The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: crobertson on March 25, 2017, 06:44:43 am
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Hi folks
I know many of you lamb outdoors but for those who lamb indoors when do you turn the ewe and lambs back out. Our first ewe had her first lambs (twins) wednesday afternoon, they have been in a mothering pen, yesterday moved into an outbuilding, the lambs are very vigorous, suckling plenty and mum is very good with them. I was hoping to move them out in to the field this morning as its give out nice weather for a couple of days but now my mother thinks its too soon and wants them to stay in a day or two longer so now I feel guilty hahhaha (just over cautious with it being of first home bred lambs)
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get them out asap into a small paddock
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Quicker they go out the better
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Thanks for your replies, luckily they agree as I put the ewe and her lambs out this morning. My only concern was she is out in the small field / paddock on her own and we saw a fox a month or two ago. Think we might just bring her in at night until a couple more are ready to go out.
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My ewes and lambs are out in a field with active badger sets, they are fine, the ewes are good mothers and keep the lambs close at night. They go out from about 3-4 days old and have stayed out, not coming in at night or in bad weather. Poll Dorset x lambs and Lleyn ewes, all first time mothers.
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I think it depends on the ewe and how protective she is. I'd turn out for daylight hours if possible. We have lost lambs to the fox and last year had an attacked lamb. Both times they were lambs from a young ewe and don't think she was attentive enough.
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Because I only have a few I tend to wait until the youngest is a day or two old then put them all out together so eldest can be up to 3 weeks.
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We have a "nursery" shed where ewes and lambs spend a couple of days while the lambs learn to go to the ewe for protection and not try to suckle from another ewe. The first batch out go into a well fenced area about the size of a squash court where they (hopefully) learn to flock together for a couple of days then are turned out into a small field beyond it. The subsequent batches of lambs go straight from the nursery shed to the field. We switch turnout areas and fields each year- always near the farmhouse so they can be checked at regular intervals. We would not put lambs out onto the fields adjacent to woodland - I have known a badger chew the udder off a downer cow so what chance would a poorly lamb have ....
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We did as advised and put her out for daylight hours yesterday, brought her in at night and then put her back out this morning. I also had another to put out this morning so the pair of them are quite happy, just gone to try and bring them in for the evening but they are having none of it (even tempted with nuts etc) so it looks like they've decided themselves that they are now staying out. They do have a field shelter filled with straw, bales knocking around as protection and I've put the trailer filled with straw in if they need more shelter. We have two more ewes in a 'nursery shed' who will join them either tomorrow or tuesday ...... I'm definitely more bothered than the ewes !