Author Topic: Weaning and fattening lambs (Read 2348 times)

abc123 · « **on:** February 24, 2019, 04:14:29 pm »

Hello,

Im looking at getting some bottle lambs perhaps 3 or 4. Or alternatively weaned ewe lambs. Can anyone give me some advice on the weaning steps and fattening for slaughter please. Does anyone use soybean meal and alfalfa, or similar. It would be inside a barn at all times. Also potential health problems during the process. Also regulations and neat selling rules explained would be a great help.

Im thinking along the lines of texel or lleyn something like that. Many thanks

twizzel · « **Reply #1 on:** February 24, 2019, 04:40:50 pm »

Pet lambs reared on a bottle need careful but abrupt weaning at 6 weeks old with lamb creep pellets available from 7 days of age. They can be very prone to bloating up and dropping dead. This is very different to naturally reared lambs who are weaned at 16-20 weeks from their mothers. Are you planning on turning these lambs out to grass at all? Whilst you can rear lambs inside from weaning to finishing its very costly. Lambs really thrive on grass based systems.

Texel and Lleyn are 2 very different breeds; texel is a meat breed whereas Lleyn is a maternal bred sheep which will take longer to finish but it’s normally reared for replacement ewes. With pet lambs especially you don’t normally get a choice of breeds, just whatever is going at the time.

Buttermilk · « **Reply #2 on:** February 24, 2019, 06:17:14 pm »

I have found ad lib cold milk to rear lambs better than bottle feeding. They do drink a bit more overall but not the big intakes at once that bottling does. Wean at 6 weeks and do not have out at grass whilst on milk. Lamb creep available from a few days old as well as fresh water. A bit of hay in a rack for them to pick on.

Watch out for coccidiosis with housed lambs and nemotodiris in lambs once out at grass.

bj_cardiff · « **Reply #3 on:** February 24, 2019, 06:52:08 pm »

I'm not sure I read your post right but it read that you are planning on keeping the lambs housed until their a slaughter weight?

abc123 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 24, 2019, 07:27:05 pm »

Thanks all for the replies. Very useful!! I would ideally like to put them on grass but i dont have access to much of it unfortunately

Yes they would be barn reared to slaughter fed primarily on hay and a grain ration of some sort. Does this sound ok?

Unless I can rent a paddock or field for them. I do have a neighbour who has a small field where he used to keep a couple of suffolk wethers. So I could approach him and see what he says.

Also how often to replace straw etc please.
Sorry my previous post was meant to be meat selling rules..typo

twizzel · « **Reply #5 on:** February 24, 2019, 07:37:28 pm »

Sorry, I would not buy in lambs with no grazing available, nor would I sell lambs to someone with no grazing.

abc123 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2019, 08:57:52 pm »

Ok thats fair enough i suppose. Thank you

Buttermilk · « **Reply #7 on:** February 25, 2019, 06:48:53 am »

Kept housed you would get foot problems which in turn means that the lambs would not fatten due to pain. Treating the feet would mean that the meat has to stay out of the food chain for the withdrawal times and makes it very expensive to keep them.

If you wish to keep something housed to slaughter weight you would do better with pigs.

Backinwellies · « **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2019, 07:24:13 am »

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69365/pb5162-sheep-041028.pdf

I'm not quite sure why you intend to keep lambs indoors but please read Welfare code for sheep (link above) for all necessary specs.

Please realise that there is very little margin on lambs reared out on grass so having to feed for the whole time is likely to use up any profit.... especially as everything will be bought in. We buy in all our hay/straw and the cost is huge.

If you want to rear something for meat then pigs or rabbits might be better. Or find some tack grazing before you start.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #9 on:** February 25, 2019, 10:35:29 am »

Quote from: twizzel on February 24, 2019, 07:37:28 pm

Sorry, I would not buy in lambs with no grazing available, nor would I sell lambs to someone with no grazing.

Agreed. I also wouldn’t eat lamb reared that way, equally as much because the meat wouldn’t be as nice as grass-fed as because of the welfare issues.

It’s worth noting that there are very few if any intensive indoor systems for sheep. That tells you that it’s difficult and financially unviable.

Many years ago I had a pal who was researching into the factors which made sheep so uniquely unsuited to indoor living. Go figure.

abc123 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2019, 05:41:36 pm »

Thank you all. Thats fair enough. Will definitely not be going down that route then. I will see what the neighbour says about renting the field, and go from there. Mt