I have a bunch of broken mouth welsh ewes that you would be better if you never looked at, but obviously I do but for the first 2 weeks only once a day until the grass starts to grow and the lambs get to big.
Outdoor lambing
- Thread starter JohnAC
- Start date
- Location
- South Lanarkshire
Old shepherd told me years ago. Many a blackface lamb alive coz it knew the shelter a hint a thresh bush
- Location
- Yorkshire
Probably quite easy if they're used to the light just blind them with it so they can't see you, it's when you've lambed it the problem starts you get lamb out put it on front of ewe she takes offence of been messed about with and pisses off into the night leaving you with a lamb to faff with. Best bit is if you'd never seen it, in morning it would be up and have sucked and bonded
Lots of variable, but I'd lamb the singles in the rushy fields with the crystalyx buckets, no cake. If the grass runs short silage as well. Save the clean fields for turning out ewes with multiple lambs, and with twins you can still feed them cake in the shed without them chasing you around a field and getting the lambs in a mix up
Personally don't like lambing twins in rushy fields as I found while the ewe drops the second lamb, the first sometimes wanders off and gets lost amongst the rush. Not often but sometimes. Not a fan of checking the ewes when it's dark either.
Personally don't like lambing twins in rushy fields as I found while the ewe drops the second lamb, the first sometimes wanders off and gets lost amongst the rush. Not often but sometimes. Not a fan of checking the ewes when it's dark either.
Lambing to easycare and meatlinc starting to lamb end of February so was goin to pull out the ones that’s not lambing in the first 2 cycles so end of march for outdoor lambing.Don't be nervous. I'd be the same if it was the other way around. I've only lambed indoors for a couple of seasons and I think that the thought of going back to that would be enough for me to stop lambing ewes altogether. You've got the right breed of ewes for outside lambing so that's a big
positive. What ram are they in-lamb to and what date are you due to lamb outdoors?
Sheep of most breeds cope with outdoor lambing marvellously. I think the biggest difficulty is with altering and training the mindset of the farmer, especially if he/she have been familiar with indoors lambing. You won't be able to adopt the same hygiene practices outdoors that you would indoors, yet the irony is mother and baby seem to be just as healthy (if not healthier).
As has been mentioned, disturbance is something to be mindful of and sticking to the same routine in the lead up to lambing is really important e.g. if your ewes don't see a quad bike for 11 months of the year, I'd suggest you stick to walking around them or familiarise them in plenty of time to the engine noise. On a personal note, I have a problem with a handful in the flock who get flighty when I shine my head torch light on them as part of my nightly checks. It's only 4 ewes but the unsettling it causes to the others as a result, is something I want to avoid.
On the subject of feeding, I find that buckets of Supalyx High Energy & Protein (green) or Downland Optilyx (red) do a great job. Don't be afraid to give them some cake if they need it, but buckets are less disruptive.
Foxes/magpies/crows and Newcastle United supporters will as ever, be your enemies and you have to resign to the fact that some losses will be incurred this way.
Do you have handling facilities or tracks in the fields that would lead to an area where they could be penned if needed? I'd prioritise these fields for lambing in case they're needed for A&E. As for fields with reeds, it's all contextual, as if lambs were born with us in the field we have reeds in, they'd be needing armbands and snorkels. But a good hedge is invaluable.
Good luck with it, you'll be absolutely fine. Let us know how you get on
You'll be fine
Aspiring Peasants
Member
- Location
- North Pennines
The only thing I would add to what has already been said, is if you can split them them into smaller groups you will have less problems feeding the ewes after lambing. (I know this depends on numbers) and before. Also if you change the rudd colour weekly then at lambing you have an idea when who is due when and can have them in the best lambing fields. I think lambing twins outside is the easiest as you are not concerned about fostering on or lifting lambs or lambs getting to big in those carrying singles. Finally get some lamb macs they are very effective in bad weather.
We've been lambing Scotch Blackface outdoors in fields for 20 years & have few problems, to be honest the very worst thing you can do is feed nuts or anything that causes the sheep to take any notice of you, the moment you open the gate they will all come running & that will cause you no end of problems, singles are often more trouble than doubles if the ewes are carrying much condition as the lambs get too big where as smaller doubles will usually pop out. Often it's far better to stay away & just let them get on with it in peace.
- Location
- South shropshire
With outdoor lambing the “less is more” thing really applies. Check in morning and late pm, most lambs born in a peak rush and bit more checking then. Trips and quads are the problem…..
in general the less disturbance the less bother. Feeding anything other than grass will lead to problems, wouldn’t entertain it.
in general the less disturbance the less bother. Feeding anything other than grass will lead to problems, wouldn’t entertain it.
- Location
- North Yorkshire
Couldn't you put a red filter on the torch?
I takes a better shepherd to lamb sheep outside (no matter what some people think), if you've got nutrition wrong in the run up there's not a lot you can do about.
Terrible idea....can you imagine the grief I'd get for flashing a red light in the early hours of the morning in a field full of sheep in West Wales? The sheep sha**ing jokers would be unbearable
(But I will check with LED Lenser, thank you
)
- Location
- north Wales
Lambed outside for 25 years day and night,they get used to the quad, best way to catch a ewe in trouble lambing at night is drive by slowly shining a light at her then jump off and hopefully catch her.
But sometimes you also end up Dragging them out of a ditch in the bottom corner of the field especially shearlings lambing first time
Better than getting up in the morning to sort out a lot of problems together and more losses though
- Location
- North Yorkshire
Now that never even crossed my mind till you said itTerrible idea....can you imagine the grief I'd get for flashing a red light in the early hours of the morning in a field full of sheep in West Wales? The sheep sha**ing jokers would be unbearable
(But I will check with LED Lenser, thank you
It is the best time of year to try it a box of quality street and an elastic band all you need is a strawberry cream and you have a red light
Kernowkid
Member
Interesting thread.
I’m planning to lamb my earlies (mid Feb) out this year.
Thinking doubles out at 5 to the acre, singles, triples and skinny’s in the shed.
My main concern is days are short then and nights are long! Have heaps of grass saved for them so won’t be feeding cake but slightly concerned about the wildlife and potential weather as coastal so get rough when a low pressure system hits
I’m planning to lamb my earlies (mid Feb) out this year.
Thinking doubles out at 5 to the acre, singles, triples and skinny’s in the shed.
My main concern is days are short then and nights are long! Have heaps of grass saved for them so won’t be feeding cake but slightly concerned about the wildlife and potential weather as coastal so get rough when a low pressure system hits
- Location
- Carmarthenshire, West Wales
I have read farming connect (I think) booklets about drift lambing, and I remember it said one person can look after 400 ewes outside using drift lambing.
Skintagain
Member
- Location
- Perched on the Pennines
One person can do a thousand outside if the weather is right and the sheep are right. It if not ……..
- Location
- Cheshire
A couple of my friends who lamb BIG numbers outside think it’s great. Until they get snow or extreme rain in early April. I’ve seen the bags of dead lambs afterwards, 1 of them has spent a lot this last few years putting massive sheep sheds up. He reckons he’s not getting younger and he can’t take the stress of picking up piles of dead lambs out of the snow when it does come.
Can’t say I blame him. He’s on a good farm but the weather can be terrible right into May on a bad year.
Trouble is shed's make soft lambs, when you do get that bad weather on 3 day old lambs that have lambed inside you loose a load of them, where as outside born lambs are much stronger and fitter.A couple of my friends who lamb BIG numbers outside think it’s great. Until they get snow or extreme rain in early April. I’ve seen the bags of dead lambs afterwards, 1 of them has spent a lot this last few years putting massive sheep sheds up. He reckons he’s not getting younger and he can’t take the stress of picking up piles of dead lambs out of the snow when it does come.
I lamb 500 inside on my own, but that all I do for 3 weeks. Where as lambing 450 outside I can be getting on with other jobs as well.