The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Crossways on January 01, 2015, 08:54:14 am
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Hello,
First time post but a long time follower!
I've got a fat shearling ewe who has been scanned to have twins. She has had no feed at all and been quite tight on grass so she's just a good converter! I'd say she's a 3.5-4 condition score (can just feel her spine). I asked my vet if I should put her in with the singles so she doesn't over pig herself and she said no matter what I do she's at high risk to prolapse and under feeding will lead to twin lamb which is not an experience I want to live through again after last year with an old ewe with triplets.
Could anyone give me advice and opinions?
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I presume that practically you have 2 options:
1. Keep her with twin bearing ewes which will be on something like ad lib hay/grass until concentrate feeding starts at about 8 weeks before lambing.
2. Keep her with singles who will get less concentates from maybe 6 weeks before.
So - presuming you're not going to keep her on her own, I would put her with the singles so at least she gets some form of supplementation and extra energy in those vital weeks up to lambing. Whatever you do the important thing is to keep an eye on her.
She'll probably be fine. :fc:
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The fact that she's having twins, rather than a monster single, is in her favour.
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It would probably be best to keep her with the singles, which I'm assuming you feed/will feed a lesser amount of concentrates, as she'll loose weight while she's in lamb, most in the last 4-6 weeks.
However as a shearling she's probably better being fat rather than too thin, she'll need to be in good condition to feed both lambs well.
Hope it all goes ok :)
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I'd keep with the singles and make sure she has access to a high energy lick.
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Thank you :thumbsup:
I will be getting lifeline buckets soon :)
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I think prolapsing depends on the individual ewe - I've had ewes that looked like a club sofa waddling up the field for two months before delivering twins with no problems whatsoever (fed them for a single) and occasionally ewes in perfect condition for lambing that had prolapses the size of rugby balls and had to have Caesarians (Lleyns - never again!)
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i have to go with marches farmer on this, prolapseing is not your priority, twin lamb is. whether a ewe prolapses is almost beyond your control, the only thing i can suggest is that you keep her close the last 6 weeks and get a harness.if she does throw a prolapse get the vet to stich her up and go from there, ive had this almost every year, and cull her later. i must have had half a dozon prolapse to greater or lesser degree and only had one die(from infection) and exept for the dead beast i got happy healthy babies and the mother was fine to raise her lambs.
anyhoo best of luck dont fret to much, and dont put too much weight on things like condition scoring its a helpfull guide, not an exact science
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When you start feeding - don't feed beet pulp, feed ewe nuts. Beet pulp can lead to prolapsing.
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When you start feeding - don't feed beet pulp, feed ewe nuts. Beet pulp can lead to prolapsing.
Interesting. Why is that? I don't use beat pulp myself, but it's valuable info to know. Are there other feedstuffs which promote prolapsing? :sheep:
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Without wishing to be controversial, I would give the opposite advice.
Given it is generally agreed that the bigger potential danger to this ewe is that of twin lamb disease rather than prolapse, then it is vital to keep her energy levels up.
Molassed sugar beet pulp has a higher ME (metabolic energy) than ewe nuts, so to me would be the ideal thing to feed her. For many years I gave my pregnant ewes a mixture of sugar beet pulp and maize gluten, 50:50, and never had a single prolapse.
There's greater risk of prolapse feeding actual sugar beet,which is bulky, but not from the dried pulp.
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I've always culled for prolapse apart from one ewe (OK, a favourite, but she did produced cracking twin ewe lambs every year) where I injected her with 10ml Calciject weekly for the last month of pregnancy. Worked two years running and she produced large twins with no problem at all. I've also refined and refined my feeding regime over the years and haven't seen a prolapse for around five years. Feeding is always cited but I think physical activity also has a part to play. I don't house ewes until six days before the first lamb is due as I think it's better for the ewes to be hauling themselves up and down our hilly land than mooching around doing very little in the shed. More opportunity for the lambs to have gravity on their side and at least be lying along the belly line rather than getting tangled up because the ewe's lying down a lot.
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I've also refined and refined my feeding regime over the years and haven't seen a prolapse for around five years
Marches Farmer- can you share your regime at all?
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Feeding Schedule: I would first emphasise that this is for Southdowns + Badger Face at condition score 3-3.5, high health closed flock on a windy hilltop, heavy clay, ancient meadow, lambing mid March, tups in for only 19 days and ewes housed six days before lambing and any problems culled out. That said, I start at lambing date minus 6 weeks feeding twice a day, 50g per ewe. Minus 5 weeks is 100g/ewe. At minus 4 weeks the ewes are vaccinated and split into singles and doubles - singles stay on 100g, doubles 200g. Minus 3 weeks: singles 150g and doubles 300g. Minus 2 weeks: singles stay on 150g, doubles 400g. Minus 1 week: singles 250g, doubles 450g. Once the ewes are turned out I continue feeding them all together at 150g per lamb until lambing's finished, on the basis that those last to lamb will have had more feed and the grass will then be growing away well. Hay is normally only fed when they're in the shed, unless the weather dictates otherwise.
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Fantastic- that's a great starting point for me!
RE the fat ewe with twins, would you still feed her at your normal doubles rate to reduce the chance of twin-lamb, or less because she's fat? (I also have a fatty!) :innocent:
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I'd be inclined to feed for a single but keep a close eye on her and maybe increase it if the weather's really cold or wet or if she's limping and unable to fully utilise the available grazing. I'd also condition score her every week as she gets near to lambing - our Badger Face look eeeenormous at the moment but when you feel their spinal processes are actually just about cs3 .
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When you start feeding - don't feed beet pulp, feed ewe nuts. Beet pulp can lead to prolapsing.
Interesting. Why is that? I don't use beat pulp myself, but it's valuable info to know. Are there other feedstuffs which promote prolapsing? :sheep:
not actually sure why fleecewife but heard it both from vets and farmers and by a friends costly experience. I think beet pulp is good for bulking up buthasnt got the nutrients.
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Wonder if the nuitritional content would vary with the soil they're grown in? Last year, for instance, neighbours who grew their own fodder beet had huge roots to pull, but I doubt the feed value was particularly good because the heavy rainfall over the winter had washed nutrients down further than usual into the soil.