[twizzel]

Ewes are about to finish their feet and fertility lick that they've been on since pre tupping. Wondering if they need something different now the weather has turned and there's not much grass. They have ad lib hay and are due to lamb from mid Feb onwards, the ram is coming out in 2 weeks. I was planning on putting Lifeline buckets out in the new year but not sure what I should get to keep them going till then? Was wondering about a high energy bucket- the sheep are in good condition and don't need a feed block but more of a mineral lick- the field they are in is deficient in vitamin B. So stick with another foot and fertility lick or change to something else? 

[shep53]

Tried looking at mole valley feet and fertility buckets , but couldn't get any information so sorry can't answer your question .    When you say B deficiency are you talking b12 cobolt ?

[twizzel]

I've got to go to Mole tomorrow but wanted a rough idea of what I need first...    we had problems with CCN in the lambs this autumn which was due to the field being short of vitamin B. The ewes are grazing that field now but the foot and fertility bucket has vit B added in and touch wood they are fine.

[shep53]

OK vit b1 thiamine deficiency   , not a lot known about prevention

[mowhaugh]

Rumenco made us a personalised bucket with added B12 and B1 when we had CCN problems. Scotmin Megastart ewe and lamb is also designed partly for CCN prevention too.

We've not had CCN problems since we started bolusing our hoggs rather than mineral drenching.

[twizzel]

The vet just said to make sure whatever bucket we buy has vitamin B in it and we should be fine. The rest of the lambs in the group that were affected were given combivit and have since gone to slaughter, but the ewes and ram were grazing other fields and weren't symptomatic. They've been back in the field now for about 4 or 5 weeks and with the current lick are fine. I was just wondering whether they need to stick with the foot and fertility lick or whether they ought to be going onto a higher energy lick before going onto lifeline after Christmas? Not sure whether they need a fertility lick now they are more than likely in lamb. I may look into bolusing next year.

[shep53]

There can be no definitive answer ,you say they are fit have hay /grazing and will have life line in the new year so all sounds good   , triplet bearers will need watching as they may need more and once lambed it depends on how much grass you have as they may require more than a lick bucket ?     CONSTANT condition scoring so that you know quickly if they are loosing condition

[twizzel]

Thanks, yes we will start feeding concentrates in the new year, we won't scan as scanners down here are hard to come across let alone one to scan just 9. The ewes are quite sharp so we have left handling to a minimum whilst the ram is with them, the only way to condition score is to run them into the shed but we will be pulling the ram off and fluking in the next 2 weeks so will have a good feel of them then, then in the new year when they are heptavec'd and again when they are crutched. They will come in in Feb to lamb and there is grass to turn out onto once the cows are shut in for winter though I doubt it will have much nutritional value. We are away in a couple of weeks so I expect they will stay in the current field till after we get back, just because we know it's sheep proof and they are settled in there. We have had storms over the weekend, for the first time this morning the girls looked miserable just stood out in the rain so I think a high energy bucket is on the list to get from mole valley this morning.