Walking pregnant sheep

[cornishfarmerjohn]

Hello all. Was after some advice.. I have some grass keep about 4 to 5 miles away from the main farm. With it being so wet I could really use it for the sheep. Is it safe to walk them all over there and back? They will be about 4 months in lamb when they are walked back. Don't want to over stress them and cause abortion/TLD. I can rest them half way, but only for an hour or so. Many thanks for your help

 

[primmiemoo]

How fit are they in general? If they're used to exercise, then taking things steady, gauging the pace, and making full use of little stops, you should make it out there and then back. Depends a bit, obviously, on how much physical fitness they lose when at keep, and if you're unfortunate enough to have foot trouble in the interim. Slower coming home, I'd think.

In the past, when walking half that distance, we'd have a car with trailer following for protection of the flock, and to give any ewe that looked too much out of puff a lift, and a 4wd in front, to protect the flock, and have spare capacity for lift giving.

 

[unlacedgecko]

As above, take it steady and you'll be fine.

 

[andybk]

4-5 miles is a fair way , i would be happy 1-2 miles a month off lambing , your going to have to take it v steady , make sure they have a crystalix for a week or two pre movement back and as above , have a backup trailer ready

 

[Agrivator]

Just go steady. It won't do them a bit of harm and you will get some free grazing on the way.

The November term was when many famers, especially tenants. moved their stock to a new farm. And many shepherds changing farms would walk their pack ewes, some of which might only have been very recently tupped. And some of their wives. in the same condition, would be looking forward to their new damp and dilapidated cottages.

 

[tinsheet]

As above, take it steady and you'll be fine.

As he says,

 

[Guiggs]

If you've got a trailer to follow them in case any are struggling then personally I would just trailer them instead of walking them.
The roads around here are lethal, gone are the days where stock were routinely walked anywhere!

 

[unlacedgecko]

If you've got a trailer to follow them in case any are struggling then personally I would just trailer them instead of walking them.
The roads around here are lethal, gone are the days where stock were routinely walked anywhere!

Trailer shuttles are a waste of time and money. If I can’t walk stock, then a book a haulier.

 

[Downtrodden Dad]

I don't know how many you are talking about moving. But on the way there they will be fine if you go slowly. On the way back its a bit of a worry. Personally I would wagon or trailer them. Even on our side road we would have a queue of cars thinking of turning vegan stretching back to where we started.

 

[primmiemoo]

The roads around here are lethal, gone are the days where stock were routinely walked anywhere!

Would a designated day to walk stock on the roads make a difference to drivers of mechanical vehicles? Droven(is that a word?) livestock have more right on the highway than motorised traffic, other than on motorways.

 

[DB67]

Sounds like hassle for all concerned.

haul them imo.0

 

[muleman]

How many are there? You might get away with walking them on the way out but a month off lambing no, 5 miles is too far,put them in a lorry,its just asking for trouble at a crucial time when they dont need any setbacks.

 

[cornishfarmerjohn]

It's a group of 200,so lots of trips, kind of think trailer ING them would be just as stressful for them and me,!

 

[Anymulewilldo]

We still walk our suckler cattle and heifers between farms but it's only short distance.
The sheep themselves should be ok taken slow and as mentioned above Crystalyx or similar would be a good idea, plenty of readily available energy. I use molasses, mucky but cheap. But it all depends on your roads, we used to walk sheep all round our village, wouldn't dare now for fear of an RTA. But we run our own lorry so moving stock is easy. All depends on your circumstances and location

 

[muleman]

It's a group of 200,so lots of trips, kind of think trailer ING them would be just as stressful for them and me,!

Youll be stressed out when you walk them back and all seems fine but next day you find 50 down with staggers!

 

[Downtrodden Dad]

If you haven't got a big trailer then put your hand in your pocket and pay a haulier. It will be faster and less stressful for all concerned. You'll keep the locals happy too.

 

[Dicky.A]

Won’t be a problem we do it every year. Go steady and follow with quad and trailer to pick up stragglers.

 

[michael N123]

14 ft ifor with decks 4 trips

 

[cornishfarmerjohn]

14 ft ifor with decks 4 trips

I must have big sheep!

 

[neilo]

I must have big sheep!

Ok, 5 trips (that was for pedigree Charollais ewes in a 14’ trailer) then. Far easier and less stressful on the sheep 8me, and likely faster too so long as you can make a pen to load them from.

I have an offlying block of land here which is probably only 100yds for the end of one track to the end of our drive (with a crossroads in the middle), but about a mile from one field to the next. I haven’t run them once, much preferring to trailer them back and forth. I can trailer 4-500 ewes in half a day, without any help, and no trailers to pick up stragglers, etc.
It was the same back home, where it was easier to trailer everything, rather than utilise the gateways that we constructed/‘reopened’ on either side of the busy main road so that we could run them straight over.

There were never any issues with running those sheep a mile or so, even a few days off lambing, but the d*ckheads on the roads made it more hassle than it was worth.