Optimise your lambing routine

[Ellie@Rumenco]

With rising feed costs this season and a challenging economic environment, profitability is more important than ever. Lamb mortality has a massive impact on the season’s performance.

As 10-25% of lamb deaths occur within the first 48 hours of life, attention after birth is vital and improving lambing routines can reduce mortality to 5%.

When lambing indoors, build-up of bacterial infection in pens is a major challenge for lambs and a source of disease. Starting with clean dry pens followed by regular removal of bedding followed by cleaning with the use of an effective disinfectant is an important routine to help reduce this threat.

Arranging pens so that each ewe has at least three-square meters of space is another straightforward way to help reduce lamb mortality. This provides the ewe with enough space to avoid smothering and encourages good mothering that assists lamb survival in the first few days.

The importance of colostrum cannot be understated and a lamb needs a sufficient amount of good quality colostrum soon after birth. Time is of the essence so it’s highly recommended to have a quality colostrum supplement readily available to ensure all lambs get a sufficient feed. A product such as Nettex Ultra Concentrate is convenient and easy to use. Formulated with full fat UK sourced colostrum, ewe’s milk and egg protein, it has a high colostral fat content and provides an extra energy boost just when the lamb needs it most.

One simple but crucial part of the lambing routine is naval dipping, especially if lambing indoors. Straight after birth the naval is potential route of infection which can be protected by fully immersing the navel in a 10% iodine solution. Ideally this should be done in the first 15 minutes of life and it’s also worth dipping the naval again two to three hours later just to make sure.

There are many elements to a successful lambing routine but good hygiene, ensuring adequate high-quality colostrum and navel dipping can have a significant impact on lamb mortality and consequently a positive effect on profitability.

To find out more about Nettex products or to find a local stockist please visit: www.net-tex.co.uk

 

[Al R]

Powdered colostrum is often useless. Cows colostrum is far more effective, ideally ewes colostrum but on big numbers it takes to long to strip ewes so cow colostrum is easier.

What do you advice for bedding? Straw or sawdust? Any articles giving pros and cons of each or which is best?

 

[spin cycle]

Powdered colostrum is often useless. Cows colostrum is far more effective, ideally ewes colostrum but on big numbers it takes to long to strip ewes so cow colostrum is easier.

What do you advice for bedding? Straw or sawdust? Any articles giving pros and cons of each or which is best?

how interesting....i've been using powdered colostrum......but i could get hold of cows colostrum and freeze it.....would that be better?

 

[hubbahubba]

Interested in how cow colostrum compares too. The best powder stuff is rather expensive?

Do you keep 500ml bottles of cow colostrum frozen and defrost in hot water or can you microwave it unlike powder stuff?

 

[Al R]

how interesting....i've been using powdered colostrum......but i could get hold of cows colostrum and freeze it.....would that be better?

@hubbahubba weve used cows colostrum 35+ years. Mix it from a few cows though as some can be anemic. Also try and get it from a non TB and Johnes free herd if possible to minimise risks. We freeze in 500ml, 1 litre and more commonly 2litre and the odd 4litre old milk cartons. Depends how many lambs are going to be born to which we get out. Leave it out the day before use to defrost, put the carton in a bucket of hot water so it warms to around body temperature, add to flasks and can then tube anything which needs it. Flasks live in the quads for the outdoor lambers, often tubing them first thing will remove the chill and give you a few hours before you can get back there with a trailer, often after the first tubing their away anyway unless it’s storm weather. If not warmed and let to naturally defrost in the shed in March it’ll usually keep a few days.

 

[hubbahubba]

@hubbahubba weve used cows colostrum 35+ years. Mix it from a few cows though as some can be anemic. Also try and get it from a non TB and Johnes free herd if possible to minimise risks. We freeze in 500ml, 1 litre and more commonly 2litre and the odd 4litre old milk cartons. Depends how many lambs are going to be born to which we get out. Leave it out the day before use to defrost, put the carton in a bucket of hot water so it warms to around body temperature, add to flasks and can then tube anything which needs it. Flasks live in the quads for the outdoor lambers, often tubing them first thing will remove the chill and give you a few hours before you can get back there with a trailer, often after the first tubing their away anyway unless it’s storm weather. If not warmed and let to naturally defrost in the shed in March it’ll usually keep a few days.

Sounds a great idea. How long does it last in the flask?

 

[Al R]

Sounds a great idea. How long does it last in the flask?

We use it that day, as it’s kept warm it starts to curdle after 6 hours so needs a shake. We use it off on newborn triplets last thing if nothing outside needs it on the last check. Don’t give it to dogs, or cats.

 

[Highcountryshepherd]

Regarding cleaning pens regularly , I personally think that it causes more problems as as much straw bedding you put in a flesh clean pen they always seem damp and cold, causing lambs to chill . Deep litter making a bed that drains is what we prefer , sprinkling stalisan or similar between layers and fresh straw

 

[yellowbelly]

No dairy herds on our vicinity so we use powdered. We could do with an update of this comparison.....

