[Weeblehg]

Hi
We have some castlemilk moorits who are currently in lamb and I have various questions. Just wondered if we should be feeding them concentrate. They have a constant supply of hay but was wondering if that was enough. They will be lambing outdoors in the field so was going to provide some straw bale shelter and there's lots of natural shelter in the field anyhow. But is it Ok to keep our 4 wethers and 1 ewe lamb in the same field when lambing starts. All the books we have seem to be tailored to more conventional farming systems and we're obviously new to all this.

[SallyintNorth]

If there's plenty of space, you should be fine lambing them all together.  But if there isn't plenty of room for each mother to go off and be private when she lambs, and for the first few days, then it might be best to remove the ewe lamb and wethers.  I left my youngsters in with my flock last year, and they were giddy and silly at first when the new lambs started coming.  The mothers got upset, some got aggressive... and I lost a pregnant ewe in the kerfuffle.

As to feeding, we don't know where you are or what your grass and hay is like.  Hereabouts - north Cumbria on severely disadvantaged upland - I give concentrate in the last 6-8 weeks to be sure they have enough nutrients to grow the lambs and lay down a good milk supply.

Are they to a Castlemilk tup?

[Backinwellies]

When are they lambing? ... will grass be growing well by then?

[Weeblehg]

Lambs due end March. We have a bit of pasture we've put up so they'll be on fresh grass when the lambs arrive.

[Weeblehg]

[member=10673]SallyintNorth[/member] the hay is nice flower rich hay but we're struggling for grass due to how wet things have been (nothing like you've had in Cumbria, I'm sure!), so hence we're making sure they have a constant supply of hay. Yes they were with a CM tup.

[in the hills]

We have Soay sheep. We found that the wethers became very 'interested' in the ewes as they approached their lambing time. Guessing that they could smell a change in hormones. They harassed the ewes, constantly following and attempting to mount them. We had to separate as they just wouldn't leave them alone despite having plenty of space etc.

Ewe lambs from the previous year didn't cause a problem.

[Fleecewife]

I once took pity on a Manx wether I had bought in for his fleece.  I left him in with his sister and ran all bar the tups together.  Well he was a total wee sh!t3, attacking the ewes and when they went into labour trying to make them stand by pawing at them and trying to mount them.  So he went straightaway in with the big boys and suddenly HE was the object of intense interest by big males  .

Ewe lambs I like to leave with their dams so they can see what lambs and lambing are all about - I'm sure it helps.  The only time I had any problem was with a couple of Soay shearling gimmers who were so excited about something new that was smaller than them that they were pests from time to time, but nothing like that wether.  Now anything male is taken out at 4 months, and only a full tup goes back at tupping time for just 4 weeks.

For whether or not to feed concentrates it really does depend on whereabouts you are, so please give us some indication.  I live in Scotland on a very cold and draughty hilltop, but with good grass (even that though looses it's nutritional value once it's been frosted or snowed on, and we get a lot of that).  I keep only Primitives now, and I give them some concentrates leading up to lambing, plus willow branches when available.  They really don't need anything like as much concentrate as commercial sheep, just a handful each of 16% coarse mix, gradually increasing that a bit once they demolish what you've given them within seconds.  Judge how much to give by how much they take - Primitives are not greedy.  if they are not used to it, they may turn their noses up at it initially, but keep going.

[Weeblehg]

I'm in staffs so pretty mild here. The field we rent is on heavy clay though and located at the lowest me of the landlords land. Its been more like a pond than a field for most of the winter so far!

[Fleecewife]

Mmm, I would try them with a little coarse mix and see how they get on.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I feed my lleyns in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy, i give them some wheetbeet or sugar beet for energy. The wheetbeet also gives them protein too. I seperate all ram lambs in august and they go straight off to market. I leave the biggest ewe lambs in with the ewes and ram, never really have many problems with them  lambing. The smaller ewe lambs get seperated and fed up over winter, so they will be big enough to get in lamb next year. I usually take the ram out at lambing time and put him in with the old cull ewes which arent in lamb or any slaughter ram lambs.

[kanisha]

Be interested to know if anyone feeds just hay to their primitives and doesn't add a supplement in the run up to lambing?

[Fieldfare]

I don't feed my Castlemilks concentrates even when pregnant...but they do have grass (greenish), ad lib hay and hard, pink mineral block (in S. Yorks., south-facing @260M). This is partly economics but also it is nice to 'grass rear' them without unnecessary commercially-produced soya etc. products (although UK beet shreds are probably much more eco than soya products). But if you study their condition and behaviour carefully over a few years you get to know what they really need in your conditions. Ewe lambs should should be OK (although agreed wethers will get a bit giddy with lambs at times...and occasionally 'butty'... remove them asap if they do). In fact on balance I would remove them all. One experience I have had on more than one occasion is that ewes about to give birth can steal new-born lambs so keep an eye on this (I lamb out in the field and then bring mum's into pens in a barn for 4 days to mother-up). Twins are very small and vulnerable to badgers/foxes and separation from mum particularly on the 1st/2nd nights.

In terms of keeping worm burdens down for the new lambs it might be worth keeping the ewe lamb and  shearling(?) wethers away from them (as young sheep are likely to be shedding more eggs than adults- and young males are likely to be the worst in this respect).
Anyway- good luck with the lambing!

[Coximus]

I have 5, purchased from Fieldfare, and the first 3 have no lambed to a Hebridean, the other 2 should drop any moment.
They were out on rough pasture since they came to me, so far 2 twins and a single.
No hay or concentrates has been offered. Hay is only provided IF their is snow on the ground, or the grazing its taken low - however they have been running with 40 hebrideans over 40 acres that was 1dt-18inches of ungrazed since june semi wild pasture.

[kanisha]

This year has been exceptionally mild and my pasture is not badly affected by flooding being higher ground so the grass has grown almost all year. I decided that unless there was any express need,  not to supplement. Hay is always available  as an aid to digestion so far the ewes look good. I will be interested to compare lamb sizes with previous years, am not aiming to maximise growth potential as it is a small breed . I admit to feeling a little bit guilty not supplementing on the other hand.... your replies have answered my concerns over whether I really need to and if  its not more of a reflex.