The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: piggy on July 27, 2010, 02:00:28 pm
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I know its very early to be thinking about this but want enough time to plan/build and make sure its right.
I have an area of about 40m x 40m that my neighbour flattened and build banks around three sides the other side is the wall of our yard with a gate through to it,the plan was to turn it into an outdoor all weather surface but after a long and hard think about it for the money it would cost i just dont think it would be used enough and we do have a perflectly good field to ride in.
My new plan is to put some sort of building on there,was thinking about a couple of large field shelters and the area stock fenced and then a gate leading to my top field.
I have never lambed before but am doing as much reading as i can, would they need to come and be shut in the shelters or just brought down into the smaller area a few days before or let them have access to the big field and the smaller area with the shelters in and let them choose.They are Soays by the way and have all lambed before.
What do you all do?
Any suggestions or ideas would be great.
Thanks
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They are Soays by the way and have all lambed before.
What do you all do?
Any suggestions or ideas would be great.
Thanks
My Soays would rather stay outside I think ...... They don't like being enclosed.
They have a tendency to hide in a corner at the end of the field, then come back with a lamb or two later. I have constructed a shelter where I could bring them, but not one ewe came anywhere near it at lambing time. Mind you, the young lambs played in & out of it later!
John
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Mine don't like being under cover either. We've just leave them outside when we lamb around end March beginning April. Next year we will pen them in outside using metal gates when we see they are close to giving birth. We did this for our last lambing ewe and it was so much less stressful as she couldn't wander around once lamb was born and she bonded much quicker. We only have three breeding ewes so this method is quite easy do.
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If you plan to build any kind of structure with roof etc you will need some sort of planning permission, probably agricultural notice, but I would advise you to ring the planning department early on and discuss with them.
My ewes (shetlands and crosses) are outside in a small field close to my hayshed (it is 8ft by 24 ft, so not massive, and has one side completely open)(the last lot of hay is moved into the still empty polytunnel), we put up our pens in there and also have an area under cover for the ewes if they choose to come under cover. This year about half of them lambed in there. There is an electrical supply for emergency (flood) light and for heat lamp. Worked well for my 15 ewes, and I think will be ok for up to 25.
Read Tim Tyne's sheep book and try to go to a neighbours farm to get some experience. I love lambing time, even though it is soooo exhausting (when also trying to milk goats and get the polytunnel started...)
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Anke is right about needing to get planning approval - make sure they know the shelters are for sheep not horses as the rules are different. The permission you need is not the kind which costs anything - ours was given verbally after a quick visit, tacked onto the permission for my Wool Shed.
My Soays also don't like to lamb indoors or even in the shelters, but once their lambs are up and bonded they do like to take them into shelter. Our shelters are small low wooden structures with one side open, purely for shelter from the rain and snow for both ewes and lambs.
Your Soays will prefer to choose where they are going to lamb, usually in a distant corner of a field, but if you want them to be catchable then having them in a smaller area is a good idea. You don't need great lambing sheds like the commercial boys have, just something to keep the rain and wind off. A choice of two or three will prevent a ewe low on the pecking order from finding nowhere to shelter her lambs.
Soays are horribly nosey at lambing time and will pester ewes about to lamb, hoping to be first to see the new arrivals. Those that haven't yet lambed will always visit new lambs to be introduced.
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My goats are seen to peer over the fence to have a look at the new (lamb) arrivals! Especially if it was a ewe that was bit louder when giving birth (the Bowmonts make quite a bit of noise). Very funny to see, I just need to watch my goats to see if a ewe has lambed...
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My Ryelands are quite happy lambing outside then I bring the ewe and young lambs into the home paddock where I have built a small shelter out of pallets just so that the lambs can step out of the rain. I keep them in the home paddock for a few weeks until the lambs are strong and not at as much risk from the foxes and then they join the flock again. This system works well and has the added advantage that I can watch lambs from the kitchen and bedroom window
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My Comments on this are:
First year we lambed - they all popped out no problem.
Year before last: had to "assist" with 70% of the lambs!!! if these had been outside at night, as they were, then Im sure we would have lost a lot of lambs.
Now we get them all inside just before lambing, and make sure there is plenty of light available.
Thanks