Indoor lambing set up costs

[CopperBeech]

Remember to turn the lambing camera off though

you’d be mad to, could make some good coin on onlyfans

 

[Nithsdale]

Remember to turn the lambing camera off though

Why? The wife will be sitting watching, pissing herself laughing at the dirty barsteward being told to f**k off by a lassie young enough to be his grand daughter

 

[Boso]

Have lambed outside for the last five years. With growing numbers and relatively small plots of land (biggest is 10ha without permanent fencing) I am actually contemplating switching to indoors. Three main reasons:
1) high stocking rates/rotational grazing and lambing don't go together very well. My fields are not large enough or close enough to each other, loading and trucking my ewes and day old lambs is not something I like;
2) giving my pastures the extra rest and time to recover, last winter has been hell;
3) biggest argument in my case is public opinion, I just can't keep people out of fields with ewes lambing. All the comments (online and live, pfff they take to much energy) and interfering with my sheep as much as the public demands me to is not what I want as a breeder of maternal shedders.

(4: keeping records of breeding stock is easier)

Options I see for next lambing is splitting the herd in two, to avoid trucking them. Joining them back together asap. And in this case still lamb outside.
Or change to an indoor setup. Maybe something cheap, hoop house or similar.
The muck you can apply to your fields is another bonus to me.
However, feeding €2k in hay would mean I have to become quite a bit more intensive in producing lambs or start making my own hay.
I can get would chips for free, so could use those to save on straw.

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Have lambed outside for the last five years. With growing numbers and relatively small plots of land (biggest is 10ha without permanent fencing) I am actually contemplating switching to indoors. Three main reasons:
1) high stocking rates/rotational grazing and lambing don't go together very well. My fields are not large enough or close enough to each other, loading and trucking my ewes and day old lambs is not something I like;
2) giving my pastures the extra rest and time to recover, last winter has been hell;
3) biggest argument in my case is public opinion, I just can't keep people out of fields with ewes lambing. All the comments (online and live, pfff they take to much energy) and interfering with my sheep as much as the public demands me to is not what I want as a breeder of maternal shedders.

(4: keeping records of breeding stock is easier)

Options I see for next lambing is splitting the herd in two, to avoid trucking them. Joining them back together asap. And in this case still lamb outside.
Or change to an indoor setup. Maybe something cheap, hoop house or similar.
The muck you can apply to your fields is another bonus to me.
However, feeding €2k in hay would mean I have to become quite a bit more intensive in producing lambs or start making my own hay.
I can get would chips for free, so could use those to save on straw.

With our April lambers we lamb the twins and triplets outside and the singles, and hoggs inside. Might be a good compromise

 

[Andy84]

I didn’t use the right term. I meant anyone can help but outside not anyone can help. Sorry for the offense but tired and ready to pack the bloody lot in!

You sound pretty stressed. I hope your ok and come out the other side of lambing not too bad. Just remember we soon forget the dark days

 

[Estate fencing.]

You sound pretty stressed. I hope your ok and come out the other side of lambing not too bad. Just remember we soon forget the dark days

Thanks. Just a sh!t lambing and loosing a far few ewes with 3 week old lambs atm. I will get over it, I do wonder why we bother sometimes but it all soon gets forgotten about doesn’t it.

 

[Woolless]

Thanks. Just a sh!t lambing and loosing a far few ewes with 3 week old lambs atm. I will get over it, I do wonder why we bother sometimes but it all soon gets forgotten about doesn’t it.

Chin up. Keep on keepin' on

 

[Estate fencing.]

Chin up. Keep on keepin' on

Everything seems worse this year because all we have done is look at sheep for 12 months. Need to get away to a show or even have a bbq and forget about the job of an evening.

 

[hally]

Everything seems worse this year because all we have done is look at sheep for 12 months. Need to get away to a show or even have a bbq and forget about the job of an evening.

Seems to be a common trend around here of more ewe losses for no common reason so your not alone....
Chin up

 

[Estate fencing.]

Seems to be a common trend around here of more ewe losses for no common reason so your not alone....
Chin up

I will feel better tomorrow when the pile goes off the yard. But everyone does seem to be having a bad time.

 

[CopperBeech]

 

[Cmoran]

I’ve changed to indoor lambing my early flock this year we used to lamb out by day and in at night and I have to say it was a pleasure lambing indoors yes we had the usual losses and problems but we weren’t sliding around in mud !! We have started lambing the late flock outside and the weather is great so hopefully it goes smoothly as I’ve the shed filled with calves and no where to put ewes if they need to come in!! Planning on tightening up the lambing next year by teasing the ewes before letting rams out and pulling rams after 2 weeks will leave everything else until April to lamb then!! I also find lassies are better in the lambing shed then men

 

[hally]

I’ve changed to indoor lambing my early flock this year we used to lamb out by day and in at night and I have to say it was a pleasure lambing indoors yes we had the usual losses and problems but we weren’t sliding around in mud !! We have started lambing the late flock outside and the weather is great so hopefully it goes smoothly as I’ve the shed filled with calves and no where to put ewes if they need to come in!! Planning on tightening up the lambing next year by teasing the ewes before letting rams out and pulling rams after 2 weeks will leave everything else until April to lamb then!! I also find lassies are better in the lambing shed then men

I’d agree with that......more patience and empathy

 

[CopperBeech]

Just thought the photo might make you feel a wee bit better mate, you’re not alone. This year is absolute dog sh*t.

 

[exmoor dave]

Seems to be a common trend around here of more ewe losses for no common reason so your not alone....
Chin up

Haven't seen a ewe with a dropped/ dragging belly for years..... had 2 in 2 days
One is a old ewe, other is a shearling

Ewe losses quite abit higher this year, like you say no one particular reason

 

[Estate fencing.]

Just thought the photo might make you feel a wee bit better mate, you’re not alone. This year is absolute dog sh*t.

I feel more sorry for you than I do my self. A good friend of mine just rang to say she has had 4 heifers calve and only has one calf and 2 heifers left alive!

 

[CopperBeech]

I feel more sorry for you than I do my self. A good friend of mine just rang to say she has had 4 heifers calve and only has one calf and 2 heifers left alive!

I think there will be a few of us saying that 2020 wasn’t as bad as everyone thought now we are into 2021!

 

[Estate fencing.]

I think there will be a few of us saying that 2020 wasn’t as bad as everyone thought now we are into 2021!

That’s right. 2011 was sh!t lambing but went to blackpool agm and I soon forgot about the lot, that what we all need now.

 

[Optimus]

I feel more sorry for you than I do my self. A good friend of mine [emoji6] just rang to say she has had 4 heifers calve and only has one calf and 2 heifers left alive! [emoji24]

Lost 3 calves 2 days ago and the pile of dead lambs seems to be growing quick enough [emoji22]

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Prolapses, mastitis, joint ill.
oh the joys of lambing