Outdoor lambing advice/tips

[IEM]

Been outdoor lambing for 5 years now since I’ve had my own flock but still tweaking the system. Have some questions sloshing round my brain and thought I’d see if any pearls of wisdom came out of TFF...
1. Group size: what do people think is the optimum/maximum number of ewes sensible to have in one group? Currently running all singles together and all twins/triplets together, 110 singles and 205 twins/trips. Now we are halfway through lambing it feels like the twin group is too big and leading to increased mismothering.
2. Separating off ewes with lambs. Previously used drift lambing which works pretty well for separating off ewes post lambing but effectively doubles stocking density and is a fair bit of work. Have not bothered this year and seeing less mismothering, calmer ewes, calmer shepherd (me), BUT would be nice to separate ewes and lambs and start them on rotational grazing. What methods do people use other than drift lambing?

 

[GTB]

Been lambing 400 twins in one lot on 170 acres this year. Seen quite a bit of mismothering issues but the farm doesn't lend itself to splitting into smaller lots because of lack of shelter in some fields etc. Ideally would like them in lots of fifty or so but it's not practical plus I'd spend half the day opening and closing gates.

I reckon you can lamb as many singles as you like in one lot without bother.

I think one way around the mismothering would be to lamb twins and singles together rather than have all the twins in the same place. They could be managed separately up to lambing though.

 

[Stewartry hill]

Not helping but having lots more mismothering this year and a lot of abandoned lambs weather and poorer ewe condition seems to be the problem

 

[AvonValleyFarmer]

Definitely not a year to be making and rash decisions about lambing systems this year.

I lamb multiples in bunches of approximately 70 in a 14 acre paddock, move lambed ones through a gate as and when they stand nearby.

All singles left in a field with nothing much to eat (buggers still throw big lambs though) and again drafted off as they have lambed.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Disturb ewes as little as possible.

Use teasers to tighten tupping to 3 weeks. Use raddles changed weekly. At scanning draft ewes into singles and twins and manage accordingly, but record raddle colours.

Prior to lambing draft singles and twins into mixed mobs based on weekly raddle colour. Then set stock each mob for 1 week before due date. Move into rotational grazing that mob 10 days after due date. Any late ewes just join the next set stocked lambing mob.

As each mob finishes lambing they can join rotational grazing system.

The above is just theory but makes sense to me. It's effectively a batch system.

 

[Joe]

Twins are in two bunches here off about 200 in each and drifted off to field beside and then again beside that, triplets are lambed beside shed in one batch. Singles are lambed in one field and as aren't feed left alone to lamb and once enough have lambed open gates into grass beside them. You would think the singles would be easiest managed but I found the twins were this year and tbh most years. Had a lot of mis mothering in the single group this year not sure if field choice or specially the ewes within that bunch but once last few lamb will be reviewing it....

 

[sean m]

Been outdoor lambing for 5 years now since I’ve had my own flock but still tweaking the system. Have some questions sloshing round my brain and thought I’d see if any pearls of wisdom came out of TFF...
1. Group size: what do people think is the optimum/maximum number of ewes sensible to have in one group? Currently running all singles together and all twins/triplets together, 110 singles and 205 twins/trips. Now we are halfway through lambing it feels like the twin group is too big and leading to increased mismothering.
2. Separating off ewes with lambs. Previously used drift lambing which works pretty well for separating off ewes post lambing but effectively doubles stocking density and is a fair bit of work. Have not bothered this year and seeing less mismothering, calmer ewes, calmer shepherd (me), BUT would be nice to separate ewes and lambs and start them on rotational grazing. What methods do people use other than drift lambing?

lambed 650 outside this year,had more mismothering than i've ever had ewes roaming trying to find a dry spot,in the end just shut all the gates i could and left them alone,shepherded on foot with binoculars,next year tease them mixed singles and doubles 150ish per mob

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Normally I set stock through lambing in groups of up to 50 according to field size. Singles in 1 big mob.
This year due to the weather, mud and lack of grass I drifted the doubles to enable me to feed those that had lambed after moving on the rest. I've had more mis mothering, not loads but more than I consider acceptable. I think this could have been minimised if I had drifted every day or perhaps every 2 days. In practice I was doing it every 3-5 days.
How often do those who regularly drift lamb move on?

 

[Joe]

Normally I set stock through lambing in groups of up to 50 according to field size. Singles in 1 big mob.
This year due to the weather, mud and lack of grass I drifted the doubles to enable me to feed those that had lambed after moving on the rest. I've had more mis mothering, not loads but more than I consider acceptable. I think this could have been minimised if I had drifted every day or perhaps every 2 days. In practice I was doing it every 3-5 days.
How often do those who regularly drift lamb move on?

Daily here normally once lambs are a day old

 

[Jameshenry]

An old moor farmer told me once that when you start lambing you want to drive out the field shut the gate and go on holiday for a month !!
Sometimes i think he had the right idea!

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Daily here normally once lambs are a day old

Moving unlambed ewes?

 

[spark_28]

if you feed them, feed them at the same time everyday for about two weeks before lambing. i can walk right through them in the morning without them budging, come 4 a clock their a nightmare. but i try and do them as early as possible before its dark to avoid mis mothering

 

[Joe]

Moving unlambed ewes?

No just lambed ewes, the fields beside the lambing field would have been rested over winter and got urea

 

[Sheep92]

Our 250 outdoor lambers were set stocked around 6 per acre for twins and checked once a day and the singles were lambed on the sacrifice field where they were outwintered with access to buckets then moved in dribs,and drabs to grass fields

 

[Tim W]

I think the way in which you run a mob of lambing ewes is more down to grass/topography/ shelter than mob size?

Running 300 ewes (mixed trips/twins/singles) in one mob with lots of rushes to hide behind and hide away in will produce much better results than having 100 similar ewes in a flat square field (same stocking rate etc)

You have to adapt your system to the farm but the general principles must be
1) give them as much room as possible
2) make ''nesting'' sites available if poss.
3) have grass in front of them so they don't have to wander off from lambs
4) leave them alone

 

[Hilly]

I think the way in which you run a mob of lambing ewes is more down to grass/topography/ shelter than mob size?

Running 300 ewes (mixed trips/twins/singles) in one mob with lots of rushes to hide behind and hide away in will produce much better results than having 100 similar ewes in a flat square field (same stocking rate etc)

You have to adapt your system to the farm but the general principles must be
1) give them as much room as possible
2) make ''nesting'' sites available if poss.
3) have grass in front of them so they don't have to wander off from lambs
4) leave them alone

Whats a nesting site ?

 

[Tim W]

Whats a nesting site ?

My terminology for somewhere nice to lamb (behind rushes/in a dip in the ground etc)
They just like somewhere to hide away in to give birth?

You may of course be eligible for more HLS payments if you use more terminology like this

 

[Hilly]

My terminology for somewhere nice to lamb (behind rushes/in a dip in the ground etc)
They just like somewhere to hide away in to give birth?

You may of course be eligible for more HLS payments if you use more terminology like this

Oic, good.

 

[Hilly]

An old moor farmer told me once that when you start lambing you want to drive out the field shut the gate and go on holiday for a month !!
Sometimes i think he had the right idea!

I think that happens tother side o world.

 

[jemski]

My terminology for somewhere nice to lamb (behind rushes/in a dip in the ground etc)
They just like somewhere to hide away in to give birth?

You may of course be eligible for more HLS payments if you use more terminology like this

I'm lambing mine on an old golf course and top lambing spots are the bunkers. They absolutely love them.