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Author Topic: An odd start to lambing?  (Read 6465 times)

LouiseG

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Appleby-in-Westmorland
An odd start to lambing?
« on: February 10, 2017, 08:09:14 pm »
Ok, so lambing is going strangely, let me explain....
We have 6 Suffolk ewes (1 shearling, 2 two shears. 2 three shears and a four shear) and 3 bottle fed 2016 ewe lambs (various cross breeds).


The tup (a proven suffolk) went in on 1st Sept, but with no raddle or chest paint. No one was Heptivac'd or vacc with Enzo or Toxo. (A lesson learned for next year)


The suffolk shearling aborted twins on 16/01/17, these were taken to the local VLA for PM's and nothing abnormal was found.


The first to lamb properly was a three shear on 31/01/17, she had twins the first was born unaided, alive and well although we had to milk mum for the first 3 days and tube/bottle him as he had no inclination to suckle but is now growing and suckling well. The second twin came out head first with a little help but he was well dead and although fully formed and not too long dead he had no eyeballs.


we have since been waiting for any more to lamb, i.e. 10 days. The four remaining suffolk all look very pregnant (not scanned) and all have udder development and varying degrees of swollen vulvas, but show no signs of labour they are all eating well and seem fine.
I'm not convinced if the bottle feds are pregnant so am not worrying too much about them.
Does this sound reasonable, am starting to worry that the other 4 suffolk's have dead lambs and have "missed' going into labour? is there anything I can do to get things moving, should I consult the vet, or should I just stay patient and vigilant ?


Suggestions would be very welcome as we are relatively new to sheep and very new to lambing.


Thank you in advance for reading
So many ideas, not enough hours

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2017, 08:28:42 pm »
How long did the tup stay in?  Deformed dead lamb - has your vet heard of any cases of Schmallenberg in your area?

LouiseG

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Appleby-in-Westmorland
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2017, 08:40:58 pm »
The tup came out 24th Nov. Our vets didn't mention it when we were talking re the aborted twins.


The eyeless twin was very flexible and his skull wasn't fully fused, no fixed limbs etc. so didn't fit with my criteria of Schmallenberg.
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So many ideas, not enough hours

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2017, 08:53:56 pm »
Relax and drink more wine,if they look pregnant then they will lamb some time between now and the end of april.    Sorry you've had a bad start , this can happen when you lamb sheep , hopefully all will settle down

Old Shep

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • North Yorkshire
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2017, 09:27:22 pm »
Shep53 I like your advice!!
Helen - (used to be just Shep).  Gordon Setters, Border Collies and chief lambing assistant to BigBennyShep.

sheeponthebrain

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Turriff
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2017, 10:50:20 pm »
totally agree with shep53.  problems always seem to happen at the start of lambing. 

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2017, 06:59:36 am »
There isn't much else you can do other than wait and watch them closely.... as you didn't raddle the tup he could have mated them a few times. With a small flock it is much easier to put raddle colour on the chest of the tup, and make a note of the date of each ewe being mated. Change colour every 17 days and repeats are clearly visible (may be a tup problem or individual ewes' problems).

For a really neat lambing season (IMO even more important if you only have a few) sponging the ewes is even better. It saves a lot of hassle and getting over-tired with weeks on end checking with nothing much happening.

DartmoorLiz

  • Joined Jan 2012
  • Devon
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2017, 10:40:37 am »
Relax and drink more wine


I take any advice like this as a firm instruction to be carried out right away.   ;D
Never ever give up.

LouiseG

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Appleby-in-Westmorland
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2017, 01:40:19 pm »
Thank you all very much, I shall implement the relax and drink wine immediately and shall indeed raddle the ram next year and will also look into sponging them so that we get a nice compact lambing.


This lambing is a complete learning curve and earlier than we would have planned but the friendly neighbouring farmer who had agreed to lend us his tup took us by surprise when he delivered him on the 1st sept, so he could use him on his later in the season which he then changed his mind about.


I shall remain calm and wait x
So many ideas, not enough hours

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2017, 09:02:01 am »
My suffolks drive me mad!


How do your sheep condition score?  I find they can slip really quickly.


Suffolk lambs I'm afraid can be hands on.

LouiseG

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Appleby-in-Westmorland
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2017, 02:33:10 pm »
Thanks Harmony, they are quite lean at the moment probably about 2.5, the one with the lamb maybe a 2. They are having a bucket of sugar beet once daily and three scoops of nuts between 8 ewes. and ad-lib hay.


I didn't think i wanted them too fat for lambing or they'd have large lambs?


Thanks for the encouragement, we've never had suffolks before, but wanted a bit of home (suffolk) when we moved up to Cumbria this time last year
So many ideas, not enough hours

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #11 on: February 12, 2017, 06:24:08 pm »
Thanks Harmony, they are quite lean at the moment probably about 2.5, the one with the lamb maybe a 2. They are having a bucket of sugar beet once daily and three scoops of nuts between 8 ewes. and ad-lib hay.


I didn't think i wanted them too fat for lambing or they'd have large lambs?


Thanks for the encouragement, we've never had suffolks before, but wanted a bit of home (suffolk) when we moved up to Cumbria this time last year


I would split them to feed. Your ewe that has lambed is lean and I would be giving her two feeds a day of quality nuts or mix. Those you still have to lamb don't want to slip anymore and I would be increasing the nuts and lessening the sugar beet. Again you might find two feeds easier.


Are you lambing in or out?


I assume they have a lick bucket but I would also suggest a vitamin drench. Round here we are copper deficient and I think for the most Cumbria's grass in the more exposed, less fertile areas is probably not enough for Suffolks.




Lswswake

  • Joined Sep 2016
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2017, 08:21:39 am »
I was just going to ask the same question and like you its our first time lambing and we have suffolks - everyone seems to think its harder than we thought it would be - first two lambs aborted the vet thinks maybe twin lamb, then ever since not one has birthed unaided and only one is being fed by mum - despite our best efforts! We he 2 ewes left that still haven't delivered over a week after the rest and they have shown signs every day - husband was worried we had missed something bearing in mind they cant deliver unassisted! 

On a separate note I want to thank everyone on for advice as this forum has been consulted many times during the early hours

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #13 on: February 20, 2017, 09:25:43 am »
How many do you have and why has none birthed unaided? They are perfectly capable of birthing unaided.
Why are the ewes not feeding them. The lambs can be slow to get up and get going hence me saying they are hands on but they should get going on the ewe.

Sbom

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Staffordshire
Re: An odd start to lambing?
« Reply #14 on: February 20, 2017, 09:50:14 am »
How many do you have and why has none birthed unaided? They are perfectly capable of birthing unaided.


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