Lambing 2018

[Jerry]

I know a good few have started. I’m 5 days in.

How are people going?

So far it’s going ok here, decent lambs and ewes milking ok. Weather not perfect for outside lambing but ok.

Having a rush of trips and no singles to foster on is main issue.

Weather looks perfect for next few days and grass is growing.

Given I lost a few lambs a few weeks back with abortions I’m feeling a little better than I did 2 weeks ago.

 

[Yale]

https://www.express.co.uk/news/weat...-met-office-latest-map-time-today-ice-warning

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Wake me up in April

 

[Jerry]

Wake me up in April

I am in sunny and “warm” Devon......

 

[Ollieb]

We are in East Devon, we started lambing 1st January and were all but finished apart from half a dozen returns, lambing has gone very well but our biggest struggle has been turning them out, I think you could count on one hand how many dry days we have had since the start. But things are looking better for the next 10 days. Best of luck

 

[Jerry]

 

[Benr]

We have nearly finished, all has gone well except we have had a lot more joint ill than normal. Not sure if it is because we have held them in a lot longer than normal but it has been a right pain in the arse.

 

[yellowbelly]

Having a rush of trips and no singles to foster on is main issue.

This crowd turned up this morning............

Scanned for 3 but 1 must have been hiding. We have a few singles to come but none have stepped up to the mark today and they are what returned to service so could be another 17 days
Got some decent lambs on the ground but need it to dry up a bit (forecast looks like it might be drier and colder here next week)

Only 25 left out of this lot then a 'rest' until beginning of April.

 

[exmoor dave]

Started on Feb 1st, down to about the last 70,
Teasers did their job!

Touch wood.... its mostly gone ok, usual problems of prolapses in 2 specific generations of ewes (sired by 3 ram's from same place), even the ewe's bearing singles bloody do it!

Mature ewes having fair sized lambs so any mis-presentions need pulling.

Have feed zero concentrates to the singles, just hay...... still get the odd monster lamb!


Another flock to lamb in april

 

[idgni]

Having a nightmare, after having a great scan of 1.92 , unfortunately schmallenberg virus has reached our area and about 30% are affected , most depressing thing I’ve ever had to deal with, every time to see a ewe start it fills you with dread ! What your going to encounter.
Only 20 left to lamb , finished this week, let’s hope the March lambers have missed it.

 

[yellowbelly]

Mature ewes having fair sized lambs so any mis-presentions need pulling.

We had a run of big singles and even though we fed a lot less and a lot later than usual this early mob were plenty fit enough due to us having a lot more grass through the autumn than we usually do.

It's been noticeable that the tups who's lambs had the highest growth rates last year have had the biggest birth weights this year.
It has been noted, and their ewes (especially the gimmers) will be fed accordingly next year.
I've never thought to consider before, that them as make 'em grow fast outside of their mothers, do the same while they're in the womb.

 

[yellowbelly]

Having a nightmare, after having a great scan of 1.92 , unfortunately schmallenberg virus has reached our area and about 30% are affected , most depressing thing I’ve ever had to deal with, every time to see a ewe start it fills you with dread ! What your going to encounter.
Only 20 left to lamb , finished this week, let’s hope the March lambers have missed it.

Sorry to hear that.
Bloody sheep - you just think you've got the job sussed and then something else rears it's ugly head and bites you on the @rse

 

[Greythundercloudys]

Lambing finished, no concentrates, grass growing, what planet are you on, just show the difference in living down south! Up here in central scotland the grass won't start growing for 2 months yet, and that's early, you guys must be making a fortune fro those sheep, no singles, loads of triplets, as someone said wake me up in May.

 

[AJR75]

Not the greatest here, usual pre lambing prolapses but had some post lambing as well for the first time ever, not sure if it's schmallenberg but had a few mildly deformed lambs- mainly legs and a few lambing early with lambs that are alive but just too early and weak to be able to survive. Absolutely gutting especially when you see one start that you know isn't due yet. Fair bit of entropian as well this year too.

On the plus side the ones that are ok are absolutely flying and touch wood have barely had to assist any so far.

Earliest I've lambed here and really thinking I would have been better off sticking to March lambing now!

 

[BELOWAVERAGE]

Walked round ours just before lunch last Sunday, first ewe had just dropped her first, went back an hour later she'd got 3 all alive, 2 had their intestines spread around having been taken out their @rse's, one had both its eyes missing, got them in and am enjoying lambing again after having 2 years of corvid's making it a misery.

 

[neilo]

Having a nightmare, after having a great scan of 1.92 , unfortunately schmallenberg virus has reached our area and about 30% are affected , most depressing thing I’ve ever had to deal with, every time to see a ewe start it fills you with dread ! What your going to encounter.
Only 20 left to lamb , finished this week, let’s hope the March lambers have missed it.

I had it in the December lambing pedigrees, the first time I’ve encountered it. I agree that it’s not a great experience.

The only bright side is that, if the earlies were hit, the much larger March and April lambing flocks should have escaped it.

 

[hendrebc]

Walked round ours just before lunch last Sunday, first ewe had just dropped her first, went back an hour later she'd got 3 all alive, 2 had their intestines spread around having been taken out their @rse's, one had both its eyes missing, got them in and am enjoying lambing again after having 2 years of corvid's making it a misery.

Same problem here last few years thik they will be out in at night and out in the day literally under armed guard to keep those flying sharp beaked bags of scummy shite away f**k i hate bloody crows

 

[Al R]

The gingemongs lambing in January/February have almost all finished apart from 2 triplets, 3 twins and 4 singles. Nice bunch of 70 lambs outside and even the BFL’s were going out after 24hours at 1 point. We had 18 ram lambs in a row, then 16 ewe lambs and then yesterday 6 ram lambs off 2 BFL triplets

Gearing up for the main flock in March now. First prolapse today on an old small welsh expecting triplets in 4 weeks but she’s looking good now 2 calcium’s today too :/ the fun is starting already
We’ve had 8 ewes on their backs in the last week but no damage somehow?!?

 

[Tim G]

Given I lost a few lambs a few weeks back with abortions I’m feeling a little better than I did 2 weeks ago.

Was the same here, four aborted and we got a bit worried.
Wont jinx it by saying too much but better now.
Nearly out of tea bags and have had to resort to using caster sugar in the brews.

 

[AJR75]

Same problem here last few years thik they will be out in at night and out in the day literally under armed guard to keep those flying sharp beaked bags of scummy shite away fudge i hate bloody crows

I hate the bloody things as well with the damage they can do. We also have ravens here as well horrible barsteward things they are too.

.22 now pretty much lives in the truck with me and I nail every crow that stands still long enough to get the crosshairs onto it. Unfortunately it’s a drop in the ocean but it makes me feel better knowing there’s just a few less about to cause damage.