The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: maddy on December 10, 2015, 04:24:47 pm
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I know we are not underwater like the poor people in Cumbria but our fields being clay are absolutely muddy and puddly. My 9 ryelands alternate between having sore feet where the clay builds up and gets between their toes. Do you think it is going to cause them to lose loads of weight etc etc. They are in lamb for end of March so bit too soon to get them in. We only have 2 fairly large fields which we alternate between but already used the one remaining field up and the first has had no time to recover with all the rain we have had.
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Are they looking dejected and miserable? If they're not wanting to walk around the fields much or eat much then I would bring them in as they would at least keep their weight indoors. No point in leaving them in the wet, if they're not doing much. The thing is have you enough space to keep them indoors until the wet weather goes away?
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Divide your fields up with electric fence?
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When it was horrendhously wet for months a couple of Winters ago we got our March-lambing flock in soon after Christmas (had to buy in some extra hay) and put them out again just long enough to muck out and bed down the shed again ready for lambing. The ewe' stayed in good health and we didn't lose a lamb, although it was hard work for us. Mud can cause shelly hoof, which can limit grazing time, so you might want to start giving them hard feed a bit earlier if you decide to leave them out.
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I have clay soil and like you it doesn't take much rain to make a mess. We have put mats down in gateways which has helped a lot, mine are lucky to have an area indoors to lay up in, so, they wonder round the fields and then come in. If they can not access a dry area I'd get them in. Good luck with them and your lambing :hugsheep: :hugsheep: :merryxmas: