The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: bazzais on February 25, 2010, 06:38:23 pm
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Not having a lack of barn space I have had my :sheep: in at nights.
Trouble is me and the misses have been a little ill over the last few days and last night was its normal struggle to get out in the shed for feeding and watering the :sheep: and :horse: the thing is 'we' accidental left the water on over night and flooded the barn :( so they cant come in tonight.
The youngest is a month old and the oldest two months so they are perfectly ok to go out - but its still a worry.
Poor little lambies :(
Ta
Baz
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Hi,
If you are concerned about leaving lambs out at night - especially in the cold / wet / wind consider something like Lamb-Macs - they can help prevent hyperthermia in new lambs left out.
Thanks
Gareth
www.suppliesforsmallholders.co.uk
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If you decide on Lamb Macs...PLEASE remember to collect them up afterwards...one of my neighbours lost a calf that choked on one that had blown onto his land from another farm where the Shepherd just left them in the field...
farmer, :farmer:
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Good Point,
Like with most things - clear away when finished.
Can't count the number of times I have fallen flat due to disgarded Baler Twine!
Thanks
Gareth
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Stapples are not good only for fixing wire to posts :farmer:
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......but also for putting holes in tyres!!! so many holes in tyres...... bloody staples and old fence.
I must admit that with the winds up here we have to put all our plastic under at least a couple of breeze blocks. It still gets everywhere thought. I cant understand how the wind unwraps the plastic off the bail!!! I need to hire someone with a machine to put it on - but the winds manages to get it off :) (along with naughty ponies if left unguarded!)
I live in hope that one day they can make biodegradable bale wrap like its available for lamb macs.
Just been up to the shed to check the last few we have in and couldn't resist a cheeky look over the hedge at the ones out. I didn't want to disturb them as they had all settled down - but I had to check.
For what I could see they all looked ok and in there normal in shed 'set out' but on a bigger scale. All the usual's where slept on mums backs, all the loners had a 10 foot radius - old winker with the one eye had lamb on her sight side. - I would go on but I know I should not be naming them.
Probably best for all of us that they are out - getting a little attached.
Ta
Baz
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You are right Baz even worse a pal had a cow eat one with disastrous results its a good while ago now and the vet killed it and they picked it up with a muck fork and bled it and had it butchered so it wasn't a total loss
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Well they all dont hate me this morning, so they must have been alright out last night.
They had a stressful day yesterday with hepvac in the morning and out for the first time last night but they all seem perky as normal.
Now its going to take all day trying to dig soaking wet bedding out the shed - it weighs a bloody ton :(
I spose under those circumstances for a cows death it would be a waste not to eat it - but I would check the withdrawal period for the drug used to put the animal down carefully before I did the same.
Ta
Baz
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No Baz the drug went BANG
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lol
took me two reads of that before I clicked :) - thought it was an acronym for some kind of drug
Ta
Baz
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Lol. I stand reponsible for leaving said water on ::) I m usually pretty good about things like that, but brain was overclouded by a nasty headache and was not on full memory capacity ::)
Sooo i feel sad they are out but glad that i can gain a stable space to get some Spring pony things done and that they can get on with the spring (when it decides to arrive)
At least they here now all 37 of them with a small group left to go, not bad for first timers :D as our neighbours said its a cast of beginners luck :D :sheep:
Baz has named far more than me :D
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Hello Helle Why is it beginners luck Could it be you put to at the right time looked after them properly and was repaid by the ewes properly I think so luck has nothing to do with it.If you have read many of my posts If I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have any at all Well done ;D :farmer:
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Hi wonder if you can help me, hand-rearing a lamb that is now 3 weeks old, feeding really well and our German Shepherd is looking after Timmie the Lamb, along with my 10 year old! We are all very happy, but my husband is getting a little fed up with the amount of wee and poo in the house, definately a spoilt little lamb. How old are they when they start eating food and can go out over night?
I appreciate they are born in a field, before anyone freaks out that he is in the house, but if we are going to keep him need more information can anyone offer any advice please?
Much appreciated.
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I am new to this as well so dont take it as gospel, but have you tried putting some creep feed or a little haylage in with it when its in the house? It may start to eat it naturally when its ready inbetween its bottles.
I noticed that a few of mine started just tickling their noses and easting one strand here and there after a few weeks. We had a one mother with only one teat working so we were feeding its lambs at night by the bottle, but her lambs were early to really start trying out the hay - probably cos they had too.
Do you have any in a barn at the moment? If you have then I would also put the lamb in with them at day times so the rest of them get used to it and except it as part of the flock. It may take its chances and do the rounds on other mothers when they are feeding - they do get butted out the way but they are quite hardy.
I dont envy you having it in the house - but we would have done the same!! :)
Ta
Baz
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Hi SuzanneJanyne...when we hand reared our Laurence (pet ram) in the house, we started him on solids by feeding him 'rice crispies' with plently of milk...he loved/loves them...we started feeding them to him once he was finishing all of his bottle...as a top up...then cut down the bottle a little at a time until he was just eating the cereal...then introduced him to creep feed.
I know they make a mess (thank god for flagstone flooring) but its well worth it...I also agree with Bazzais however...you do need to introduce him to the other flock members asap...a few minutes at a time and then longer by degrees...that first night when they don't come home is a heart breaker...watch out!
Good luck...Farmer, :farmer:
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hi Farmer intrigued .... do you actually mean Kellogs Rice Crispies ?? I have a ewe lamb who is a small triplet that we've tried to top up with bottle feeding but she's really not interested (long story - the ewe lets her 2 brothers suck but moves off when its the ewe lamb) if you hold on to the ewe the lamb is keen to grab some milk tho they have ad lib haylage and access to creep I didn't realise that a lamb would actually drink milk from a bowl? might try that - every little helps!
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Hi...yes 'Kellogs' or even a cheaper brand would probably do...they can't help getting some of the 'crispies' in their mouths, so they have to chew...so its good training for 'lamb creep'...obviously the 'milk' is Lamblac (or another brand of milk replacer product if you prefer) so they are still getting the vitimins and minerals they need...we've fed it to our goats and young piglets when nursing and find it a very good way of getting them started on 'whole feed'...hope it works for you.
Best regards
Farmer, :farmer:
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thanks for the reply Farmer this little girlie is happily munching on creep feed (should have said in the last post that she's about 6 weeks old now) but I was wondering if its worth offering her milk to drink from a bowl rather than a bottle? possibly a daft question! however, if she would drink lamlac in that way maybe it would help give her a bit extra and build her up a bit
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Hi again...you can only try...but keep giving her Lamblac from the bottle as well...sadly, unless she has had sufficient colostrum from her mum in the early days, she will not have any immunity...and may not make it no matter how hard you try...but DON'T GIVE UP...our Laurence NEVER had mothers milk and he survived...so good luck!
Farmer, :farmer:
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Very interesting Farmer and thank you Wizard for your lovely comment :D
We had our first lambo of the last batch yesterday afternoon, she had lambed herself in the paddock, so then we brought the other 8 inlast night too. She s a remarkably good mother for a first timer, chattering away to him, Bazz had to give them both a little help with the initial feeding but now they doing swimmingly :D
So 8 more to go :D
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I'm sure they will Helly Only interfere if she needs help. Looking forward to the new flock count :D :farmer:
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Thank you Wizard, yes we will :D They are all first timers in this batch and we will deal with each birth accordingly. Luckily its a small group too :)