Lambing %

[millen87]

Hi folks looking to try get my lamb% up. (more lambs ) usually lamb middle of January onwards texel/ Suffolk cross and few mules also run a teaser 2 weeks before rams go in. Have bolused ewes last couple of years pre tupping but not seeing and big results. Any suggestions

 

[Ysgythan]

If you’re breeding your own replacements try to only keep and use multiple born stock. It’s not very heritable - 9 or 10% - but it does build up over time. Same goes for your tups.

Don’t drag the ewes back too far after weaning, but do give them a flush.

If you keep but don’t lamb ewe lambs run a teaser with them over winter.

 

[Al R]

Lambing in January certainly won’t help, I find my January ewes scan worse than February and February worse than March.

Only keep off twins, don’t keep off triplets unless you really have to..

We started bolusing 15 years ago and scanning % of the March/April flocks jumped 20% straight away.

 

[TexelBen]

If you’re breeding your own replacements try to only keep and use multiple born stock. It’s not very heritable - 9 or 10% - but it does build up over time. Same goes for your tups.

Don’t drag the ewes back too far after weaning, but do give them a flush.

If you keep but don’t lamb ewe lambs run a teaser with them over winter.

What's the benefit of running the teaser with them over winter, rather than a couple of weeks before lambing?

 

[Ysgythan]

What's the benefit of running the teaser with them over winter, rather than a couple of weeks before lambing?

If you’re not tipping them at least getting them cycling in their first winter improves fertility in the following autumn.

 

[Al R]

If you’re not tipping them at least getting them cycling in their first winter improves fertility in the following autumn.

I’d never thought of that but tup all of mine, probably some advantages to teasing ewe lambs anyway more so than ewes as I always find not much happens the first 2 weeks then they start kicking off..

 

[LAMBCHOPS]

What Bolus are you using ? Trialed a couple with differing results(for us anyway) "Tracesure" Selenium and Iodine in the one tablet and straight Cobalt in the other very pleased . Also been injecting young lambs with Smartshot 12 which is imported from New Zealand last 2 years and that looks a good product.

 

[neilo]

If you’re not tipping them at least getting them cycling in their first winter improves fertility in the following autumn.

I seem to remember some trial work done many years ago in NZ or Australia, that suggested that. I’ve not seen it repeated more recently though, so i’m Not sure if there’s anything in it or not.
I do still run my teasers with any empty ewe lambs over winter though, for that very reason. They’ve got to somewhere out of the way, so might as well be there. It can’t do any harm, even if it doesn’t Improve their subsequent fertility & prolificacy.

 

[neilo]

What Bolus are you using ? Trialed a couple with differing results(for us anyway) "Tracesure" Selenium and Iodine in the one tablet and straight Cobalt in the other very pleased . Also been injecting young lambs with Smartshot 12 which is imported from New Zealand last 2 years and that looks a good product.

Without an idea of what deficiency there might be on any particular farm (or even block of land), it’s impossible to recommend any particular bolus, or other TE supplementation regime.

I know I need to supplement copper here, in order to counter sky high molybdenum levels. Co and Se are only mildly deficient, so I could likely get away with a few buckets chucked about to keep on top of that. However, I have been bolusing twice a year for the last couple of years, yet still have Iodine deficiencies that are so severe that I am seeing dramatic responses from drenching with Potassium Iodide.
Every farm is different.

 

[LAMBCHOPS]

Without an idea of what deficiency there might be on any particular farm (or even block of land), it’s impossible to recommend any particular bolus, or other TE supplementation regime.

I know I need to supplement copper here, in order to counter sky high molybdenum levels. Co and Se are only mildly deficient, so I could likely get away with a few buckets chucked about to keep on top of that. However, I have been bolusing twice a year for the last couple of years, yet still have Iodine deficiencies that are so severe that I am seeing dramatic responses from drenching with Potassium Iodide.
Every farm is different.

Yes we will also be drenching with potassium iodide next week as the lambs are too small yet for the bolus. With the Smartshot in their system already we have covered se.co and Iodine the latter again being the one that our blood tests highlighted. I believe perhaps that Iodine is overlooked as a potential problem in sheep. Everyfarm is different so blood test for sure, we have no copper issues

 

[Ysgythan]

I seem to remember some trial work done many years ago in NZ or Australia, that suggested that. I’ve not seen it repeated more recently though, so i’m Not sure if there’s anything in it or not.
I do still run my teasers with any empty ewe lambs over winter though, for that very reason. They’ve got to somewhere out of the way, so might as well be there. It can’t do any harm, even if it doesn’t Improve their subsequent fertility & prolificacy.

It was on the advice of our AI/ET Vet. He’s Australian.

 

[neilo]

It was on the advice of our AI/ET Vet. He’s Australian.

I’d certainly make a point of doing it with sheep that I was wanting to sponge the following year, if only so that the hymen was broken ready. Still not entirely convinced whether it improves fertility normally, but sure it can’t do any harm.

 

[Ysgythan]

I’d certainly make a point of doing it with sheep that I was wanting to sponge the following year, if only so that the hymen was broken ready. Still not entirely convinced whether it improves fertility normally, but sure it can’t do any harm.

I’m not sure about that either, but lots of shearlings lamb late naturally so could be considered infertile if you take the tups out after one or two cycles, when in fact they just hadn’t got going yet. I think it reduces the risk of that more than anything.

 

[cotswoldcs]

What's your current and long term lambing percentage? What's your scanning percentage?