Lambing 2019

[GTB]

Been thinking a lot about this over the last weeks and I think we need to seriously consider lambing later. I know next year will probably (hopefully) be better but I do think the general trend in recent years has been wet autumn and winter, cold and late spring?

Say we moved to lambing from mid April, what would be the pros and cons? Would there be any resulting problems that we haven't thought about?

Pros.
Better weather. Ok I know it's not guaranteed.
More grass, less feed.
Longer days.
Possibly move to outdoor lambing= less cost, less work.

Cons.
Blowfly at lambing.
Lambs needing to be clicked before they're old enough to gather.
Lambs being sold later.
Both ewes and a lot of lambs on farm throughout the autumn (unless lambs sold store)
Lower lambing % ?

What have I missed?

 

[ford4000]

What work do you do in late April now that you couldn't do due to lambing at that time?

 

[Woolless]

Don't know about your area Dai but up here late April/early May can be dicey, albeit not as sustained. Inside or outside is what you need to consider.

 

[GTB]

What work do you do in late April now that you couldn't do due to lambing at that time?

Calving and muck spreading. Usually mark lambs in May but they'd be too small if born late April. Would need to Clik them before end of May really.

 

[Bones]

I'm thinking at least 5 may next year, just to many in puts this year

 

[Northeastfarmer]

The weathers so unpredictable I don’t think you can plan lambing at all...just gotta do what you do every year and pray for the best

 

[GTB]

I'm thinking at least 5 may next year, just to many in puts this year

I would agree with you but we accidentally lambed some ewe lambs in mid May one year and had to catch every lamb to apply Spot on before the blowfly got them.

 

[scottish-lleyn]

Ive knocked mine back a week this year and will be going to 10th of april start next year more hours of day light hopfully more grass more settled weather. We normally lamb from the 28th of march and and would start marking lambs about the last week in april so would hope to be marking 1st/2nd week in may lambing later if the teasers work well most lambing should be done in the first 2 wks .

 

[GTB]

The weathers so unpredictable I don’t think you can plan lambing at all...just gotta do what you do every year and pray for the best

You're right of course, it's often better in Feb than April but there's never any grass in Feb and there should be by late April.

 

[CharcoalWally]

The weathers so unpredictable I don’t think you can plan lambing at all...just gotta do what you do every year and pray for the best

Exactly. Spring's are so prolonged wet and cold that I'd be struggling to think of a time that would be more likely to work out. It doesn't matter if you do lamb in May , you can still catch atrocious weather.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

You're right of course, it's often better in Feb than April but there's never any grass in Feb and there should be by late April.

Well I certainly had more grass in February than I do now!

 

[Woolless]

The weathers so unpredictable I don’t think you can plan lambing at all...just gotta do what you do every year and pray for the best

I would agree with this. If you're following a lower input system, plan your lambing around your best prediction of grass growth. Otherwise, lamb when suits but NB shed capacity and labour.

 

[Bones]

I would agree with you but we accidentally lambed some ewe lambs in mid May one year and had to catch every lamb to apply Spot on before the blowfly got them.

Never any problem with blow fly here , quite the opposite

 

[GTB]

Exactly. Spring's are so prolonged wet and cold that I'd be struggling to think of a time that would be more likely to work out. It doesn't matter if you do lamb in May , you can still catch atrocious weather.

True but generally the later it gets it usually warms up a bit most years.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Trouble is that I find....the later you lamb the less lambs you get....you get singles then they get hung

 

[gone up the hill]

You should start lambing no later than 10 April.

Lambing too late and its a drought year will mean no grass and very small lambs if you lamb in May etc unless you heavily creep them!

I think a lot of early lambing flocks ( ie those that lamb in Dec/ Jan ) will be having a serious think about putting lambing back thou after this winter!

 

[GTB]

Trouble is that I find....the later you lamb the less lambs you get....you get singles then they get hung

Agree.

 

[GTB]

think a lot of early lambing flocks ( ie those that lamb in Dec/ Jan ) will be having a serious think about putting lambing back thou after this winter!

But those lambs are £5.50 kg/dw at the moment?

 

[gone up the hill]

But those lambs are £5.50 kg/dw at the moment?

Yep which is a complete waste of time this year with the hellish increased costs of feed/straw and damage to grazing fields where sheep have been running back from kale fields etc.

 

[Grassman]

I am always considering such things. Lamb later. Earlier. Indoors. Outdoors. More sheep. Less sheep. Etc.
Trouble is I have tried all options over the years and there is no hard and fast rule to success. What works one year fails miserably next year!