Sheep Looking Rubbish.

[Cab-over Pete]

Aye-up,

Our sheep look shocking. We’ve lambed most of them, some at Christmas and some just now. The early lambers are out but we will keep the present lambers in.

Those out have grass, fodder beet, hay and concentrate and the lambs have creep. They look sick to the back teeth, trudging about. The lambs rarely play, they’ve been plagued with coccidiosis (on top of that now) and we’ve never had so many runty looking lambs. Not just since they have been outside but as soon as they were born several were just poor doers from the start. Found one dead last week.

The present lambers aren’t much better. A couple of skinny things born but getting on, two ewes with very little milk, a different two off their food. One stinks with some kind of internal crappiness going on, although she definitely shed the afterbirth.
The shed is dank and smelly despite good ventilation. We have bought some beautiful hay that’s almost good enough to eat myself (!) but they hardly pick at it, whilst eating straw.

We do have a few cracking lambs about but they are exceptions, barely 25% of them look brilliant and I’ve a feeling they wouldn’t look that good any other year. 25% are poor and the rest look ok at best.

Is it just here or are yours similar?
I know sheep never look great in wet weather and I always think they look best when there’s bugger all grass in a drought, but it’s getting depressing now and I feel like I’m letting them down. I’m not the best stockman but I usually get it right for the most part.

There’s no worm problem, the ewes have had boluses pre lambing and a drench a couple of weeks ago and I don’t think I could really do much more.

Cheers, Pete.

 

[bobajob]

When did you last treat them for fluke?
Sounds like the ewes are short of milk, do they look thin?
There diet might be short of energy as well.
Just a stab in the dark without seeing them, could be worth getting the vet involved

 

[spin cycle]

just the weather m8......get em in if you can and keep straw going to get cosy

 

[puppet]

The internet suggests you have had 453mm since 1st January. It's bound to dry up soon.
No consolation for you but I separated our scanned sheep today and they are in good nick, with the lambs inside them for another 5 weeks. More grass here than for 10 years.
Huge change here today with a strong drying wind

 

[Bury the Trash]

Aye-up,

Our sheep look shocking. We’ve lambed most of them, some at Christmas and some just now. The early lambers are out but we will keep the present lambers in.

Those out have grass, fodder beet, hay and concentrate and the lambs have creep. They look sick to the back teeth, trudging about. The lambs rarely play, they’ve been plagued with coccidiosis (on top of that now) and we’ve never had so many runty looking lambs. Not just since they have been outside but as soon as they were born several were just poor doers from the start. Found one dead last week.

The present lambers aren’t much better. A couple of skinny things born but getting on, two ewes with very little milk, a different two off their food. One stinks with some kind of internal crappiness going on, although she definitely shed the afterbirth.
The shed is dank and smelly despite good ventilation. We have bought some beautiful hay that’s almost good enough to eat myself (!) but they hardly pick at it, whilst eating straw.

We do have a few cracking lambs about but they are exceptions, barely 25% of them look brilliant and I’ve a feeling they wouldn’t look that good any other year. 25% are poor and the rest look ok at best.

Is it just here or are yours similar?
I know sheep never look great in wet weather and I always think they look best when there’s bugger all grass in a drought, but it’s getting depressing now and I feel like I’m letting them down. I’m not the best stockman but I usually get it right for the most part.

There’s no worm problem, the ewes have had boluses pre lambing and a drench a couple of weeks ago and I don’t think I could really do much more.

Cheers, Pete.

Sheep like it, and do best when its dry.
Not like what it's been for the best part of 5 months .

All the early lambs I see out around are looking dirty even if they're moved regularly and i bet they're taking some feed to just keep going .
They will be fine tho, as long as they have a bellyfull of the right stuff.

Unlambed ewes outside arent too pleased with it either.

Hopefully Will be better in a week or 2 .

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I’ve spoken to the vet who says not to worry. Fluke is all up to date, sheep are mostly in good nick. We have three a bit lean but only one of those is short of milk, the others short of milk are in good shape but don’t seem bothered on food.

I have only just managed to get fodder beet because the supplier hasn’t been able to lift it until last week, so hopefully it might turn them around a corner. I’m sure they’ve missed it this time, I usually feed it as soon as they’ve lambed.

Forgot to say, the sun came out at around 4pm and the lambs did have a little skip .

It’s mostly the pedigrees that seem a bit ropey. The cross breeds look good for the most part.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

We are all looking sick getting p!ssed on continuously for the last 6 months

 

[Al R]

Do you always lamb this time of year and pre Christmas?
I find my January/February born lambs are never the best looking - usually just wet but this year their looking good with me. My first draw of lambs end of May is 90% March born lambs and a few jan/feb born lambs which havnt been retained for breeding. The only reason I lamb my terminal flock in January/February is so that the ram lambs can go straight to work in August/September without any maturity issues, otherwise it’s a lost cause. @neilo is even thinking of moving his charollais flock later for the same reasons as me I think?

