Joe
Member
- Location
- Carlow Ireland
Outdoor lambing advice/tips
- Thread starter IEM
- Start date
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Wont be se good come shearing time.
- Location
- East Sussex
Having always lambed outside, I would make a few observations that make life easier.
We are lambing in batches of 1,000 to 1,700 at a time.
First of all you need sheep that have always lambed on their own.
Single bearing ewes need to be kept on a tight feeding regime to prevent lambs getting too big. Not always easy and we had problems this year with very big Texel lambs getting stuck as the ewes ended up on swedes and turnips!!
The pure Romney lambs and Charolais seem to lamb on their own and probably catch less than one in a hundred.
Numbers of singles in a group is irrelevant, but we tend to move the unlambed ewes every 12 or 24 hours away from those that have lambed. If the lambed sheep are much older than that they tend to run out.
Do NOT disturb ewes after 7.30 in the evening. Don't go near them until it is light.
Twins and triplets we will run in mobs of 800 plus, but again we would normally move the unlambed ewes every 24 hours. Normally the thieves are the same ewes that are persistently trying to steal and if they aren't going to lamb imminently then it is worth loading them up and putting them in another field, they are usually easy to catch!!
Don't have too many people involved with the lambing sheep, lambing singles is a part time job but twins take up a little more time, especially this year when the weather causes problems. Interestingly the weather has caused few hypothermia issues because of the lack of wind, it has just been the bloody rain and mud that has caused the problems and lambs drowning in the middle of the fields!
We are lambing in batches of 1,000 to 1,700 at a time.
First of all you need sheep that have always lambed on their own.
Single bearing ewes need to be kept on a tight feeding regime to prevent lambs getting too big. Not always easy and we had problems this year with very big Texel lambs getting stuck as the ewes ended up on swedes and turnips!!
The pure Romney lambs and Charolais seem to lamb on their own and probably catch less than one in a hundred.
Numbers of singles in a group is irrelevant, but we tend to move the unlambed ewes every 12 or 24 hours away from those that have lambed. If the lambed sheep are much older than that they tend to run out.
Do NOT disturb ewes after 7.30 in the evening. Don't go near them until it is light.
Twins and triplets we will run in mobs of 800 plus, but again we would normally move the unlambed ewes every 24 hours. Normally the thieves are the same ewes that are persistently trying to steal and if they aren't going to lamb imminently then it is worth loading them up and putting them in another field, they are usually easy to catch!!
Don't have too many people involved with the lambing sheep, lambing singles is a part time job but twins take up a little more time, especially this year when the weather causes problems. Interestingly the weather has caused few hypothermia issues because of the lack of wind, it has just been the bloody rain and mud that has caused the problems and lambs drowning in the middle of the fields!
My ewelambs have a few lakes on their bit of the golf course and they like to lamb next to the lakes... I guess they feel protected on the water side. So far no disasters....
Just watch them. I have one field with a stream running along the bottom. Its very dry underfoot and sheltered and has a track running right through the middle if it. Ideal for lambing in i thought. First 3 sets of twins only one live lamb all the others ended up falling in the stream and drowning
They were only there 6 hours havent lambed there since
Just watch them. I have one field with a stream running along the bottom. Its very dry underfoot and sheltered and has a track running right through the middle if it. Ideal for lambing in i thought. First 3 sets of twins only one live lamb all the others ended up falling in the stream and drowning
They were only there 6 hours havent lambed there since
Yes I did watch one watch her lamb roll down the bank towards the lake non plussed and then she buggered off when I saved it. She came inside.
I’m moving them today as have drifted the ewes and their lambs onto a new paddock.
spark_28
Member
- Location
- Western isles
my sheep have lambed really strange this year too, nearly every year theyd lamb at the back of my croft, fairly decent shelter but always a favourite site, this year theres been an awful lot of crow and raven activtiy there, not one sheep has lambed there, maybe just a co incidence but with such a small flock its something you notice.
probably just lambing closer to the hay bale so they can get back to it quicker!
probably just lambing closer to the hay bale so they can get back to it quicker!