Milking out ewes

[Richard Devon]

If you have sold fat lambs at 3 months and the ewes still have quite a bit of milk what is the best thing to do? Milk them out once in a while to prevent mastitis or let them go? Is there a "best practice"?

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Could you put them tight , on your poorest bit of grass for a while?

 

[twizzel]

I tend to keep mine in for a few days with some straw to pick at, then out onto a bare paddock for a week.

 

[Richard Devon]

Thanks. We have shut them in on barley straw and some hay. The udders on some are quite firm, just concerned that they may get mastitis if nothing is done

 

[michael N123]

What weights are your lambs and what are you feeding them ??

 

[Richard Devon]

What weights are your lambs and what are you feeding them ??

they were 43+kg, singles running on grass

 

[Agrivator]

I don't think there is any evidence that weaned ewes hefted with milk are any more prone to mastitis than ewes which are still suckling. If a ewe loses a single lamb she would normally be just left unless you need to mother an orphan on.

In fact, one could argue that weaned ewes confined indoors might be more likely to pick up mastitis-causing bacteria than if they are turned back out to grass. And if the weaned ewes are turned back into the same field with ewes and un-weaned lambs, they aren't likely to come back to and lie round the dirty gateway.

 

[Skintagain]

Pull the lambs and leave them exactly where they are is what i did last year they bagged up like cows for a few days and then dried up and drafted them off at next draw of lambs. Less stress if they have plenty of grass to keep them occupied .

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Milking them out is counter productive surely? I understood that's it's the tightness in the udder that is at least partly responsible for them drying up .

 

[unlacedgecko]

Milking them out is counter productive surely? I understood that's it's the tightness in the udder that is at least partly responsible for them drying up .

Sounds like an awful lot of labour for f all.

If that was the only way to prevent individual ewes getting mastitis then they're certainly not ewes I would want to keep...

 

[polk_farmer]

Stripping the out will promote milk production.....and a hell of a lot of work. We normally keep them in a yard/shed for 24hrs without water (drying off ewes you can legally withold water for a day), but that's mainly to keep them away from the lambs, you won't have to worry about that if selling off mother. Then out on a bare field to live off fresh air for a week or so. Personally I'd rather them be out field than inside for too long for the bugs side of things.

 

[Richard Devon]

Ok, thank-you everyone who has responded, much appreciated.

 

[andybk]

I don't think there is any evidence that weaned ewes hefted with milk are any more prone to mastitis than ewes which are still suckling. If a ewe loses a single lamb she would normally be just left unless you need to mother an orphan on.

In fact, one could argue that weaned ewes confined indoors might be more likely to pick up mastitis-causing bacteria than if they are turned back out to grass. And if the weaned ewes are turned back into the same field with ewes and un-weaned lambs, they aren't likely to come back to and lie round the dirty gateway.

This ^^,
we usually wean at +- 120 days , many ewes are still milking well , often put them on some decent grass (needs eating off as we get it free if its looked after ) never had much issue with mastitis any more than a ewe that looses her lamb this time of year , most issues will come from being indoors , bad feet , and dirty gateways , possibly flies later in year