Lambing losses
- Thread starter ramraider
- Start date
muleman
Member
Its been the coldest May on record so unexplained lamb losses can probably be explained!
- Location
- Exeter, Devon
I thought we’d lose fewer, lambing in April instead of March this year. Sod’s law this April had such variations in temperature between night and day!
exmoor dave
Member
- Location
- exmoor, uk
Picked up a few dead ewes the last 2 days after the heavy rain, Feb lambing ewes, so they've done their work really and would be starting to put condition on
Bloody frustrating
Bloody frustrating
- Location
- Northumberland
And if we alter the lambing back to March start,next year will probably be the opposite.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Apart from in one bunch I’ve lost far fewer lambs than ever this April, although last year was awful due to Iodine deficiency.
However, I’ve lost more ewes and have lost more lambs post lambing already. Perfect pasteurella weather just recently I think.
However, I’ve lost more ewes and have lost more lambs post lambing already. Perfect pasteurella weather just recently I think.
- Location
- West Wales
Ewe Mortality
Hi there, its been an interesting year so far lambing and wondering what others lambing and survival rates are if you don't mind me asking. Its the first time we lost a ewe at lambing so want to understand if this is common enough or if I'm just unlucky? And what rams do people use, have you...
thefarmingforum.co.uk
Jameshenry
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
What problems was the iodine deficiency giving ?
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Lambs that couldn’t regulate body temperature, so dieing quickly of hypothermia unless they got to a warmer quickly.
That was in a warm, dry April. It would have been many times worse this year.
Jameshenry
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
I've been losing too many lambs from my ewe lambs this year, some born dead some like you just described, all bolused pre tupping with mayo boluses, vet said that the amount of iodine in a bolus isn't always enough if there is a deficiencyLambs that couldn’t regulate body temperature, so dieing quickly of hypothermia unless they got to a warmer quickly.
That was in a warm, dry April. It would have been many times worse this year.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Mayo have a higher level of Iodine than the other makes, but none of them work here for supplying Iodine (wintering on brassicas/beet will be making it less available too).
You can drench with potassium iodide for about 2p, apply topical iodine on their heads, or import an iodised peanut oil from NZ. The latter has transformed the job here.
Jameshenry
Member
- Location
- Cornwall
Do you have a link to the peanut oil ?
- Location
- West Wales
Were you putting mineral blocks out for the multiple ewes on brassicas? For the sake of 20p/ewe over 6 weeks I find it a good insurance policy with 0 twin lambMayo have a higher level of Iodine than the other makes, but none of them work here for supplying Iodine (wintering on brassicas/beet will be making it less available too).
You can drench with potassium iodide for about 2p, apply topical iodine on their heads, or import an iodised peanut oil from NZ. The latter has transformed the job here.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Google Flexidine. Has to be imported under vet licence.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Were you putting mineral blocks out for the multiple ewes on brassicas? For the sake of 20p/ewe over 6 weeks I find it a good insurance policy with 0 twin lamb
Haven’t seen twin lamb in an outdoor lambing ewe since we started in 2008.
I was using loose mins (& bolused) and was supplied with 640kg of Chrystalix Beet Balancer blocks to try on trial.
When I gave the ewes on beet the same loose mins this year, they hardly touched them, as well as no blocks given, yet Iodine problem sorted.
Same here, lost very few lambs but a load of ewes. I got a far number of crap lambs now though from ewes with bad bags and lambs that the ewe had died and haven't managed to get both lambs.
Had a load going down with mag this week, Iv now mag bolused the lot. It seems the year where you go from one problem to the next without a break!
Had a load going down with mag this week, Iv now mag bolused the lot. It seems the year where you go from one problem to the next without a break!
Think it’s a big factor for lambing outdoors soil or ground temperature,imagine coming out warm and wet then lying on a cold surface,the minimum time the ewe spends mothering it to get up is key.
We would have lost more triplet lambs than normal this year but put that down to the above x 3 times.
We would have lost more triplet lambs than normal this year but put that down to the above x 3 times.
spin cycle
Member
- Location
- north norfolk
i lost more than i think i should....totted it up....probably average at .15....but that seems a lot when you're picking them up