Unfortunately due to not home being big enough, tb etc I have to work off farm, was offered a good job 40hrs a week pention etc so taken it, but the question is for next years lambing, what is the best way to syncronise ewes to get them to lamb as close as possible, I'm cutting my ewes back to 20max and keep it as a hobby and strickly a hobby!! Ill have to take holidays next year lambing time just wondering what people find the best way to keep ewes as tight as possible and costs if any
Synchronising ewes
- Thread starter liammogs
- Start date
Speak to your vet about using sponges and PMSG.
I’m in a similar situation work wise. After sponging the ewes and having the tups in for 21 days, with the raddle colour changed after 10 days its gives you a good idea of what’s going to lamb when. I take two separate weeks off work when they are due to lamb (10 days between each week off) The majority lamb within three days of each other in the batch, the only snag I’ve found with this is that various breeds of ewes/tups have different gestation lengths so can extend your lambing period if you have a mixed bunch. Anything that doesn’t hold goes down the road, so be prepared to sponge more than you want to lamb. It adds expense upfront (roughly £5 per ewe) and the loss taken with any culls, but being able to get it done in a short time frame is worth it to me!
If you do go down this route get your sponges and PMSG well in advance of needing them to avoid any supply problems.
Good luck!
Take the sponges out of 10 ewes at day 12 and the other 10 at day 14.....problem solved one ram
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
I'm in the same situation as I have a day job to pay the bills.
I sponge, PMSG and A.I with fresh semen harvested on the day. I time it for a projected Sunday 147 days before hand. I take a Thursday, Friday and the next whole week off work giving 11 days total for 7 days holiday.
Works fine 'usually' unless like this year my tups were infertile and I'd to throw in a bunch of tup lambs.
You could also sponge, PMSG and 'hand mate' putting tups in with confined ewes and removing each ewe as she's seen to be served.
Results for A.I have been in the 90+% conception, this year with time running out after the tup fiasco my tup lambs left 66% of my ewes in-lamb.
One tup is a handicap, two is better but like many other folk this year....you can still come a cropper. Have a friend with tups on speed dial.
Get the vet to fertility test your tup/s.
I sponge, PMSG and A.I with fresh semen harvested on the day. I time it for a projected Sunday 147 days before hand. I take a Thursday, Friday and the next whole week off work giving 11 days total for 7 days holiday.
Works fine 'usually' unless like this year my tups were infertile and I'd to throw in a bunch of tup lambs.
You could also sponge, PMSG and 'hand mate' putting tups in with confined ewes and removing each ewe as she's seen to be served.
Results for A.I have been in the 90+% conception, this year with time running out after the tup fiasco my tup lambs left 66% of my ewes in-lamb.
One tup is a handicap, two is better but like many other folk this year....you can still come a cropper. Have a friend with tups on speed dial.
Get the vet to fertility test your tup/s.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Put a teaser in a couple of weeks before sponging, then sponge & PMSG. IF you are absolutely certain that your ram is fertile and active at the time he’s needed (not just last season), then pull over a couple of days and one ram should cope. If not, then laparoscopic AI is the only way to guarantee that all cycling ewes are inseminated with fertile semen. With 20 ewes, put them in a trailer and take to the centre.
At the other end of pregnancy, if they are all inseminated/tupped on known dates, jab with 6ml of Dexadreson/Rapidexon on day 143, so they will all lamb over roughly 12-14 hours on day 145.
It might cost a tad more on mating & inducing costs, but will mean you have one batch to concentrate on properly so will have fewer losses.
Obviously you’ll still have at least one that returns and lambs later, out of the system.
All of the above will get better results the closer to the ewe’s natural breeding season you go.
Girlfarmer
Member
- Location
- North Yorkshire
We used cidrs and pmsg this year on 100 ewes approximately 3 weeks before they would begin to cycle naturally. 84 in lamb with at least 1 tup per 10 ewes. All lambed within 5 days.
or lamb in April and leave them to it. check morning and night [emoji207][emoji41]
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
Approximately £2.25 +vat to sponge. 25 sponges to a pack.
PMSG, wee bit less per dose. Call it a fiver a head to sync' them.
Can Google, Chronogest Sponges and 'PMSG sheep'. Also 'sheep CIDR'
You'll need an applicator for the sponges/CIDR's and 2ml syringes for PMSG. Easier with two of each, one being used, the other loaded.
Time and care taken during application, removal and an unhurried competent inseminator working with vital tups and healthy ewes can give results for cervical AI that rival inter uterine AI. I had three freak years when I ran at 90% conception with cervical AI using fresh collected semen.
One of the biggest hindrances to success are ewes running a temperature. One sore foot can raise the ewes temp' while she fights off a scald or footrot infection. Get your feet sorted a month before you plan to inseminate. 'Feet make sheep' was never truer than at tupping time.
PMSG, wee bit less per dose. Call it a fiver a head to sync' them.
Can Google, Chronogest Sponges and 'PMSG sheep'. Also 'sheep CIDR'
You'll need an applicator for the sponges/CIDR's and 2ml syringes for PMSG. Easier with two of each, one being used, the other loaded.
Time and care taken during application, removal and an unhurried competent inseminator working with vital tups and healthy ewes can give results for cervical AI that rival inter uterine AI. I had three freak years when I ran at 90% conception with cervical AI using fresh collected semen.
One of the biggest hindrances to success are ewes running a temperature. One sore foot can raise the ewes temp' while she fights off a scald or footrot infection. Get your feet sorted a month before you plan to inseminate. 'Feet make sheep' was never truer than at tupping time.
Unfortunately it's not the case with pure beltex
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
As well as the AI, I normally sponge and tup 30-40 Charollais ewes, single sire mated to shearling rams in July. Those natural mating ones vary between 2/10 and 9/10 in lamb, whereas the AI ewes that have fresh semen are fairly consistently 85-90% (frozen lower, but at least it means you can use your number one choice ram).
You might get better conception rates naturally if you are tupping further into the ewe's natural breeding season (October for Beltex?) and using experienced, mature rams (which obviously need to be fertile).
ahhhh I see your point
If the tups were only in 24hrs couldn't you just induce?
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
I normally lamb around 100 or so to a synchronised mating in July, so all due to one day in December. Once I'm down to the last twenty, I routinely induce the remaining ewes, in order to tidy up those that are hanging on.
AFAIC it's good for animal welfare as I avoid the massive singles up to 8 days overdue which I have seen previously, and it means that I can be on hand all the time, rather than doing other work as there's only 3 left, etc. Obviously can't do that if you don't know actual service dates.
This is the 1st year ewes were tupped on the 1 day , previously over two or three days so balanced out come lambing .
I’m sure I’ve read before about @neilo inducing ewes but this is the first time it’s been relevant.
Will speak to my vet as needing them finished by Thursday ( Saturday was due date )
I’m sure I’ve read before about @neilo inducing ewes but this is the first time it’s been relevant.
Will speak to my vet as needing them finished by Thursday ( Saturday was due date )