The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: vfr400boy on December 10, 2020, 08:30:31 pm
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So the lad I bought my lambs off last year is packing in with sheep to do more with goats n sheep ,
Hes asked me if I'd like to buy some in lamb ewes ones they have been scanned in January, I have use of a shed now wich I can set some laming pens up in etc the ewes are mules and have been put to a Suffolk ram , I work 9 to 5 but my wife works from home is it possible to lamb the ewes or am I best sticking to buying them in ??
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This is ther 3rd lot of lambs
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For in-door lambing it is best (IMO) to have someone there all the time, but if you are only lambing small numbers a camera may help - but your wife must be able to drop everything when a ewe starts having problems with her lambing.
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Good plan i never thort of a camera!
We planned on buying weand lambs again this year but when he told me he was packing in its got me thinking ha
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Experienced mule ewes should if you get the feeding right lamb them selves , if you get the choice after scanning go for all twins then it makes the feeding easy pre lambing and put a hand on their backs to check they are all in the same condition ,again makes feeding easier and since they are mules check their teeth ( nothing slack or very long ) You have the perfect chance to start from a very good place
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Hes wanting £120 each is this a fair price ? How easy is it to borrow a tup for next year ? If I get 4 I think I can hand shear them ?
Sorry for all the daft questions
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If they are scanned for twins and the ewes have good teeth it’s probably about right. You will need to shear them, it’s easier said than done to hand shear :roflanim: some people do loan tups out but it’s a biosecurity nightmare and can introduce disease / resistant worms / scab to your flock easily unless you fully quarantine the tup on arrival for a few weeks.
We’ve just put a Farmstream camera up in our shed and are very happy with it.
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If you are just breeding for lambs for meat, any tup lamb will do the job. You could leave one of your own tup lambs entire each year, use him and then eat him. (Son back to mother mating is fine, but you probably wouldn't keep a daughter of that mating for breeding.)
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2 crop mules scanned in lamb @ £ 120 is a good price , hand shearing of 4 sheep is not a difficult job just needs time and lots of you tube watching ,you can even tie their legs and clip lying on their sides or standing haltered to a gate . You could buy a ram lamb and then eat it or re sell or keep it for future use
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I have hand-clipped before, tied to a corner hurdle set-up on a halter. Works well, esp if the sheep is fairly relaxed. Four is easily done, one a day/evening.
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Thanks for all the replies, I think am going to give it a go feels like am jumping in at the deep end but life is to short not to try my 7 year old daughter is very excited a about the whole thing ,
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:thumbsup: the perfect chance you are being offered may not ever come again , plenty of knowledge for you to tap on the forum , don't be shy to ask even if we say not a clue ask a vet :sheep: :sheep:
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Told him I'd have 4 ewes!
I have use of a large stable ( its brand new never been used for large live stock only a few hens ) do I put ewes in to lambing pens or just leave them with the full stable?
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Leave them as a group until they lamb, then pen up the ewe with her lambs once they are born. Good luck :excited:
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Lambing ewes that have been there and done it all before is one of the best ways to get into lambing. I used to know an old farmer who only ever bought 3 crop ewes because he said that his days of staying up all night lambing were over. He used to have very few problems.
If you still have my contact number you can ring me up if you want any advice in the evening when vets are closed, or any other time. I still have your number so will text you if you've lost my details. :sunshine:
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Lambing ewes that have been there and done it all before is one of the best ways to get into lambing. I used to know an old farmer who only ever bought 3 crop ewes because he said that his days of staying up all night lambing were over. He used to have very few problems.
If you still have my contact number you can ring me up if you want any advice in the evening when vets are closed, or any other time. I still have your number so will text you if you've lost my details. :sunshine:
Wow thank you thats very kind I do stil have your number thank you
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So the lad am getting the sheep off is now not giving up his flock ??? How ever he said he will still honour his offer of buying some ewes, because of the wet weather he has not managed to get the ewes scanned so can't be sure who's carrying what, but he did say he will lamb them and let me have them lambs at foot wich takes the pressure off me loads ! My daughter is a bit disappointed but I feel some what relieved ha
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make sure he honours the price too! and ensure all lambs he sells you have had colostrum at birth. and dont accept just the four he offers you ask to select from a group of at least 8 ..... or you will be dumped with his worst 4 ..... which are probably the wildest (they would certainly be the first ones I would dispose of)
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I’m not sure why he couldn’t get them scanned... the weather doesn’t really affect scanning? I would expect to pay more though, he has done all the hard work of lambing. A good mule ewe with twins at foot is worth far more than the £120 he quoted for in lamb ewes.
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He says field was 2 wet to get the scan mans truck in ?
How much is a mule worth with lambs? Just a ball park figure? Thanks
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Anywhere from £50 to £90 per life depending on how all are doing condition wise
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So any time now we are getting our ewes with lambs, and we are going to have a go with any pet lambs he has , off to BATA today for milk some bottles and teats , lad is lending me a bucket with teats on to , is they anything else I will need ,,, iv got a heat lamp
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Exciting! :yippee: :yippee:
You won't need a heat lamp. Healthy lambs under cover do not need heat, and too much heat is dangerous. I would only ever use a heat lamp (or the Rayburn :)) on a newborn or very nearly newborn that's foundered outside and is actually hypothermic, too cold to feed. Assuming you are getting lambs who are already on the bottle and have had colostrum, this won't be the case (and you shouldn't need a stomach tube either for the same reason, although it's an essential if you are lambing yourself, as would be Kick Start or Co-Late or similar, and glucose powder.)
The supplier will have ringed the boys' testicles, and the tails if you are wanting them tailed?
You will need straw for bedding, nice soft hay to teach them to eat forage, sterilising fluid (Miltons or Capriclense or similar), lamb feed (you can get lamb creep pellets but I have always found they take to a simple mix better, eg., Champion Tup & Lamb) and something to feed it in, and a bowl for water. (I use a ceramic dog water bowl when they're tiny, moving up to a bucket when they are bigger.)
Personally I would have Rehydion or PFS (Pfizer Scour Formula) to hand just in case one of them gets squitty. (A lot of people say that including a dollop of fresh, clean probiotic yoghurt in each batch of milk will help them to not get squitty.)
Some lime or similar is a good idea to clean a pen if someone has has the squits, but you can get that if you need it.
Enjoy! And feel free to shower us with piccies and stories... :)
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Thanks for the reply, I was wondering about feed creep or mix but read different things on it , I will grab a bag of mix , yes he said he will ring the tails and testicles , iv also asked for a ram lamb not related to our ewes not to be rung than her can be used be been sent on his way or possibly keep him depending on our situation down the line , so best to to use the lamp then they will be In a 8x4 pen in my shed for the first 2 weeks then down to the stable,
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:thumbsup: Remember all the sheep including lambs need at least one ear tag ( ewes two )before they leave his place and a good worm dose (ZOLVIX ) for the ewes before leaving as well
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I was going to say make sure the ewes are double tagged and the lambs have a slaughter tag as minimum. Get a movement book to record on/off movements and ensure the paper forms are all completed and sent off. Zolvix and 48hrs inside for ewes before they touch your fields.
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So best to to use the lamp then they will be In a 8x4 pen in my shed for the first 2 weeks then down to the stable,
No, no lamp. Lambs are covered in wool, so as long as they are healthy and eating well, and have a nice straw bed, shelter from rain and drafts, they absolutely do not need any additional heat at all.
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Thanks for the reply, I was wondering about feed creep or mix but read different things on it , I will grab a bag of mix , yes he said he will ring the tails and testicles , iv also asked for a ram lamb not related to our ewes not to be rung than her can be used be been sent on his way or possibly keep him depending on our situation down the line , so best to to use the lamp then they will be In a 8x4 pen in my shed for the first 2 weeks then down to the stable,
Absolutely do not keep a hand reared lamb as a breeding ram- pet lambs have no fear of people and can be very very dangerous as entire rams. You want a ram that does not want to be near you, that moves away from you when you get too close to him, not a pet that always wants to be in your pocket and will one day knock you over or worse.
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So best to to use the lamp then they will be In a 8x4 pen in my shed for the first 2 weeks then down to the stable,
No, no lamp. Lambs are covered in wool, so as long as they are healthy and eating well, and have a nice straw bed, shelter from rain and drafts, they absolutely do not need any additional heat at all.
Was a mistake was ment to say best not !
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Thanks for the reply, I was wondering about feed creep or mix but read different things on it , I will grab a bag of mix , yes he said he will ring the tails and testicles , iv also asked for a ram lamb not related to our ewes not to be rung than her can be used be been sent on his way or possibly keep him depending on our situation down the line , so best to to use the lamp then they will be In a 8x4 pen in my shed for the first 2 weeks then down to the stable,
Absolutely do not keep a hand reared lamb as a breeding ram- pet lambs have no fear of people and can be very very dangerous as entire rams. You want a ram that does not want to be near you, that moves away from you when you get too close to him, not a pet that always wants to be in your pocket and will one day knock you over or worse.
Well spotted. twiz. Yes, seriously bad plan to use a bottle lamb as a ram.
Are you going to be breeding to produce more breeding ewes, or just for lambs for the freezer? If the latter, it would be fine to keep one of the ram lambs from the ewes to father the next lot - if it's not too late, that is. They may all be ringed already.
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the first sheep we had here 8 years ago was a male entire orphan lamb (commercial mix). He was a great little lamb got called Eddie (after the farmer who gave him to us). He was such a lovely pet to everyone, I had him vaccectomised and he lives here still giving cuddles to all who go to see him (grandchildren and holiday makers love him) and has a commercial use 10 days every year in the autumn.