The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: ewesaidit on February 17, 2015, 07:46:09 pm

Title: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: ewesaidit on February 17, 2015, 07:46:09 pm
Hi - any tips very welcome ......

I have a ewe with twin lambs, now three weeks old.  A bit shocked at how much weight she has lost. 

At lambing she was in great order - condition score 3.5 or a bit more but can now feel her bones!   

She has ad lib hay and is getting 18% protein ewe mix twice a day - about 1kg over two feeds.  I fluked and wormed her over the weekend.

I know they can 'milk off their back' and expect weight loss in ewes but haven't had one to this extent before.

I appreciate I'm unlikely to be able to get her to gain a lot of weight at this stage with lambs at foot but would like to support her as much as possible
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: ZaktheLad on February 17, 2015, 08:14:08 pm
How about giving her some conditioning drench. The nettex one is very good.  Also you could try feeding her some rye grass haylage (the red bag one from marksway is good for weight gain) or some alfafa, again some are formulated to help with weight gain.
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: Marches Farmer on February 17, 2015, 08:23:59 pm
Can you give the lambs a bit of help?  Do they have access to creep feed and good grazing?  If they begin to fill up with stuff that takes longer to digest it'll take the load off her.
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: clydesdaleclopper on February 17, 2015, 09:30:29 pm
try sprouting some black sunflower seeds for her to add to her feed.
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: Old Shep on February 17, 2015, 10:24:51 pm
Sounds simple but feed her more of her usual feed? Instructions on bags are guidelines only.
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: ewesaidit on February 17, 2015, 10:27:52 pm
Thanks for the replies so far.   :thumbsup:

Hoping to be able to move things around at the weekend to be able to create a creep area for the lambs.

No grass to speak of here at this time of year so getting out with lambs for a runabout during the day more for a bit of exercise than to eat (have access to hay though)

Hay is good quality but might try and get some haylage as she's more likely to get through it quicker?
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: ewesaidit on February 17, 2015, 10:33:33 pm
Thanks Old Shep          Was a bit worried about upping her concentrates too much (in relation to how much hay she eats) in case it causes other problems i.e. scouring/acidiosis - thought she would need more fibre?     

Pre lambing was mixing soaked sugar beet in to the feeds - maybe I should go back to doing that or giving a separate soaked beet feed?
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: Crbecky10 on February 17, 2015, 10:42:30 pm
It sounds like the amounts you're giving her are fine. Your feed will be good at 18% protein,  is it 'good' quality? Feed made with the best ingredients always makes a difference. Try to help the lambs out as much as possible, creep, hay, is she milking them well?
Hope this helps  :)
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: Anke on February 18, 2015, 09:58:29 am
My goats go mad for Readigrass at this time of year. Not sure if sheep will touch it though. If you can get a smallish quantity from a horsekeeper maybe to try?
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: Bramblecot on February 18, 2015, 11:47:58 am
Winter 'greens' - kale, cabbage, cauli leaves etc.  Some of mine love them once they get the taste.
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: Marches Farmer on February 18, 2015, 11:57:59 am
Not much in the way of protein or calories, though ...?
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: clydesdaleclopper on February 18, 2015, 12:13:39 pm
Not much in the way of protein or calories, though ...?


That's why I suggested the sunflower seeds - they are packed with protein and minerals
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: Bramblecot on February 18, 2015, 12:56:45 pm
Op wanted to introduce more fibre as there is no grass, and ewe already has 1kg of conc. a day.    My vet advises absolute max. of 1.5kg conc. at 18% protein a day, always split into several feeds.

Personally, I would feed up the lambs if ewe is losing too much condition.
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: Anke on February 18, 2015, 01:13:07 pm
Readigrass has 15% protein, so not low and definitely higher than hay or haylage.

But I agree, getting some creep into the lambs will help, as they are 3 weeks old.
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: Badger Nadgers on February 18, 2015, 01:51:24 pm
Do you put a glucose bucket out for them before lambing?
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: ewesaidit on February 18, 2015, 08:21:06 pm
Thanks for the further replies everyone.

To pick up on the points made ...

My ewes are fed well 6 wks prior to lambing and have a Lifeline pre-lambing bucket plus a high energy bucket to choose from.  The ewe was in good condition immediately before lambing.  She's doing a great job of her lambs and is eating fine. 

Think getting creep available to the lambs is the priority then judging by the comments, thanks

I would normally have a creep area set up for them before now but space is limited and because I'm topping up a couple of other ewes triplets it's been easier to keep them in separate pens so I don't get mugged by a wee gang of lambs fighting over bottles ...... so I haven't had enough space to be able to organise creep yet.     

At the weekend I'll be re-organising such that I can set up a creep pen (and tail off the topping up)

Couldn't get readigrass but have bought a bag of Timothy haylage today (with a view to her getting more of it in to her than hay?)

Did wonder about whether Cetophyton would do any harm/some good at this stage.   Have some left over that might be out of date for next year so should I just give her some of that over a few days?

thanks again
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: princesslayer on February 18, 2015, 08:40:27 pm
Winter 'greens' - kale, cabbage, cauli leaves etc.  Some of mine love them once they get the taste.

Glad you said this Bramblecot -mine have just suddenly polished off all the leftover purple sprouting broccoli I had abandoned! I'm hoping it won't do them any harm!  Might make them a bit farty, I suppose...   ;D
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: farmvet on February 18, 2015, 10:29:14 pm
Neeps.  You can probably buy some from a neighbouring farmer?  around £5/tonne this year but guess you dont need many!
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: ewesaidit on February 19, 2015, 07:16:28 pm
Update .....   :( :'( :( ewe now has mastitis and her three and a half week old lambs not willing to take a bottle .... aargh!
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: SallyintNorth on February 19, 2015, 07:26:56 pm
Oh dear.  :fc: the lambies come around to the bottle quickly.  And/or that prompt treatment gets their mum back on track quickly.   :hug:
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: Bramblecot on February 19, 2015, 08:06:06 pm
Poor ewe :hugsheep: , and poor you :hug: .  I hope it works out ok.
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: ewesaidit on February 19, 2015, 11:00:40 pm
Thanks for the hugs    :)

Have given antibiotic and metacam and managed to feed her some soaked sugar beet at 10pm without the other ewes realising and kicking off -  :relief: Tried her two tup lambs again with the bottle.  They weren't quite as 'OMG who's this trying to kill me' as last time but still didn't 'get' the sucking technique.  Hopefully they will be a bit more relaxed next time. 

Couldn't get any milk out of the dodgy side .... hard-ish warm not hot area at the bottom of the left quarter but soft above that  - would you encourage lambs to suck i.e. by holding the ewe - read this somewhere but not sure if it's beneficial,  'cruel to be kind' or just cruel??
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: clydesdaleclopper on February 20, 2015, 09:06:06 am
Certainly in humans they recommend getting the baby to help clear it by feeding lots from the affected side.
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: Anke on February 20, 2015, 12:02:50 pm
The goo inside the infected quarter has to come out, one way or another.... if the lambs suckle then yes let them, however you may have to try and strip her out yourself.
Title: Re: any tips for helping thin ewe with lambs at foot
Post by: ewesaidit on February 20, 2015, 07:51:40 pm
Quick update .... ewe much brighter tonight and she invited both of her lambs in to suck (briefly) a couple of times so hopefully all will be well.  :excited:

Thanks again everyone