primmiemoo
Member
- Location
- Devon
If it's the sort of thing you do, don't forget your Easter egg break at some point 
TexX ewes - which Tup to use?
- Thread starter Nithsdale
- Start date
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
There was a Malteasers Easter egg on the farmhouse side unit waiting for me this morning. Very unexpected. I will resist the urge to demolish it - I ate one of those bags of M&Ms you'd get in the cinema the other night 
All these calories will go straight onto my chin
All these calories will go straight onto my chin
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
11 ewes in total; 5 singles and 6 twins.
Down to about 30-32 left to go
Down to about 30-32 left to go
- Location
- Scottish Borders
Hope your ewes are hunkering under a dyke, the wind would blow your teeth out here !
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Not much wind here. And there's less forecast than we had last weekend...
I've kept off the baked beans
I've kept off the baked beans
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Winds fairly picked up after I replied last night. Wee sign of snow at the door but not much. Cold but nice and dry...
Just 2 twins lambed this morning. The first, both lambs dead and a bit rotten looking. The 2nd I had to lamb, she hadn't quite opened up right. First lamb out was a shitty wee soft looking thing, dead. 2nd lamb was much bigger and looked better when out, but died straight away. Both are gimmers... there's been little evidence of anything wrong throughout lambing (since the f**k ups at the start) but I'm fairly convinced Toxo is bothering the flock...
driving round the twins it's noticeable the youngest 2 ages of ewes are most likely to be the ones running with 1 lamb (which has never been marked as a pair). You don't see it tallying up when they're busy lambing - finding the odd ewe with twins and 1 is dead... but even just 1 a day is quite a few over a 2-3 week period!
Decided I will vaccinate the gimmers for Toxo this summer, and see if it makes any difference to things
Just 2 twins lambed this morning. The first, both lambs dead and a bit rotten looking. The 2nd I had to lamb, she hadn't quite opened up right. First lamb out was a shitty wee soft looking thing, dead. 2nd lamb was much bigger and looked better when out, but died straight away. Both are gimmers... there's been little evidence of anything wrong throughout lambing (since the f**k ups at the start) but I'm fairly convinced Toxo is bothering the flock...
driving round the twins it's noticeable the youngest 2 ages of ewes are most likely to be the ones running with 1 lamb (which has never been marked as a pair). You don't see it tallying up when they're busy lambing - finding the odd ewe with twins and 1 is dead... but even just 1 a day is quite a few over a 2-3 week period!
Decided I will vaccinate the gimmers for Toxo this summer, and see if it makes any difference to things
Boydvalley
Member
- Location
- Bath
Get some samples tested. A lot of money down the drain if it’s not and you’ll definitely have introduced toxo if you haven’t got it.
Convinced had toxo at the start but samples came back non infectious, probable slow lambing!! Had blood tests done 2 days before start of lambing and three out of 7 were low in calcium but fine in everything else. Upped the conc and problems disappeared. Apparently low calcium can lead them to not try to lamb hence rotten lambs. Not looked into it properly yet, I’d never heard of it, but could explain odd one’s. Every days a school day.
Convinced had toxo at the start but samples came back non infectious, probable slow lambing!! Had blood tests done 2 days before start of lambing and three out of 7 were low in calcium but fine in everything else. Upped the conc and problems disappeared. Apparently low calcium can lead them to not try to lamb hence rotten lambs. Not looked into it properly yet, I’d never heard of it, but could explain odd one’s. Every days a school day.
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Samples need to be fresh and no rotten lambs. Stuff since weekend not good enough. Could've used the one I lambed this morming - but they're gone already. Lab is shut today being Easter anyway. I could, after lambing, gather up a handful of the ewes and screen some bloods - there's no rush for getting that though. And as lambing is almost finished, it's hardly a big drama.
Really not sure what you mean i'll definitely introduce Toxo if I don't have it. The vaccine stops naive ewes contracting it - the vaccine will not then give the rest it!
I have been considering vaccinating for a year or 2 anyway - as I already cover for Enzo, and there does seem to be a few more cats about.
So even if this isn't Toxo, I'm going to go forward doing my gimmers, regardless.
Calcium issues are widespread this year, vet says they've never seen as many problems. But it doesn't cause the classic 1 good lamb 1 bad/dead lamb in twins
Really not sure what you mean i'll definitely introduce Toxo if I don't have it. The vaccine stops naive ewes contracting it - the vaccine will not then give the rest it!
I have been considering vaccinating for a year or 2 anyway - as I already cover for Enzo, and there does seem to be a few more cats about.