........@bovine was a good bloke for stuff like that when he was on here. We really miss him for input of this kind

 

[Nithsdale]

We have always used powdered colostrum. Disagree that it's useless - but, not all powdered colostrum is the same and I wouldn't use just any

 

[neilo]

We use it that day, as it’s kept warm it starts to curdle after 6 hours so needs a shake. We use it off on newborn triplets last thing if nothing outside needs it on the last check. Don’t give it to dogs, or cats.

Why not give it to dogs & cats?
We used to keep all the colostrum from the dairy cows (as had abs in) and it was fed to rearing calves. The cats & dogs always had a belly full in their own tub too, morning and night. It would have been a job to refuse them, with 20 odd farm cats sat waiting expectantly....

Never used to give it to lambs though, although we did supply it to other sheep farmers. I’ve always been happy to use powdered colostrum (which has always worked well), rather than pee about warming or thawing cow’s stuff. Use very little anyway, certainly not enough to carry it on the quad ready.

 

[henric irbladh]

Interested in how cow colostrum compares too. The best powder stuff is rather expensive?

Do you keep 500ml bottles of cow colostrum frozen and defrost in hot water or can you microwave it unlike powder stuff?

I freeze some cow colostrum in plastic bags made for freezing ice cubes. Quite handy when you don`t need large volumes

 

[Highcountryshepherd]

Why not give it to dogs & cats?
We used to keep all the colostrum from the dairy cows (as had abs in) and it was fed to rearing calves. The cats & dogs always had a belly full in their own tub too, morning and night. It would have been a job to refuse them, with 20 odd farm cats sat waiting expectantly....

Never used to give it to lambs though, although we did supply it to other sheep farmers. I’ve always been happy to use powdered colostrum (which has always worked well), rather than pee about warming or thawing cow’s stuff. Use very little anyway, certainly not enough to carry it on the quad ready.

Was that a early type of diversivycation neilo fattening cats for the local Chinese on waste milk

 

[Al R]

Why not give it to dogs & cats?
We used to keep all the colostrum from the dairy cows (as had abs in) and it was fed to rearing calves. The cats & dogs always had a belly full in their own tub too, morning and night. It would have been a job to refuse them, with 20 odd farm cats sat waiting expectantly....

Never used to give it to lambs though, although we did supply it to other sheep farmers. I’ve always been happy to use powdered colostrum (which has always worked well), rather than pee about warming or thawing cow’s stuff. Use very little anyway, certainly not enough to carry it on the quad ready.

I found it was too strong for them and they’d $hit through the eye of a needle at 10 paces! We carry it more for peace of mind, some days the flasks won’t get used outdoors, other days in bad weather it’s a life saver, 100ml to a cold wet newborn lamb is better than a dead lamb and having to cart it in

 

[neilo]

I found it was too strong for them and they’d $hit through the eye of a needle at 10 paces!

Ah, could be. Always found calves would do that too, so anything that was really thick and strong was diluted with a bit of warm water first. The cats would have had the benefit of the same.

 

[hally]

how interesting....i've been using powdered colostrum......but i could get hold of cows colostrum and freeze it.....would that be better?

Without a doubt and it’s free, plentyfull supply around here so always have a tub thawed and if you don’t need it just bin it.

 

[Guiggs]

Powdered colostrum is often useless. Cows colostrum is far more effective, ideally ewes colostrum but on big numbers it takes to long to strip ewes so cow colostrum is easier.

What do you advice for bedding? Straw or sawdust? Any articles giving pros and cons of each or which is best?

I get on really well with powdered, the only problem I have with it is the price, it went up something stupid like 50% last year, unjustifiable? @Ellie@Rumenco
I guess if it's saving lambs it pays for itself but it still hurts.
Always told never to use cows colostrum, I'm certain bovine said it on here many times himself....
Where is he anyway?

 

[yellowbelly]

I'm certain bovine said it on here many times himself....
Where is he anyway?

Sadly, he doesn't post anymore. Maybe he got fed up with us giving him grief about vet's charges

He was a valuable source of good information and although there are other vets on here they don't post with the regularity that he did.

 

[Guiggs]

Sadly, he doesn't post anymore. Maybe he got fed up with us giving him grief about vet's charges

He was a valuable source of good information and although there are other vets on here they don't post with the regularity that he did.

Hmmm can't say I'm surprised, where as I may think vet charges are maybe too expensive I realise you have to pay for their expertise/ training (although i have serious issues with their ascending price policy for small animals) if I was him, listening to a bunch of farmers telling me I don't know my job as well as them would soon get on my tits, shame,I Always found his knowledge a d willingness to share it very useful.. strikes me we've lost a few good members from TFF

 

[neilo]

Sadly, he doesn't post anymore. Maybe he got fed up with us giving him grief about vet's charges

He was a valuable source of good information and although there are other vets on here they don't post with the regularity that he did.

I seem to remember one of the last subjects he posted on was a discussion on vet medicine prices, and why they should be available through a certain online marketplace at discounted rates. He withdrew his free advise soon after, understandably but regrettably.