The happy lambing thread

[CopperBeech]

I had one like that last year, went on to rear triplets!

 

[Kelso690]

Don't need it for them, best to switch off at dusk and be fresh for the morning.
Camera is great for when you're piddling about with small numbers in a shed though. Roll over in the night, check round the shed with the iPad, then straight back to sleep if nowt happening as you've not woken up properly.

Piddling about with small numbers is how some people have to get started in farming

 

[neilo]

Piddling about with small numbers is how some people have to get started in farming

Raw nerve?

We all piddle about with small numbers at times, usually at the start or finish of lambing, if not with separate, smaller lambing groups.

 

[Kelso690]

Raw nerve. ?????

 

[Kelso690]

There's always plenty of threads on lambing problems/disasters, so I thought I'd start one on happy lambing stories.

Here's mine from today...

10 days ago had a ewe with toxaemia. She was stargazing, blind and could only walk backwards. I treated her with calcium and ketol but no improvement by the end of the day. I called the vet for advice, he wanted me to take her in, do a blood glucose test and then give her a steroid to abort the lambs. He wouldn't leave me a steroid without seeing her. she was still bright and alert, and my gut feeling was it was too soon to abort the lambs, but the vet was adamant that she would die if I didn't. After speaking to @sixdogs, who backed up my gut feeling, I decided to just keep treating her.
She wouldn't eat by herself, but if I put hay and nuts in the side of her mouth she ate them happily. So I spent a fair bit of time that evening doing just that. The next morning she was at the hay rack when I walked in, could see again and walk forwards. After a couple more days she was still bright but not eating cake so I decided to turn her out with the the singles in a paddock by the shed. After a day or so she was pretty much glued to the feed block, and then in the last few days has been so perky I wondered if she had slipped her lambs, or if they had died inside her, as she didn't seem to have got any bigger over the last 10 days. But this morning she had a lovely little twin, and even has a bit of milk. This has made me very happy! View attachment 473090

Well done jemski got to trust your gut feeling sometimes, always good with A happy ending. More often than not my vet says nowt can be done but I often try to prove them wrong.

 

[Lovegoodstock]

Piddling about with small numbers is how some people have to get started in farming

Quite agree, but also with @neilo that we all mess around with small numbers. Got 19 on the point of calving so looking at 1st stage lambers of only 50 due to cows. Then only 80 in next stage then 420 in third. Doubt I will be finishing at 2 and up at just after 4 with the 80 unless cows calving, but normally I lose as many lambs during 80 almost as I do the 420. Small bunches as much work and somehow harder work, but if you have 30 sheep and have 2 in a night its busy and fine, but if you have 3 days with no lambs its hard work?

 

[Kelso690]

Very true, wether you've 1000 or 10 waiting around for a few is not fun

 

[Bones]

Teaser rams. ......must get some next year

 

[Al R]

Teaser rams. ......must get some next year

Do they really make that much of a difference? I'd like all my texel's 1 week, all my Charolais the next, then the texel x Charolais, then the sufftex, then the sufftexcharbelt and then the BFL's. Having 75-80 lambing over 7 weeks is a nuisance. As much work as 1000 mules :/

 

[Bones]

Do they really make that much of a difference? I'd like all my texel's 1 week, all my Charolais the next, then the texel x Charolais, then the sufftex, then the sufftexcharbelt and then the BFL's. Having 75-80 lambing over 7 weeks is a nuisance. As much work as 1000 mules :/

Even if the teaser rams shorten the lambing by a week .it's worth it.

 

[Man_in_black]

sufftexcharbelt

Wow. Any pics????

 

[Al R]

Even if the teaser rams shorten the lambing by a week .it's worth it.

But I want the 10-15 from each breed to lamb in their own week. Possible?

 

[2tractors]

Teaser rams. ......must get some next year

I find lambing in mid March (natural time to lamb) the ewes go pretty quick anyway. This year out of 390 only 40 are due in day 14 to 21 with no late ones identified by the scanner. So no teasers needed here!

 

[MJT]

But I want the 10-15 from each breed to lamb in their own week. Possible?

You're probably better off sponging if that's what you're aiming for

 

[Bones]

I find lambing in mid March (natural time to lamb) the ewes go pretty quick anyway. This year out of 390 only 40 are due in day 14 to 21 with no late ones identified by the scanner. So no teasers needed here!

I'm lambing the same time here, but only a hand full of ewes tuped in the first 2 weeks.

 

[Jerry]

Ewe lost her lamb couple days ago and no spares to foster on. Kept her in a pen and milked her out twice a day for 48 hours then had a double with not a lot of milk so thought I'd try and adopt one lamb.

Put ewe in adoption pen and less than 48 hours later she's taken it and happy as Larry.

Nice result.

 

[Al R]

Wow. Any pics????

These 2 are ram lambs and both worked last autumn.
Both are sufftexcharbelt. Unsure in what forumaltion but the mothers and fathers were half and half of each. Currently on .75lb/day of oats from December until mid march just to keep them in shape.

 

[Al R]

2x 3yo sister ped BFL's turned out on a gorgeous day today. Both born 48hrs previous! Huge lambs, number 6 had triplets and 1 was adopted onto a single.
Very happy result with these 2 ewes from what can be a very challenging breed!

Hope everyone else has had the weather we've had today! Just had t shirt and overalls on today!

 

[Bogtrotting]

First lamb out for a bit of sun on his back

 

[GrannyAching]

Just thought it was time to bump this!