So even if this isn't Toxo, I'm going to go forward doing my gimmers, regardless.
Calcium issues are widespread this year, vet says they've never seen as many problems. But it doesn't cause the classic 1 good lamb 1 bad/dead lamb in twins
- Location
- N.Lincs
Had some problems with ewes not opening up when the early mob started in Feb. Started adding limestone flour to the home mix and, touch wood, not seen anymore of it in either the earlies or the late mob that have just started.
Maybe something or nothing but for the cost of it I'm going to use it as a matter of course in our rations from now on.
Boydvalley
Member
- Location
- Bath
Funnily enough just been reading they use a lot of ground limestone in oz and came to the same conclusion, nothing to loose for the cost
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
- Location
- N.Lincs
It's supposed to be 1% (10kg/tonne) but I'm only using half that 'cos the protein balancer I'm using has calcium in already.
I used up what bit of limestone flour I had in stock but couldn't get any more.
Finished up with this instead....
........it's granular so not as dusty as flour..........
Our merchant only stocks this now. No idea whether it's as good as flour or even if that's what we were short of.
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
I had a Google earlier... limestone flour is Calcium Carbonate so that should just be the same stuff.
I presume they eat it just fine?
I'll need to remember this as I had thought before about getting a calcium source into them pre lambing
- Location
- N.Lincs
Yeah, it's the same but I just wondered if the flour would be absorbed better
The mix is not as dusty with the granules.
Boydvalley
Member
- Location
- Bath
Well being old school and feeding rolls they are supposed to contain 2% calcium so if your feeding 1% I shouldn’t have any problems. Questions need asking.
- Location
- N.Lincs
...but if your 2% is in a form that's not 'available'
We need a nutritionist to explain it all to us in words of not more than one sylable
Boydvalley
Member
- Location
- Bath
I asked the mill nutritionist and all he came up with was feed more concentrate. As we were just starting lambing I upped from 0.25 to 0.4 per lamb and problems disappeared so I’m assuming availability is poor or something else is affecting utilisation. Yet to get a forage analysis.
Done bloods at six weeks before lambing for the last 2yrs and everything was spot on but didnt bother this year so it could be a season thing. We had remarkable grass growth last autumn wondering if this winter covers were short in calcium, that’s probably clutching at straws though.
Done bloods at six weeks before lambing for the last 2yrs and everything was spot on but didnt bother this year so it could be a season thing. We had remarkable grass growth last autumn wondering if this winter covers were short in calcium, that’s probably clutching at straws though.
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
The kind of winter we've had Calcium has been locked up/is low levels in the grasses/ground. And I'd put money Mag could well be the same... as @yellowbelly says just because a level of vit/min is quoted as being in the feed doesn't mean anything.
Feed companies reserve the right to alter ingredients/levels without notifying or altering the label...
And just because it is there doesn't mean it's all available - especially if something else is out of kilter.
Ended yesterday with a 3rd twin born - that outfit going fine.
Had 6 lamb today, 1 triplet, 5 twins and a single. All going fine despite that bloody wind trying to cut you, and snow showers every 30mins. If you could find a spot in the sun without the wind it's been a nice day - but in the wind it's hellish!! Wearing my full winter gear on the bike and I'm still frozen
Around 20 left to go
Feed companies reserve the right to alter ingredients/levels without notifying or altering the label...
And just because it is there doesn't mean it's all available - especially if something else is out of kilter.
Ended yesterday with a 3rd twin born - that outfit going fine.
Had 6 lamb today, 1 triplet, 5 twins and a single. All going fine despite that bloody wind trying to cut you, and snow showers every 30mins. If you could find a spot in the sun without the wind it's been a nice day - but in the wind it's hellish!! Wearing my full winter gear on the bike and I'm still frozen
Around 20 left to go
Today has been beyond bitter, jeans, bib and braces, fleece, waterproof jacket, neck buff and a scarf and still frozen to the bone on the bike. Trying to look at at ewes and lambs with eyes running etc. Had a ewe die overnight with a 4 maybe 5 day old single tucked up with her, a few mismothered lambs and a ewe that cannae count. Finale was a ewe with a hung lamb, nothing too terrible, just a leg back but pretty swollen head, managed to push head back a bit and pull forward the other leg and the lamb came out like a cork from a bottle. Best bit is daughter wants to take it on if I can't find a ewe to twin it on to, bugger is I had a ewe two days ago that is now running without a lamb!
- Location
- East Ayrshire