how many dont scan ewes??

[startinghandle]

as I said here me and my brother are finishing farming and we have never scanned our ewes and we always seemed to manage but we did have some big singles ... surely we cant be the only one in the British isles

 

[Guiggs]

as I said here me and my brother are finishing farming and we have never scanned our ewes and we always seemed to manage but we did have some big singles ... surely we cant be the only one in the British isles

My dad has never scanned his sheep ever although he will be this year for the first time, he had masses of triplets last year and ewes without enough milk so finally he's taking the plunge and doing something he hasn't before....

 

[Nithsdale]

Have never scanned here, so you are definitely not alone.

But I am considering scanning the hill ewes - only to save a job post lambing drawing off the singles to go back to the hill.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Never scanned a sheep ever

 

[neilo]

as I said here me and my brother are finishing farming and we have never scanned our ewes and we always seemed to manage but we did have some big singles ... surely we cant be the only one in the British isles

Of course scanning isn't essential, but it is a valuable management tool. It allows you to apportion food better according to need, hopefully avoiding your big singles and @Guiggs dad's underfed triplets. It also allows you to pull out any empties, rather than paying to feed them to become porkers by the end of lambing. What do all those things costs? I would suggest they will cost a lot more than the 50p/ewe scanning does in almost any flock.
But yes, most would no doubt manage without.

 

[sandamho]

I wish we could scan, but we're too remote to get anyone out here. That said, it's hard ground so we only get a set of triplets once in a blue moon.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

I have never scanned.
I would like to but they are usually away at keep without any facilities when they would need doing. It would be a great management tool if I could separate them all in to different groups.

 

[romneymarsh]

I find it's a useful tool in managing expectations.

Get the disappointing news out of the way before the tiring, long days of lambing period

 

[pat kcotnit]

Have never scanned here, so you are definitely not alone.

But I am considering scanning the hill ewes - only to save a job post lambing drawing off the singles to go back to the hill.

One job we don't miss is drawing singles out of twins to go back to hill since we started scanning many years ago. Open hill gate, take them out in smallish groups to ensure they are mothered up and close the gate. Max 1hr as opposed to many hours. Check singles first at lambing time as they tend to have more problems than the twins (pure blackies). Also lamb the singles in fields that we have more problems with foxes/badgers as the ewes can defend one lamb better than two lambs.

 

[DrDunc]

Stopped scanning about 15 years ago when pulling twins out of hoggs scanned as empty

Feed adlib blocks and haylage with increasing energy values towards and during lambing.

Any ewe that gives bother that needs assisted is ear notched for cull, as are her offspring. This has got rid of the greedy ones that have a huge single, and the poor milkers.

Out of 1100 ewes I had a hand inside 22 this year, and only 8 the year before. Lambing percentage marked at 6 weeks averages 150% in bye, and 100% on the heather.



How would scanning benefit my system?

 

[irish dom]

Don't know many that don't these days. But then I would convince them it was a good idea. Shameless self promotion on my part

 

[scholland]

Stopped scanning about 15 years ago when pulling twins out of hoggs scanned as empty

Feed adlib blocks and haylage with increasing energy values towards and during lambing.

Any ewe that gives bother that needs assisted is ear notched for cull, as are her offspring. This has got rid of the greedy ones that have a huge single, and the poor milkers.

Out of 1100 ewes I had a hand inside 22 this year, and only 8 the year before. Lambing percentage marked at 6 weeks averages 150% in bye, and 100% on the heather.



How would scanning benefit my system?

By cutting your single and empty ewe feeding costs.

Don't let a bad operator put you off scanning

 

[irish dom]

Stopped scanning about 15 years ago when pulling twins out of hoggs scanned as empty

Feed adlib blocks and haylage with increasing energy values towards and during lambing.

Any ewe that gives bother that needs assisted is ear notched for cull, as are her offspring. This has got rid of the greedy ones that have a huge single, and the poor milkers.

Out of 1100 ewes I had a hand inside 22 this year, and only 8 the year before. Lambing percentage marked at 6 weeks averages 150% in bye, and 100% on the heather.



How would scanning benefit my system?

You make strong points and it's impressive performance but lambing that kind of number without scanning would scare the sh!t out of me. But in fairness if your previous scanner was that inaccurate you are miles better off not scanning. No info is better than bad info. Honestly don't know how them guys survive doing poor work like that

 

[wrenbird]

never scanned, never had enough ewes to justify doing it until recent years.

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Best thing that was invented for sheep.
All outdoor lambing system which I initially thought would be pointless, however I would never not do them now as it simplifies management and makes lambing so much easier.
You do need a good person to do the scanning though!!

 

[hally]

I've always scanned but often thought if you accurately handled them and split into 3 groups ( and adjusted feed accordingly) 2 to 3 weeks before lambing, condition score would give a good indication of lambing % whilst sorting out those that needed extra help.

 

[andybk]

Dont scan here , early ewes always around 160% natural service ,dont feed/ minimal feed pre lambing anyway , ram always run with the flock with marker so can see any returns of which very few It is useful on a big flock but didnt help to much on our scale .

 

[It was already broken.]

Hill flock I couldn't comment. Lowland flock it is the one thing that definitely is worth spending money on. Its the only job I pay someone else to do. If all you do is pull empties to take cull price at a time of year when the price tends to be good its worth it.

 

[ewefool]

Ewes out on the hill before tupping then after scanning all singles back out until a few days before lambing all empties are culled keeps the fields for the twins makes things so much simpler only one wrong out of over two hundred last year

 

[ISCO]

We scanned for 18 years since we bought some scanned in lamb and saw the benefits. In addition to better feeding and selling geld ewes find it time saving to know when a ewe has finished lambing and if having a single stand much better chance of mothering one on wet.