[tommytink]

I weaned my lambs two weeks ago. They were 14-16 weeks. Ewes went onto grass that was prob a little too good but didn’t have much choice. I’ve been on udder watch. Some have started to shrink back up but a couple look kind of saggy instead. I had to catch one for another reason and when I felt her udder it wasn’t swollen/hot/hard/lumpy, just kind of heavy. I’m getting them in tomorrow but wondered whether a) if I need to be concerned about udders like this that haven’t decreased in size (I know they usually increase in size before shrinking but it’s been two weeks) and b) when do you tell it’s okay for them to go onto a better field?

[Fleecewife]

We don't specifically wean our lambs.  We do take the males out at 16 weeks for safety, but we leave the ewe lambs in with their dams.  The ewes wean them themselves and just about all are fully dry by 20-22 weeks, plenty of time to get back into condition before tupping time, when we separate the ewe lambs so they are in with any non-breeding ewes while the tups are in with the breeding ewes.  This way is pretty calm and laid back and we have never had a problem with it.  We do frequent visual udder checks to monitor progress.

[tommytink]

I weaned a couple of weeks later than last year but having entire tup lambs I’m always vigilant when they start becoming a pest. Didn’t help this year as I had yearlings in as well, but as we don’t sell lambs straight off the ewe I wanted to allot enough time for them to drop condition and get it back on again.
Last year was a nightmare as we weaned three lots. One breed we did ewe and tup lambs, then we did tup lambs of the other breed, then the ewe lambs. We put the first lot of ewes on poorer grazing, the second lot went straight back where they came from, the third went in the lambing shed which was terribly noisy. Only the second year so still learning but the OH isn’t so forgiving if anything goes wrong 

[twizzel]

As long as it’s not hard and hot, heavy is ok. I would think this week they will start to slacken off a bit. Mine normally do 2 weeks in the shed and only at the end of the second week are they slacking off a bit.

[tommytink]

Thanks Twizzel. Hopefully they’ll all be okay. I know I read mastitis risk now isn’t the same as around lambing time but still worries me. When would it be okay to put them into a new field? Last time (when we did the first lot) I think we left them two weeks and then moved them.

[eryl]

put the ewes and lambs inside on just straw and water. After 24 hours turn the lambs out and leave the ewes in for another 2-3 days. They'll dry up fine.