The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: andywalt on January 04, 2011, 06:13:22 pm

Title: Vitimin drench before lambing?
Post by: andywalt on January 04, 2011, 06:13:22 pm
Hi

Does everyone routinely give a vitimin drench before lambing? they have had a lick and now have a sheep salt lick too, please let me know what you do?  also when I bring them inside the barn on saturday would you recommend that they are put straight into individual pens to settle down or would you set up one large pen and seperate them once they have lambed?


many thanks


andy
Title: Re: Vitimin drench before lambing?
Post by: VSS on January 04, 2011, 07:22:26 pm
We are giving a drench four weeks before lambing BUT, this is because we have an identified vitimin mineral imbalance problem on our land that needs to be rectified.

I am rather sceptical about the benefits otherwise.
Title: Re: Vitimin drench before lambing?
Post by: katie on January 04, 2011, 07:53:20 pm
We don't give a drench. They have a high protein lick and we will start feeding 6 weeks or so before lambing. We put ours in a big pen, then move them into individual 'mothering up ' pens once they have lambed.
Title: Re: Vitimin drench before lambing?
Post by: NLL on January 04, 2011, 07:56:42 pm
no we give nothing. we have the ewes in a big pen and when they have lambed we put them into the individual pens,this saves infections being put into the pens. cleaned and disinfecty each pen thoroughly after use.
Title: Re: Vitimin drench before lambing?
Post by: Hermit on January 04, 2011, 07:57:46 pm
We give ours lifeline lick buckets but cant help you with lambing indoors as we have Shetlands and lamb outdoors.
Title: Re: Vitimin drench before lambing?
Post by: waterhouse on January 04, 2011, 08:32:39 pm
We don't have enough indoors and the diligent staff of the planning department aren't going to help so we've moved the girls into a sheltered paddock next to the house and next to a small covered area where we have set up a couple of pens.  Sods law means that theres two or three weeks between each due date (comes from buying-in the ewes).

I think it's inevitable that lambing will be out of doors.  There's heavy rain due in a few days and I have a feeling what's going to happen.
Title: Re: Vitimin drench before lambing?
Post by: Rosemary on January 04, 2011, 08:44:26 pm
Ours have a vitamin / mineral lick and will get a bit of hard feed if they need it. Ours lamb outside but I have small mothering pens that I put them into after lambing for a few days until I'm sure the lambs are suckling properly and that the ewe has recovered.
Title: Re: Vitimin drench before lambing?
Post by: andywalt on January 04, 2011, 08:50:26 pm
Thanks very much for all your replys, I had to buy a litre of min/vit drench as one ewe was looking miserable, so as I have 100 doses I wanted to ask to see if anyone gave as a routine dose, as I have it I will give it.

and I will make a large pen with the hurdles and as they lamb will make seperate pens.


cheers all