The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: freethyme on April 14, 2014, 06:17:27 pm
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Advice wanted please.
I have got 6 Cade lambs, all doing very well and are around five weeks old. They are out on the grass in the day now and have access to the building for cover and keep warm under the heat lamp etc, and locked away before dark.
At what age is it considered ok to put them out in the field and not lock them away at night, the field has a shelter but no front to secure away from Mr fox. Their present accommodation only has access to a very small grassed area.
At what age are lambs considered safe from the fox.
Thanks for help
Nigel
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Mine are 6, 8 and 10 weeks old and still out in our garden but they are out at night. I would say about 8-10 weeks and they should be ok in a field at night on their own.
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2 years ago I had mine out on thier own at just before 3 weeks, last year at 3 weeks and no idea what yet for this year, probly later because of the shepherdess
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Mine has been out since 2 weeks, being as it has been so mild and he is a particularly heavy and strong lamb.....but he is with my flock of 12 ewes and cuddles up with other lambs. It was prob between 2 and 3 weeks... As soon as I ditched the middle of the night feed.
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I will say though that ours go out later as the side of the farm they go out to grass at has 6 or 7 active badger sets and backs onto a woods so foxes are fairly active too.
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we were warned about foxes when we first had cade lambs, that was the only year we didn't have ewes to protect them. personally id wait a good 2 months or until they are a pest to catch.
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Thanks for all the help. I will lock them away at night until they are eight weeks old.
Again, thank you
Nigel
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I never leave mine out until at least 8wks as foxes and badgers are our problem.