The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Connor on March 16, 2014, 03:24:22 pm

Title: When do the lambs go?
Post by: Connor on March 16, 2014, 03:24:22 pm

I have a ewe lamb and ram lamb at foot so was wondering when do they stop feeding from their mum and was meal should i move them onto the ram lamb is going for meat but not sure about ewe lamb

Title: Re: When do the lambs go?
Post by: Marches Farmer on March 16, 2014, 03:58:37 pm

I usually wean the lambs at 16 weeks.  Well grown by then and rarely suckling.  Leave them on familiar ground and move the ewe onto poor grazing out of sight and sound of the lambs.  They'll both call for each other for a day or two but once the ewe's udder starts to dry up and she's comfortable again she'll stop and so will they.

Title: Re: When do the lambs go?
Post by: Womble on March 17, 2014, 11:55:36 am

So how do you achieve 'out of sight and sound' on only a few acres?  I could put the lambs in the hay shed for a week and buy them each an iPod, but failing that....  ???

Title: Re: When do the lambs go?
Post by: Foobar on March 17, 2014, 12:26:31 pm

They don't have to be out of sight and sound.  Being opposite sides of a fence would be adequate, although more noisy for a while :).

Title: Re: When do the lambs go?
Post by: Anke on March 17, 2014, 01:04:46 pm

If the boy is intact you may want to make sure he is out of reach of BOTH females by 16 weeks....

Title: Re: When do the lambs go?
Post by: Hillview Farm on March 17, 2014, 01:44:23 pm

We have always even with cattle, done contact weaning, put them on the other side of the fence so they can talk and I find it less stressful! But then your ewe will be lonely once the lambs go off

Title: Re: When do the lambs go?
Post by: JulieWall on March 17, 2014, 02:05:08 pm

I leave mine together until I want to fatten up the ewes in early August. Lambs get de-balled anyway so it's not an issue. If like us you only have a few acres you may find this easier as long as there is enough grass to fatten up the ewes in time for tupping. I've done this for over 20 years with a small flock, never had a case of mastitis and never needed to buy creep feed. Frankly, I would never keep my ewes from getting overweight if I took their lambs away. The ewes walk away after a few seconds of suckling from an older lamb anyway, they'll do their own weaning.
Without knowing the age and condition of your ewes, how much grass you have and what quality it is and a bunch of other factors I wouldn't presume to give you advice based on my own experience to be honest, just wanted to say that under some conditions you can leave them together.
Use your best judgement and if something seems to make sense, it probably does.