The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Hillview Farm on May 09, 2013, 11:06:37 am
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Three simple questions for more experienced people than me!
I have a field that I've split into 4. Each paddock should last me 2 weeks. My question is if I graze the first paddock down quiet short in 6 weeks time when they come back to it should there be enough grass re growth?
My second question is about Heptavacing my lambs. Is it an under the skin jab?
Lastly, roughly what price did commercial type lambs at weaning fetch last year?
Thanks all :)
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there you go again hillview, pinching all my questions ;D ;D ;D ;D . I think you must be just a week or 2 ahead of me in the cycle (I'm heptovacing or lamvacing week after next). I assumed it would be subcutanious in shoulder/neck like ewes but smaller weight appropriate dose. Sorry no answers... but enjoying keeping you company on the great sheepy learning journey!!!
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I think I must be! I thought it was subcutaneous and I know you give them 2ml.
Its always good when we can share :) :thumbsup:
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1. Piece of string, but probably long enough if not too long - how long would your garden lawn get if unmowed for 6 weeks? :o
2. Subcutaneous, yes. Often leaves a lump, so do it high up on the neck behind the ear, if you can - avoids getting nicked on shearing (next year for any retained lambs but later this for older sheep) and avoids any deductions / condemnations of better meat at the abbatoir.
3. Livestock marts normally keep records of weekly store lamb prices - look at your local mart's internet site, if not there, give them a ring and ask, or check the marts pages in your local paper (from appropriate weeks last year.) They vary across the country, but for example here (http://www.cdfarmersmart.co.uk/longtown/reports/store_sheep/2012/0807.html)'s my local mart's store and breeding sheep report from 7th August 2012
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FiB - the HeptavacP is a 2ml dose whether lamb or ewe to be vaccinated. So you give a 2ml dose at circa 3 weeks of age (or whatever fits your lambing age ranges) and then another 2mls 4 weeks later. Have someone hold the lamb for you as much easier than trying to hold lamb and push needle in at the same time (which is almost impossible with a lamb that wriggles!).
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Thank you sally! I suppose 6 weeks is quite a long time! And thank you for the tip as I would have never have though about that!
I will have a good look online and see what I can find out!
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3. Livestock marts normally keep records of weekly store lamb prices - look at your local mart's internet site, if not there, give them a ring and ask, or check the marts pages in your local paper (from appropriate weeks last year.) They vary across the country, but for example here (http://www.cdfarmersmart.co.uk/longtown/reports/store_sheep/2012/0807.html)'s my local mart's store and breeding sheep report from 7th August 2012
Or: bloody awful and I hope they are better this year.... :P
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:fc: for a better year!
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I am new to this too and the vet showed me how to inject my Coloured Ryeland ewes. Because they are SO wooly he sugested that I inject into the skin immediately behind a front leg, where it joins the body. One of the very few places where there is hardly any wool on a Ryeland. He advised me to just take care not to go straight through both pieces of skin with the needle and end up squirting the heptovac P onto the floor. He also told me to draw the plunger back slightly, once the needle was in, to make sure that no blood came back. Blood in the tube would show that I had gone into a blood vessel - which would be quite wrong for a subcutaineous injection. No pressure then! I did manage, but I am sure that doing it into the neck would probably be easier.