Positive outdoor lambing and use of bolus feedback

[Chasingmytail]

Well I took your advice after 2 yrs of poor lambs. Even after vet took bloods nothing showed so we bit the bullet and used the Trace-smart bolus 6 weeks before going to the tup. We are grassfed and use rotation. Understocked about 120 ewes. low Hill farmed.

Easycare breed and lamb outdoors like shelling peas. Separated the twins from the singles so they had rolls.
Small lambs but that's a bonus for easy lambing.

Strong lambs born from beginning of the month not many loses at all. Prob one drowned in the wet pasture. One cracking big lamb died.

Now sun is out! My point is that there is def a significant improvement in the strength of the lambs and milk in the ewes. All Ive got to do now is keep them good before they dive downhill. Next step is to use the micro bolus or drench. I see the bolus for 5 week lambs only lasts for 25 days which is a bit of a shock. The next bolus is for 25kg lambs and that is going to be some time with this breed. If I use the Next-Tex (assume only one available) then that would mean bringing them in every month - not ideal.

Ive got 2 pet lambs I'm using 50/50 lambs milk and raw jersey milk so a cost saving there. Plan to jab these two with a Heptovac as find pet lambs very susceptible to aliments. I think I can pinch enough from neighbour to cover 2.

Makes a change for me not moaning. Just got to keep the level of health good now. Next bolus cows....

 

[polk_farmer]

Mayo health care do a lamb bolus that costs 20odd pence a lamb and that lasts for 2 months. Could be an option

 

[GTB]

If it's just cobalt you need you can inject smartshot at £1 per ml. Iirc half an ml will provide 2/3 months cover and one ml will last about six months. Going to try it here this year.

 

[Shadow]

If it's just cobalt you need you can inject smartshot at £1 per ml. Iirc half an ml will provide 2/3 months cover and one ml will last about six months. Going to try it here this year.

We are trying it this year too. I think the blurb says half ml for 4-6 months cover and 1ml for 12 months but your timescales are probably more lile it! We will be giving a half ml and seeing how long it lasts. Replacement ewe lambs get a bolus in September anyway.

 

[neilo]

Mayo health care do a lamb bolus that costs 20odd pence a lamb and that lasts for 2 months. Could be an option

The Mayo one is almost identical to the Nettex one (which they also make IIRC). Like the Nettex one, it lasts 4-6 weeks, then you ‘should’ get some carry over so they don’t need re-bolusing until 8 weeks, maybe....

It all depends on what issues you have to rectify on your farm, if any, of course.

 

[foobar]

Do free-access minerals work, as an alternative to bolusing? (assuming one has an appropriate feeder that will keep it dry)

 

[Chasingmytail]

Do free-access minerals work, as an alternative to bolusing? (assuming one has an appropriate feeder that will keep it dry)

No they had the lick blocks and various other minerals but didn't do the trick. That's why we had bloods etc that always came back normal however the land is low in copper, selenium, zinc, colbalt, boron. Which ever on low stocking has obv been affecting the stock.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Just checking any of these bolus suitable for 6 week old lambs? Cant see on Mayo what weight/size

 

[GTB]

We are trying it this year too. I think the blurb says half ml for 4-6 months cover and 1ml for 12 months but your timescales are probably more lile it! We will be giving a half ml and seeing how long it lasts. Replacement ewe lambs get a bolus in September anyway.

You may be right about length of cover. I ordered enough to do all crossbred lambs with half ml and all easycares with one ml. I think the way lambing has gone I might have enough to give them all 1ml.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Cosecure do from 6 weeks (10 weeks in smaller lambs) for up to 6 months so that would suit us better. Not sure what equates to what is a small lamb though without weights?

 

[Henarar]

We do the ewes with Animax every 6 months now and they should last that long unlike agrimin
http://animax-vet.com/products/gb/sheep-products/
If the ewes have been bolused then young lambs should get what they need from the milk ?

we use Animax for the cattle as well