Mine are looking so much better outside than in though!

have you thought about giving the ewes some cereals? My twin ewes with lambs at foot are now having 250g/day of oats and in 3 days the lambs are already looking fuller and full of bounce!

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Okay, I could try that. I used to do that the first year we kept sheep.

 

[dt995]

One stinks with some kind of internal crappiness going on, although she definitely shed the afterbirth.

We had this our first year. Had a feel around inside expecting to find a rotten lamb but nothing. She just stank like death for a week or so.

Edit: then she was fine, rather than dropping dead.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

She seems brighter this morning

 

[TrewithickFarm]

Aye-up,

Our sheep look shocking. We’ve lambed most of them, some at Christmas and some just now. The early lambers are out but we will keep the present lambers in.

Those out have grass, fodder beet, hay and concentrate and the lambs have creep. They look sick to the back teeth, trudging about. The lambs rarely play, they’ve been plagued with coccidiosis (on top of that now) and we’ve never had so many runty looking lambs. Not just since they have been outside but as soon as they were born several were just poor doers from the start. Found one dead last week.

The present lambers aren’t much better. A couple of skinny things born but getting on, two ewes with very little milk, a different two off their food. One stinks with some kind of internal crappiness going on, although she definitely shed the afterbirth.
The shed is dank and smelly despite good ventilation. We have bought some beautiful hay that’s almost good enough to eat myself (!) but they hardly pick at it, whilst eating straw.

We do have a few cracking lambs about but they are exceptions, barely 25% of them look brilliant and I’ve a feeling they wouldn’t look that good any other year. 25% are poor and the rest look ok at best.

Is it just here or are yours similar?
I know sheep never look great in wet weather and I always think they look best when there’s bugger all grass in a drought, but it’s getting depressing now and I feel like I’m letting them down. I’m not the best stockman but I usually get it right for the most part.

There’s no worm problem, the ewes have had boluses pre lambing and a drench a couple of weeks ago and I don’t think I could really do much more.

Cheers, Pete.

Your not alone Pete, Our lambs that were born in December have been out on Stubble turnips, Grass, Hay and adlib oats and i think i could count on one hand the amount of dry none windy days they have had. They look Cold, Wet, Muddy and fed up spending 90% of there time huddled under the hedges.

We still have the January lambs in the shed as just dont see the point in putting them out. I just keep telling myself that the weather has got to improve at some point.

Steve

 

[Grassman]

When I have had a flock of sheep looking poor it helped to split off all the problem sheep from good ones.
Sounds like you just have various different problems in some sheep making things look worse than they really are.
I do find with sheep ruthless culling is needed to keeping problems to a minimum.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Going from bad to worse now.....

I managed to get some fodder beet last week. We always feed it after lambing but nobody has been able to harvest any until recently. I think the ewes have missed it. They’ve been on it for 8 days.

Had a ewe with laminitis yesterday. A bit fat, I wasn’t surprised. Bit of Metacam and she’s better this morning. But now I’ve got two lean ewes off their feet, off their food and squirting green water.

Can’t seem to do right for wrong this year.

 

[Grassman]

Going from bad to worse now.....

I managed to get some fodder beet last week. We always feed it after lambing but nobody has been able to harvest any until recently. I think the ewes have missed it. They’ve been on it for 8 days.

Had a ewe with laminitis yesterday. A bit fat, I wasn’t surprised. Bit of Metacam and she’s better this morning. But now I’ve got two lean ewes off their feet, off their food and squirting green water.

Can’t seem to do right for wrong this year.

Him who told you the sheep job was easy lied!

 

[Grassman]

We once had footrot at lambing time. Then a very big outbreak on mastitis. Then the lambs got orf. All going on at the same time

 

[andybk]

lol welcome to "Real" sheep farming, i see it all the time in the pedigree world , first few years maybe 5 , dead easy , lambs grow like stink ,top the market , no residual cocci or worms and other bugs to worry about , then bang, its a real battle to keep everything going especially in a bad year like this , roots on well grazed pasture wont help as they get dirty and lambs nibble them picking up more cocci , so you need a treatment plan in place . Take heart though all those crap lambs will catch up when it drys and the sun comes out , We have recorded for many years and often that huge perfectly formed single on the ewe with plenty of milk that catches your eye , is just another lamb come mid summer , and all those crap lambs have filled out and are motoring along , Trick is just keep them healthy and well fed and they will be ok in the end

 

[Cab-over Pete]

It’s probably me just worrying over nothing.

Its not about money or prizes here, just being able to lean on the gate and watch a really good bunch of sheep thriving. We sell a few rams locally but don’t push them or advertise, just word of mouth.

They’ll be fine I’m sure, just nothing special this time at all.