Sponged sheep lambing a week early ?

[Skirza NCC]

Hello, I'm planning to sponge my ewes this year and have taken advice from far and wide over the past couple of years. Whilst discussing the finer points of price etc with my vet earlier he mentioned that several clients had told him that their sponged ewes will easily come in a week !!!!

Has anyone experienced this ? What time off should I book from my 9-5 job ?

All the sponges will be taken out on the same day / Injection given, I'm hoping for a tight lambing period with a high % holding to the first cycle.

Any advice would be great.

 

[Six Dogs]

Well my experience is that with ewes lambed the previous April,I will get 65 % conception for the same sheep to lamb the next January,these are Romney ewes.
However now give them Regulin and conception goes up to nearly 80% on the one service
Lambing first to last 10 days,reality busy 6 days
Have to say every year I cough at the near£10 ewe cost but it works for us

 

[neilo]

Hello, I'm planning to sponge my ewes this year and have taken advice from far and wide over the past couple of years. Whilst discussing the finer points of price etc with my vet earlier he mentioned that several clients had told him that their sponged ewes will easily come in a week !!!!

Has anyone experienced this ? What time off should I book from my 9-5 job ?

All the sponges will be taken out on the same day / Injection given, I'm hoping for a tight lambing period with a high % holding to the first cycle.

Any advice would be great.

If they are all mated on one day, all those that conceive will be due on one day. Natural spread will mean that they spread out over the best part of a week.
I don't know what numbers you're talking about, but I routinely jab the last 20-30 of my synchronised ewes with steroids, which tightens up the later ones (big singles when you are getting waylaid with other jobs?). If there are less than 50 in the group, personally I wouldn't hesitate to induce the lot to lamb within a (busy) 24 hour period, when I could be sure I could give them 100% attention (& have enough lambing pens ready).
6ml of Dexadreson to induce costs about £2/hd, which I would argue, means the ewes get more care & attention.

 

[Lazy Larry]

Hello, I'm planning to sponge my ewes this year and have taken advice from far and wide over the past couple of years. Whilst discussing the finer points of price etc with my vet earlier he mentioned that several clients had told him that their sponged ewes will easily come in a week !!!!

Has anyone experienced this ? What time off should I book from my 9-5 job ?

All the sponges will be taken out on the same day / Injection given, I'm hoping for a tight lambing period with a high % holding to the first cycle.

Any advice would be great.

20 Ewes Ai'd same hour, spread, day 141 set of triplets , day 151 last big single born.

 

[Agriclegend]

If you just inject with PMSG will that be enough to tighten up lambing or is the progesterone sponge the key?

 

[neilo]

If you just inject with PMSG will that be enough to tighten up lambing or is the progesterone sponge the key?

It depends on whether the sheep are cycling naturally. If they aren't, as is the case early in the breeding season, then you will need to use PMSG. If they are cycling naturally, you will be able to just sponge. If you are AI'ing, then you need to use PMSG anyway, as it tightens synchrony slightly more.

 

[Agriclegend]

I was wondering about using PMSG without the sponge. The rams are in with the ewes so wondered whether if I injected those which hadn't been raddled it might bring on those ewes which aren't cycling yet.

 

[neilo]

I was wondering about using PMSG without the sponge. The rams are in with the ewes so wondered whether if I injected those which hadn't been raddled it might bring on those ewes which aren't cycling yet.

No it wouldn't. If any did come on after, it would just be a coincidence.

If the rams are in with the ewes now, it is more likely that they just aren't cycling yet. It is very early for natural mating, and not many breeds would cycle reliably now, even with teasers.

 

[Agriclegend]

Thanks Neil, as I suspected. I guess we need to wait for progesterone micro needle technology before we can ditch sponging.

 

[Skirza NCC]

If they are all mated on one day, all those that conceive will be due on one day. Natural spread will mean that they spread out over the best part of a week.
I don't know what numbers you're talking about, but I routinely jab the last 20-30 of my synchronised ewes with steroids, which tightens up the later ones (big singles when you are getting waylaid with other jobs?). If there are less than 50 in the group, personally I wouldn't hesitate to induce the lot to lamb within a (busy) 24 hour period, when I could be sure I could give them 100% attention (& have enough lambing pens ready).
6ml of Dexadreson to induce costs about £2/hd, which I would argue, means the ewes get more care & attention.

Hi Neilo, Will be about 50 good park ewes that will be sponged, I suppose I was asking was - what every1 experience has been on the variation of gestation period..... Got a shock at Lazy Larry showing a 10 day range for AI.....
I'll just have to see how it goes, we have enough pens for all the ewes & lambs which is the most important bit.

I've tried my VET before to induce the last few ewes that are holding on but any asked simply wouldn't entertain the idea...... Is it a drug that has to come from the vet or can it be bought over the counter ?

 

[neilo]

Hi Neilo, Will be about 50 good park ewes that will be sponged, I suppose I was asking was - what every1 experience has been on the variation of gestation period..... Got a shock at Lazy Larry showing a 10 day range for AI.....
I'll just have to see how it goes, we have enough pens for all the ewes & lambs which is the most important bit.

I've tried my VET before to induce the last few ewes that are holding on but any asked simply wouldn't entertain the idea...... Is it a drug that has to come from the vet or can it be bought over the counter ?

The spread will be a standard bell curve type thing, with very few at either extreme and the majority over a very short period in the middle.

Dexadreson is definitely vet only, being a steroid. I'd be having a 'discussion' with any vet that had refused to supply me on that basis, as I would argue that it helps to avoid potential welfare issues associated with overdue singles. Obviously you need to be absolutely certain of the due dates though.

 

[Skirza NCC]

Thanks neilo, I'll look for first arrivals around 141d peak at 146d and stragglers about 151d.

Yes agree on the health/welfare issues, always the last few ewes that are missed and s### on a good %. I'll maybe try some of the other vets and speak with a local pedigree breeder.

 

[bovine]

I wouldn't entertain mass induction for farmer convenience. That's not responsible use of medicines IMO. Absolutely would support any vet with that view.

You know there will be a spread - plan labour for that. Don't use drugs.

We know there are health risks from induction (greater risk of retained membranes and calf mortality, not sure of any work in sheep specifically).

Do you think the general public would like to know you want to give sheep steroids unnecessarily?

 

[neilo]

I wouldn't entertain mass induction for farmer convenience. That's not responsible use of medicines IMO. Absolutely would support any vet with that view.

You know there will be a spread - plan labour for that. Don't use drugs.

We know there are health risks from induction (greater risk of retained membranes and calf mortality, not sure of any work in sheep specifically).

Do you think the general public would like to know you want to give sheep steroids unnecessarily?

I can understand that argument, but what about 'tidying up' the late ones from a known, synchronised mating date? I remember a single ram lamb being born one year, 8 days overdue and absolutely huge. It caused unnecessary and avoidable trauma to the ewe, the lamb and the farmer, just by the fact that it had been so far overdue.