[thenovice]

Is it me, or has this winter, and start to spring just been laden with health problems! Listening to you poor folks, im a tiny bit glad I sold my small flock just after Christmas, when the prices were a little better, and the ground only partially submerged. Friends tell me they have had cases of TLD, in flocks that have been trouble free for years. Local shepherds are lambing outside in driving sleet, and freezing temperatures in march! Fluke is popping up in previously unseen places, and the poor ewes are struggling to keep condition in the constant wet, and poached pasture. I really feel sorry for you guys, and pray for dryer warmer weather for us all  . (im still jealous, and wish I was lambing this year too). As they say, "in like a lion, out like a lamb".

[lachlanandmarcus]

It is certainly a grim year for livestock keepers, I think. I'm just glad I didn't put the tup in until December, in the hope that the weather might be ok by May.....but that won't help prevent the other issues people are reporting which are more to do with the historic weather and the poor harvest and schmallenberg etc.....:-((

[wellies]

I really think it has been a horrid winter and there still seems to be no let up. I don't want to moan and am very grateful for the healthy crop of lambs we have had so far    but I do look at the horses, pigs and sheep trudging around in horrid weather and feel very down hearted. My local friendly farmer has lost quite a few lambs due to the weather (he lambs outdoors) and this is on top of a poor scanning which he can't really explain apart from the conditions. I feel so sorry for large scale farmers who are trying to make a living at the moment, it must be so hard   

[SteveHants]

It is certainly a grim year for livestock keepers, I think. I'm just glad I didn't put the tup in until December, in the hope that the weather might be ok by May.....but that won't help prevent the other issues people are reporting which are more to do with the historic weather and the poor harvest and schmallenberg etc.....:-((

This seems sensible and is more or less what I did - I usually lamb Apr 1st on, this year I am du Apr 18th on. I hope that those extra days will make sure the grass is in properly before the ewes lamb and it gave them a bit longer to gain condition pre tupping.


2013 is another year... the less I think about 2012 the better.

[Crofterloon]

Steve, I wish I had maybe held back also, however my ewes seem slow to get started although the tups seemed slow also. Some of the sheep people round about here already lambing are losing ewes and lambs and lambs ae bon either dead or small. The grass seems very poor.