Pregnant ewe lambs, condition score 4

[PhilipB]

This is my first time lambing ewe lambs. They've been on grass and hay.

I've just penned them up to see how they're getting on and they're generally fat. I'd guess average of four ("edge of short ribs feels like the edge of a palm ")

They've six weeks to go. Should I aim to slim them down, or would reducing nutrition now be bad?

 

[neilo]

This is my first time lambing ewe lambs. They've been on grass and hay.

I've just penned them up to see how they're getting on and they're generally fat. I'd guess average of four ("edge of short ribs feels like the edge of a palm ")

They've six weeks to go. Should I aim to slim them down, or would reducing nutrition now be bad?

It would be better to slim them down now, than to get them to lambing in that condition imo.

Can you restrict their grass intakes with electric fencing? If you can do that then the lambs inside should pull them down a bit in the last month.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

It would be better to slim them down now, than to get them to lambing in that condition imo.

Can you restrict their grass intakes with electric fencing? If you can do that then the lambs inside should pull them down a bit in the last month.

But BE BLOODY CAREFUL!

Better being a bit over fit than causing metabolism based problems while trying too render them a bit!

I’ve always found as long as you aren’t throwing kilos of corn at them every day for weeks before lambing the lambs do pull it off them a bit naturally.

 

[andybk]

give plenty of time to lamb , dont go rushing in , as above be careful restricting feed pre lambing , just feed a small maintenance ration of conc in last fortnight , maybe even a crystalix block as part feed , just to ward off any TLD if cutting concentrate

 

[scottish-lleyn]

Just give them somthing to keep them ticking just now unless on decent grass then give them nothing if thats the case and chuck a few lifeline blocks or similar for the last 2/3 weeks or thats what i would do. Sadly i dont have that problem im struggling to keep condition on mine this year.

 

[PhilipB]

Thanks for the advice.

I'll put then on poor pasture and stalky hay and see how they go.

 

[CopperBeech]

Just give them somthing to keep them ticking just now unless on decent grass then give them nothing if thats the case and chuck a few lifeline blocks or similar for the last 2/3 weeks or thats what i would do. Sadly i dont have that problem im struggling to keep condition on mine this year.

If they are condition 4 etc.I wouldn't bother with life line or any blocks at all for last 3 weeks.

 

[HarryB97]

All of mine are fat after this mild winter despite having nothing but grass like normal. Lambing will go one of two ways....

 

[Devil's advocate]

I've only ever had one case of twin lamb disease in hoggs & she recovered well with treatment.

I've lost a few to prolapses & had some pretty scary lambing.

But I would always give them at least a block.

 

[neilo]

If they are condition 4 etc.I wouldn't bother with life line or any blocks at all for last 3 weeks.

Mine aren’t CS4 and they certainly won’t be seeing any blocks/concentrates in the last few weeks, just grass, getting tighter (to the point of bare) as they approach lambing.
Fat ewe lambs just make for lambing trouble and prolapses ime.

 

[Ballamor]

Had a terrible year here with over conditioned ewe. In fairness they were pig fat so my management was way off. They were housed in December and due to lamb in mid feb. Lost 4 trip bearing ewes due putting their guts out. They were on ad lib silage and 1.1kg of an 18% nut split into two feeds. I swapped the silage for hay after the third one died and they slowed down a lot eating.
always fed silage years previously. I think I’ll just try take the condition off they a month after tipping.
find it hard not to let sheep get too fat after weaning.

 

[neilo]

Had a terrible year here with over conditioned ewe. In fairness they were pig fat so my management was way off. They were housed in December and due to lamb in mid feb. Lost 4 trip bearing ewes due putting their guts out. They were on ad lib silage and 1.1kg of an 18% nut split into two feeds. I swapped the silage for hay after the third one died and they slowed down a lot eating.
always fed silage years previously. I think I’ll just try take the condition off they a month after tipping.
find it hard not to let sheep get too fat after weaning.

The silage was obviously very good stuff, so you could have just fed less concentrate if they were getting overfat on the ration?

 

[PhilipB]

 

[primmiemoo]

Phew! Hope the next 99 are like that for you.

 

[Agrivator]

Those carrying singles must be restricted. But those carrying twins need extra feeding to ensure that they are fit enough at lambing to have two strong lambs and enough milk to suckle them.

If a hogg in lean condition has two lambs, and one perishes, the other is unlikely to come to much even as a single.

 

[PhilipB]

Those carrying singles must be restricted. But those carrying twins need extra feeding to ensure that they are fit enough at lambing to have two strong lambs and enough milk to suckle them.

If a hogg in lean condition has two lambs, and one perishes, the other is unlikely to come to much even as a single.

So I'm learning.

They came in at a condition score of three.

Decided to house for convenience, and separated twins for extra grub.

Change of diet has made them scour and lamb size is good, but milk inadequate for multiples.

I think I could have stuffed food into the twins a few weeks without oversized lambs.