Lambing Ewe lambs

[Junior]

250 mule ewe lambs due 1st of April, tupped by charolais and scanned at 128%
Would you lamb them inside or out? Pros and Cons for both please
Facilities available to do either with no massive infrastructural change
Lambing alongside 400 ewes due on the same date of which only 60 triplets will be housed
TIA

 

[baler-twine]

I suppose a lot depends on the weather. April here for the last few years has been warm and dry. I try to lamb outdoors during the day but bring them in at night. Easy to check on and it's no fun running round a field at night in the rain trying to catch a ewe with a lambs head poking out.

Good luck with it all I hope it goes well whatever you decide

 

[neilo]

I’ll be lambing mine outside, as usual, and stocking them on bare earth until they’ve lambed.

Ewe lambs of a maternal breed are the very best of mums ime, unless you start interfering with them.
I count chasing them round a shed and putting them in an individual pen as interfering with them.

 

[hally]

Like my texels inside as often a few to help and I’m too old to catch them in a field. Agree with not interfering with them until absolutely necessary. Our sheds are empty by the ewe lambs start so spread them out, just a few in each bay.

 

[2wheels]

if the weather is good, outside. saying that we lambed them inside as we had no natural shelter outside. we found ewe lambs were better at looking after their lambs than gimmers which would drop their lambs and run.

 

[hally]

if the weather is good, outside. saying that we lambed them inside as we had no natural shelter outside. we found ewe lambs were better at looking after their lambs than gimmers which would drop their lambs and run.

They are generally good mothers but we found if you have to lamb them outside they just bugger off and leave their lambs whereby if you lamb them in the individual pen they can’t get away and seem to bond no bother. I’m not skilled enough to breed sheep that don’t need any intervention

 

[ffukedfarmer]

We brought Our singles in last year after having 2 bad years of stuck lambs. Revolutionised the job, don’t think I had to help one.

 

[neilo]

I’m not skilled enough to breed sheep that don’t need any intervention

Like my texels inside as often a few to help

I’m not suggesting there’s a link or anything, but........

Of course you might get a premium on your lambs for the extra bother, but that’s the cost (or one of them) of that premium I guess.

 

[James169]

Will be lambing 60 outside this year in a field behind the shed. Will be attempting to walk the ones in with lambs to move them to better pasture. Lambing along side 200 Romney’s first year doing it. Praying for nice weather

 

[neilo]

Will be lambing 60 outside this year in a field behind the shed. Will be attempting to walk the ones in with lambs to move them to better pasture. Lambing along side 200 Romney’s first year doing it. Praying for nice weather

Why walk them in? ‘In’ is generally where they pick up disease and add costs. If they are happy and bonding, leave them where they are?

 

[James169]

Why walk them in? ‘In’ is generally where they pick up disease and add costs. If they are happy and bonding, leave them where they are?

I will leave them for so long outside. But the field they lamb in will be tight for grass before they go in it. So by the time I get into week 2 won’t be much left. I am to walk the ones out that havnt lambed. Load the ones with lambs up and then put the others back to ease pressure

 

[hally]

I’m not suggesting there’s a link or anything, but........

Of course you might get a premium on your lambs for the extra bother, but that’s the cost (or one of them) of that premium I guess.

No pain no gain

 

[CopperBeech]

I have found the key to lambing ewe lambs is -

Right nutrition before and after lambing

Right fields to lamb in (lots of seperate spots of shelter and low stocking rate).

Right breed of ewe lamb.

Right breed of tup.

Wean early.

Dont mess about with them unless absolutely needed.

Good dog.

Gambrel.

We used to lamb 1000-1200 a year outside.

Currently lamb about 200-300 a year and just leave them running with rest of the flock. Going against most of what I said above but it’s a bit of sink of swim here, and those ewe lambs that rear good ewe lambs with no help are your fastest genetic gain.

 

[CopperBeech]

I will leave them for so long outside. But the field they lamb in will be tight for grass before they go in it. So by the time I get into week 2 won’t be much left. I am to walk the ones out that havnt lambed. Load the ones with lambs up and then put the others back to ease pressure

would you not be able to drift the lambed ones through a gate into another field ? Save you lots of back and fore?

 

[S J H]

As above, the grass should be growing with them by April, so have them on very little. I run mine with the single ewes. Very rarely have a problem with mothering unless I’ve intervened in the lambing.

 

[Al R]

I have found the key to lambing ewe lambs is -

Right nutrition before and after lambing

Right fields to lamb in (lots of seperate spots of shelter and low stocking rate).

Right breed of ewe lamb.

Right breed of tup.

Wean early.

Dont mess about with them unless absolutely needed.

Good dog.

Gambrel.

We used to lamb 1000-1200 a year outside.

Currently lamb about 200-300 a year and just leave them running with rest of the flock. Going against most of what I said above but it’s a bit of sink of swim here, and those ewe lambs that rear good ewe lambs with no help are your fastest genetic gain.

What’s a Gambrel?

 

[Al R]

Plan on outside BUT if a few need pulling early on because they have been on too good a grass pre lambing some will come in. Last year I had them bang on, 58 lambed in a row in the shed without even seeing them start or lamb. They were brought in due to Covid as staff had to leave leaving me short staffed and it was easier having them while we were miles away dagging ewes

 

[Bury the Trash]

What’s a Gambrel?

 

[Al R]

View attachment 936575

And wtf does that do? Looks like a sh!t boomerang

 

[Lili]

Sheep restrainer