The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Liz Kershaw on April 30, 2016, 10:54:50 pm
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I have a small flock of 8 Ryelands which includes twins born last week (doing well). There is another ewe pregnant and due on the 10th. So far, I have been keeping the ewe and her twins separate from the rest of the flock and bringing them inside the stable at night (flock is 3 X 2 year old ewes, 1 ewe and her wether twin aged one). I have two questions: can I mix the small twins in with the established flock? And if I do, will this help with predator problems? Apart from foxes, we discovered a badger sett on our land today.
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Probably best in at night but should mix ok providing you can manage the predator risk.
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Thank you - how long can I keep bringing them in at night? It's not very difficult to do but part of me feels they should be going out soon. The local gamekeeper has been having a go at the foxes but not sure how much of a threat the badger(s) will be?
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I would be bringing them in at night too, badger is a real threat and cannot of course be controlled in same way as fox population
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I don't think you can rely on the other sheep to protect the lambs at any time. I too have a small flock and both foxes and badgers nearby. For a start, I keep the new lamb families in for 4-7 days then in at night for at least another week. I don't think there is any shame in mollicoddling the lambs in this way if it means they stand a better chance of surviving.
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It's horses for courses, they can pick up things being indoor that wouldn't be a issue outside.
I lamb outside, touch wood this year no issues although do have badgers about.
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I'd tend to err on the side of caution and bring them in at night until the lambs can at least run to Mum in a sensible manner. A very hungry badger or fox won't be dissuaded by the ewes so there's no guarantee.
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Liz, I have a small flock of Ryelands too.
Although we haven't lambed this year, previously I brought the girls into the stable when they were due and kept them there for a bit after lambing.
If the weather was good I put them out during the day but kept them in at night for about a week.
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Ours lamb outside so have a mix of fresh lambs, older lambs and unlambed and we only bring in anything not thriving.
Do you have a problem with foxes taking lambs? If not I'd just leave them out, it's where they are designed to be!
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If they're strong and like lightening they go out in field after a few days, if they're small or with a young mother, first timer, they hang about til we feel bond is better, on yard or in our case slopey garden and barn, til lamb a bit stronger. So depends on the individual i suppose :thinking: the only ones we have locked down now are two teeny ones and they're Dams and five ewes with three sets twins n teo singles four days old a piece. Everyone else is out in field waiting for routine and even then they have half a barn too plus lighting if lambs wanna cuddle up out of the rain. We also tend to socialise lambs before they go out the field.
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I lamb all of my sheep outdorrs between April and may. We used to have a fox problem,but not anymore. Do you have any other fields away from where the badgers are that they could go in? As long as the lambs are quite strong and can run quite fast they shouldnt be too much of a threat, havibg said that though badgers can run very fast. I dont know whether there is a permanent soloution to this
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Yes, there is and we all know what the answer is!
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I have a small flock of Ryelands too. We lamb inside because we can. My thinking is with a small flock the pneumonia/ill joint risks are less as low density and lots of ventilation and the predator risk slightly higher as a small flock for foxy to pick off. Probably fanciful but it helped me sleep at night. 200% lambing and none lost to predators. If only it was scaleable!
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Thank you so much for your helpful replies - the indoor pen only has the. Twins and mum in it and the ventilation is good. So far I have been bringing them in at dusk and letting them out at 6ish. The lambs are sturdy and can run - one week old today.
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Since losing a lamb to a badger (probably but not proven - we have a very active badger set on site and fresh tracks most mornings) a few years ago, I always bring my new families into a smaller enclosure at night time, still outside (my lambing shed has been taken over by the goats full-time.., so all sheep activity is done outside anyway.) but easier for them to pair up. I also feed in there, so the ewes are queuing up from 7pm onwards...
Not had any problems when the ewes are actually lambing, but mine a Shetlands - well suited to living and lambing outside. Not sure Ryelands are though... if they are very woolly on their faces, it helps to cut away some of their wool from their cheeks so it helps them to see their lambs and probably also any predators (I found that with the Bowmonts... forever losing their offspring)
When I have bottle lambs they tend to be in the goat field, and live in a pen in the goathouse, and will stay inside at night for quite a long time...
As pharnorth said - it helps me sleep at night...
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If you can run a few lines of electric fencing low to the ground around your enclosure this can help in deterring Badgers. We have a badger sett above our sheep fields. They're on the move soon, they don't know it yet but they're going to be evicted. :innocent: Foxes, we have loads of rabbits this year so it reduces the risk of taking lambs to a degree. 'Eliminate' them to reduce numbers unless you're near to one of those urban fox release plan things then eliminate them as well.
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You need 2 alpacas, they will guard your livestock.
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They went out last night into a fenced paddock (although badgers can of course dig...) and was ok with the whole thing until the farm next door told me they lost all the poultry in their orchard to an unknown predator while everyone was having lunch! Another sleepless night ...
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Don't risk it. I've lost 3 week old lambs to the fox this week. B*stard. >:( >:(
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Badgers will happily take lambs up until about 7-10kg. Seen it, seen the mess. Depends how hungry they are but they dont kill cleanly.
Vicious things.
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And badgers will quickly dispose of any weak lambs, up to any size really.
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Mine are staying in the fenced paddock for now. Ewe 2 is due in a few days so she's in with them too. I haven't got a way to weigh mine ... How much is a 10 day old twin ram Ryeland likely to weigh?