The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: jack on November 06, 2010, 09:40:21 am
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I live near Burnham On Crouch is there anyone local that could do my 2 lambs for me I am more than willing to pay your price for this . .
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why are they messy, have you wormed them at all ,or changed their food. it isnt too difficult to dag them if you have someone to help hold them,you could do their feet at the same time. i am miles away from you but i should think there will be someone nearby to help.
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It's fairly straightforward, just get a cheap pair of dagging shears and take it slow. If you are going to keep them you need to learn to look after them, including the stinky dirty bits!
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... just read all the original message. If you handle them quietly and can get them in a pen if they get used to you restraining them by putting hand under chin and just gently lift the head (no pressure or they will fight) and put other hand near bum to keep them still, you will find they get used to it and will happily let you dag without a fight. I can manage to do mine either by holding them against the fieldshelter wall or if I have a really tame ewe or lamb next to the one you want to dag after the first few secs they can be fine.
I find farmers/men tend to be very heavy handed and I prefer to handle mine quietly without scaring them that way they will walk in quietly when I need without panic. Having said that there are times I have to grin and bare it and ask for help however almost have them trained to let me do the work and they just catch or hold!
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As mentioned in the previous post, The easiest way to restrain them is with a halter, or a rope round the neck. (Tie a knot in the rope to stop it tightening up too much and strangling sheep.) Then hold the sheep up against the fence (to which you have tied it) using your knee. It then can't go anywhere and you can bend over and trim it in your own time. Of COURSE it wont like being restrained if it's your typical spoilt pet lamb. Tough. What's worse - getting maggots and being eaten alive or being held against it's will and being cleaned up. You can't make an omlette without breaking eggs so stop worrying about about the sheep's feelings and get on with it!
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If you can't manage it yourself would your vets be able to provide someone ( not necessarily a vet) who could help?
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Is there a farmer nearby who will help?
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Is there a farmer nearby who will help?
Living in the crowded South-East we can find neither friendly farmers not friendly contractors. Although some of my friends are farmers there's now such a gap between the 2,000 acre plus farmer and the smallholder that it really means only that I can easily get red diesel. My nearest friend (at 1800 acres he admits to being marginal) has traded in his combine for a new model and written a cheque for over £100k. His tractors are hugely powerful monsters that just fit the 12' gateways and the kit he sticks on the back is too vast for my 6 acres
Because employees are expensive the farmers have more kit than staff and hire people when they need them. (I don't envy the farmer who still works long hours, has huge money tied up in assets and makes an unpredictable return because of commodity prices and the vagaries of weather). Where we are the contractors all seem to be very busy and expensive.
In summary we find it impossible to get anything done by others except at the wrong time and for a big price. Last year we wrote off the hay crop because we could not get it cut and baled. We find ourselves acquiring kit that could be shared over much larger acreages but won't be. I have a 15 yo tractor that has done 3000 hours while the liming contractor had done more hours on his 2 year old. He spread 10 tons of lime in 20 minutes but at an eye-watering cost.
Still one of the benefits is that we are surrounded by people who own their land only because they don't want anyone else on it. So we get to use it free of charge.