feeding ewes that don’t need it.

 

[ARW]

Tupping in 2 weeks, I will start with the cake and prey for rain

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Tupping in 2 weeks, I will start with the cake and prey for rain

You won’t do that much to a thin ewe in 2 weeks, you’d be better feeding hard and putting tupping back

 

[Al R]

Tupping in 2 weeks, I will start with the cake and prey for rain

How many are on the thin side? Is it worth feeding them like mad and waiting for them to build condition back up before putting the ram in?
Personally I wouldn’t worry to much unless they really are thin, I’ve seen some BCS 1’s which were hill ewes doing 150%.

 

[It was already broken.]

Have you considered putting back your tupping @ARW? Just a thought but it might be cost effective waiting for the grass to grow than trying to farm by the date on your calendar.

That is not a criticism by the way. Just something to consider.

 

[Green farmer]

I’ll be looking after my thin ewes. Chances are their my best sheep. It’s the overfat ones you’d want to be wary of, chances are they put nothing into their lambs.

 

[surprisefarmer]

Do you guys feed meal to your rams before putting them to the ewe?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Do you guys feed meal to your rams before putting them to the ewe?

Yes, for about 2 weeks, just a bite

 

[surprisefarmer]

Pulling slightly off topic here then but ideal ewe prep for tipping:

• Pair feet
• Pick out anything you don't think is good enough/too old
• Flush on good grass 3 weeks before tipping
• Do you dose with any minerals etc before you put them out?
• Send rams out and let them at it for 6-7 weeks

Apologies if the above is naive but I just simply want to learn.

Taking over my families farm and father (due to age, poor health and a certain disinterest) has made a real hash of the sheep this last few years, with results being ewes slow coming in to milk after lambing and a ridiculously long lambing period.

Basically I am looking to get my sheep's health up and have a tight lambing period.

Thanks in advance

 

[Al R]

Pulling slightly off topic here then but ideal ewe prep for tipping:

• Pair feet
• Pick out anything you don't think is good enough/too old
• Flush on good grass 3 weeks before tipping
• Do you dose with any minerals etc before you put them out?
• Send rams out and let them at it for 6-7 weeks

Apologies if the above is naive but I just simply want to learn.

Taking over my families farm and father (due to age, poor health and a certain disinterest) has made a real hash of the sheep this last few years, with results being ewes slow coming in to milk after lambing and a ridiculously long lambing period.

Basically I am looking to get my sheep's health up and have a tight lambing period.

Thanks in advance

What sort of numbers are you talking? We only look at the feet if there’s a problem.. all rams will be turned over in the next week next time their in ready for October - the ewes don’t get turned/feet looked at as we have to many to do. We fluke, bolus and footvax all ewes 3-4 weeks before the rams go in.

 

[surprisefarmer]

@Al R We are only talking 100 ewes at the moment (although I intend to buy a few more before putting out the rams). So as far as feet go, it would be just a matter of bringing them in and catching whatever was limping.

Do you bolus rather than putting out mineral buckets?

 

[ARW]

I can put tupping back a couple of weeks but the sooner we lamb the better, there’s only 50, I reckon there’s 15 that aren’t looking as good, I think I will separate them and let them at the feed, the 15 thinnest all raised a pair of strong lambs each, we weaned them a fair while back, they improved but still don’t look got to tup, maybe I’m being to fussy

 

[primmiemoo]

I can put tupping back a couple of weeks but the sooner we lamb the better, there’s only 50, I reckon there’s 15 that aren’t looking as good, I think I will separate them and let them at the feed, the 15 thinnest all raised a pair of strong lambs each, we weaned them a fair while back, they improved but still don’t look got to tup, maybe I’m being to fussy

The hardest working ewes who have the youngest lambs are on the thin side, if yours are like mine. They've yet to catch up with single rearers whose lambs went earliest.

I've checked teeth carefully, too. Think it's a quirk of one of the sires, but some half-sisters haven't the best gnashers even though they've done their lambs well.
This year is certainly a test of stock traits! I've reluctantly put some on the cull list for teeth, and checked any daughters they have in the flock already.

It's surprising how quickly a well, but thin ewe will gain condition when given some TLC - they could catch up if you're able to delay turning rams in with them, say a week-ish?

 

[primmiemoo]

Pulling slightly off topic here then but ideal ewe prep for tipping:

• Pair feet
• Pick out anything you don't think is good enough/too old
• Flush on good grass 3 weeks before tipping
• Do you dose with any minerals etc before you put them out?
• Send rams out and let them at it for 6-7 weeks

Apologies if the above is naive but I just simply want to learn.

Taking over my families farm and father (due to age, poor health and a certain disinterest) has made a real hash of the sheep this last few years, with results being ewes slow coming in to milk after lambing and a ridiculously long lambing period.

Basically I am looking to get my sheep's health up and have a tight lambing period.

Thanks in advance

Daresay you know the checklist for ewes already: udder, feet, teeth?

Teeth: pls see my post above. This lack of grass has shown up inefficient grazers with less than ideal teeth. I'd not be worried about them in a "normal" year, as long as the middle front teefs are present and sound, and the molars grind without overgrown edges.

Udder: lumps and hardness, as you'll know.

Feet: biggest lesson for me has been to put the foot trimmers in a safe place, and only use to adjust an overgrown hoof that's causing problems with gait, or gathering mud that will allow infection in. They do get checked, and any scald or worse treated.

I don't know enough about the soil in your area to say about specific minerals, sorry.

If you can manage a 6-7 week lambing period next year, that's fine. If you can manage a shorter, more intensive lambing period, then consider either running a teaser, or else putting an entire ram in the incredibly sheep proof field next to your ewes for a couple of weeks prior to turning rams in with the ewes to synchronise them through the gate.

HTH, and hope all goes well.

 

[JD-Kid]

know a few guys here feed out barley to ewes pre mating in dryer times. Ozzies use lupins thing is not just flushing time but for a few weeks after to make sure things set fully
bit thing is pick up the lights

 

[ARW]

We chucked the culls out when we weaned, tups are off in the field next door to bring them on, we would like to sponge them but I can’t get hold of the tup power

 

[AvonValleyFarmer]

Do you guys feed meal to your rams before putting them to the ewe?

Yes, just enough to keep them quiet so I can change the crayon in the field without gathering the ewes.