The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Llandovery Lass on May 02, 2011, 12:26:58 pm

Title: Orphans out!
Post by: Llandovery Lass on May 02, 2011, 12:26:58 pm
Yesterday we finished the fencing and have just let fifteen of them out. They can have the bucket night and morning for a while as their creep and hay is in the shed. I hope they will be so used to coming in and out I'll have no trouble catching any of them if I need to. Meg our Colie is very excited, will have to keep a close watch.
Title: Re: Orphans out!
Post by: princesspiggy on May 02, 2011, 04:57:56 pm
did u have 15 orphans?  :o
Title: Re: Orphans out!
Post by: Llandovery Lass on May 02, 2011, 06:02:29 pm
20 no ewes (it's a long story), phew, I'm hopeless, they are all back in for the night, tucking into the shepherdess, will I really be able to wean them, they were bleating as if I'd given them nothing to eat.
Title: Re: Orphans out!
Post by: ellisr on May 02, 2011, 07:25:40 pm
be strong and you will know the day when they don't need milk normally a couple of weeks after you see them eating grass properly. Mine have always been between 7 and 9 weeks when the interest in the milk bucket has not been as strong so I take them to milk at night only and then a week later I phase that out. From them being young I take another bucket with me along with the milk bucket it has a coule of handfuls of creep or ewe nuts in and I shake it and call so they get used to the sound and associate it with food so I can get them in or check them. It also puts them in good stead for when they go in with the flock as that is how I bring them down to be checked.
Title: Re: Orphans out!
Post by: andywalt on May 06, 2011, 04:52:26 pm
Any photos, we would all like to see them !!!  PLEASE
Title: Re: Orphans out!
Post by: Crazyhorse on May 06, 2011, 05:32:22 pm
Llandovery Lass has asked me to post these two short clips of the wild bunch !
23042011013 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQc2XGXEPPk#ws)
Lambscharging (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL2---m7p6g#ws)
Title: Re: Orphans out!
Post by: andywalt on May 06, 2011, 10:36:06 pm
great to see a little film of them cheers !!!!
Title: Re: Orphans out!
Post by: houndsfield on May 07, 2011, 12:18:07 am
nice to hear someone else has orphans  :sheep: :sheep:, l have 40 of them my do the same, l have them out bucket morning and night and creep and water ad lib,
in at night but they are free to go out in the night if they so wish,.  :sheep: :sheep: