Trialling outdoor lambing. Any tips?

[puppet]

We are lambing our twins outside and after this morning I expected to bring lots in. Amazing how some survived last night as I wouldn't. Only picked a poor muddy pair with a mad mother who who had churned up all the wet soil. The next 2 days look awful forecast with some snow so will be interesting.

 

[irish dom]

Its never as bad as you imagine. I know one guy round here who changed to outdoor. He used to ring me on a wild night to ask was i out pickung up lambs. I normally wouldnt unless something was bothering me. He would usually come out with " they will all be dead in the morning!"
Incidentally hes stopped panicing and when asked would never go back indoors so what he found in the morning was never as nad as he imagined
If they are fit young properly bred for the job and have enough grass thats 99% of outdoor lambing. The other 1% is trying to stop as many daft things happening and realising that they will happen no matter how good a farmer you are. The weather will turn and it will all be forgotten.
p.s. definitely get two sets of GOOD oilskins!! Enjoy it

 

[bill.bt]

outdoor lambing.you cannot compare systems.lambing weather down country is different world to lambing outside in the high country.high rainfall.shelter available to the ewes.foxes a big problem around here.lost a lot of twin lambs in the last week to foxes.12000 acres of forestry going for miles over my boundary fence.had to put all twin pregnant ewes undercover.foxes taking 3 a night.guns have been out over winter.it can be very stressful if weather and foxes are bad while lambing.

 

[Bones]

For lambing in high country ,I think it needs to be may, especially on exposed wet ground .were lucky here there's a lot of lamping./ hunting for foxes.

 

[bill.bt]

hunting and lamping here all the time.big forest nextdoor to your farm.better know the area before passing comment.

 

[Man_in_black]

before passing comment

That's kinda the whole point of a forum. He wasn't having a go, just a comment. Relax!!

 

[Sheepdogman]

Crows, black backs and worst of all giant skewers are bad here just get out with gun and as jonesey used to say they don't like it up em but it's the only way

 

[scatterbrainedlass]

If you have the space I'd lamb the Suffolks indoors. Most likely to have problems, especially in lamb to a texel! We lamb in a small field, move to a neighboring field once lambed, ring and tag by about 48 hours old (if they look like they might not survive we hold off a day or two longer). Keep hurdles handy either for catching problem ewes or penning up for a couple of hours if it's not mothering well. We don't have the option of bringing indoors so it's all been done outside. Check morning and evening, only intervene if there is an obvious problem, otherwise let them get on with it. Also fox-proof your fields and make friends with someone who's happy to go out lamping if you can't yourself! Lost 3 lambs in the past 24 hours to a fox

 

[Westsidefarmer]

Outdoor lambing defiantly the way, but not possible for everyone and still a lot of work. Body condition and nutrition has to be right and a little more thought into breed\tup selection. Having grass on the ground for lambing and the ability to spread the ewes out into smaller mobs all helps.

 

[Wids]

we have some individual pens set up in a shed for anything that needs to come in for extreme weather, mis mothering, or whatever but everything lambs outside.
Usually go around 4 times a day to keep ringing, moving on ewes and lambs intro fresh fields. But main check is first thing half hour after daylight, and before dark.

Never had a problem with corvids, but we give em hell year round with the shotgun/rifle and Larsen traps at this time of year. Foxes the same. If the populations in check you'll be very unlucky to have losses of any sorts. You'll never get every last crow/fox as they move in, but should be enough for them to eat without attacking lambs.

If weathers dry it's usually tiring yes but easier than inside!

 

[JohnGalway]

We've been lambing outside the last few years ok, but last year we had one bunch of ewes that we lost a lot of live lambs off to crows, the ewe would be ok with the lambs, go in for lunch, come out lambs would be lay about with intestines hanging out, we're just getting going now, went down field this morning nice double just dropped, went again few hours later, both lambs on their feet, but one looking hunched and obviously in pain, picked him up and a great hole where his @rse should have been,no intestines to be seen, don't know how he was still breathing, different ewes to last year, I think we'll be back inside next year, I think I understand why people went to indoor lambing.

Crows, black backs and worst of all giant skewers are bad here just get out with gun and as jonesey used to say they don't like it up em but it's the only way

For greycrows/hooded crows Larsen mate/ Larsen trap/ Ladder trap. All will work all week long during daylight hours if ran properly, very very cost effective and efficient

outdoor lambing.you cannot compare systems.lambing weather down country is different world to lambing outside in the high country.high rainfall.shelter available to the ewes.foxes a big problem around here.lost a lot of twin lambs in the last week to foxes.12000 acres of forestry going for miles over my boundary fence.had to put all twin pregnant ewes undercover.foxes taking 3 a night.guns have been out over winter.it can be very stressful if weather and foxes are bad while lambing.

If you have the space I'd lamb the Suffolks indoors. Most likely to have problems, especially in lamb to a texel! We lamb in a small field, move to a neighboring field once lambed, ring and tag by about 48 hours old (if they look like they might not survive we hold off a day or two longer). Keep hurdles handy either for catching problem ewes or penning up for a couple of hours if it's not mothering well. We don't have the option of bringing indoors so it's all been done outside. Check morning and evening, only intervene if there is an obvious problem, otherwise let them get on with it. Also fox-proof your fields and make friends with someone who's happy to go out lamping if you can't yourself! Lost 3 lambs in the past 24 hours to a fox

I've found stockholm tar on the lambs necks works well to keep foxes away here. Haven't shot a fox in a year, scat all over the place. No lamb taken that I have tarred. Mind you the trick is to get to the lamb first before the fox does. Ideally I'd still lamb the twins indoors as the first lamb lambed is vulnerable while the ewe is having the second BUT I'd be happy to kick them out the door once tarred.

Its never as bad as you imagine. I know one guy round here who changed to outdoor. He used to ring me on a wild night to ask was i out pickung up lambs. I normally wouldnt unless something was bothering me. He would usually come out with " they will all be dead in the morning!"
Incidentally hes stopped panicing and when asked would never go back indoors so what he found in the morning was never as nad as he imagined
If they are fit young properly bred for the job and have enough grass thats 99% of outdoor lambing. The other 1% is trying to stop as many daft things happening and realising that they will happen no matter how good a farmer you are. The weather will turn and it will all be forgotten.
p.s. definitely get two sets of GOOD oilskins!! Enjoy it

On shelter/bad weather, it always amazes me how many farmers don't plant more trees, even individual ones. They break up the wind lovely and they help the soil. I see on y farm the grass grows earlier and better in the sheltered fields, it's a no brainer.

 

[alwayslearning]

For greycrows/hooded crows Larsen mate/ Larsen trap/ Ladder trap. All will work all week long during daylight hours if ran properly, very very cost effective and efficient







I've found stockholm tar on the lambs necks works well to keep foxes away here. Haven't shot a fox in a year, scat all over the place. No lamb taken that I have tarred. Mind you the trick is to get to the lamb first before the fox does. Ideally I'd still lamb the twins indoors as the first lamb lambed is vulnerable while the ewe is having the second BUT I'd be happy to kick them out the door once tarred.





On shelter/bad weather, it always amazes me how many farmers don't plant more trees, even individual ones. They break up the wind lovely and they help the soil. I see on y farm the grass grows earlier and better in the sheltered fields, it's a no brainer.

Wreck tile drains is my only gripe

 

[JohnGalway]

Wreck tile drains is my only gripe

Fair point, all open drains here so not a problem for us. Will be planting lots this Autumn hopefully