[andywalt]

Hi All

Please can I ask for some more advise?

We have brought in the 10 ewes that are lambing between the 25th Jan -25th Feb into a covered area, we have set up a large pen with sheep hurdles which we will segregate each ewe as she lambs so she has her own pen, they have an 8 foot hay rack in it and troughs, at the moment I am feeding 18% pencils, approx half a kilo each per day with 2kg of hay. Id like to confirm that the amounts are about right? they are large ewes suffolk x romneys, (couldnt lift one if i tried) its just they are always seem to be hungry but I am aware of over feeding and lambing problems.

Also two have udders dropped and showing does this mean that they will lamb in the next week?

thanks

andy

[waterhouse]

The ewe nuts we use says on the bag

Together with good quality hay or silage, this will provide the ewe with all the essential protein, digestible energy and vitamins and minerals that she requires for healthy lambs. Ewes in poor condition should be fed Ewe Nuts or Sheep Mix, with the quantities gradually increased prior to tupping. As a guide, start with about 0.25kg per head per day, two weeks before tupping, and build up to about 0.5kg per day, tailing off again after tupping (this technique is known as flushing). In most cases ewes will need to be fed either Ewe Nuts or Sheep Mix from 6-8 weeks before lambing, and certainly in the 4 week period leading up to lambing. Introduce Ewe Nuts at a level of 0.25kg / head / day, and build up to a maximum of 1kg / head / day before lambing. Be careful not to overfeed young ewes or those lambing for the first time as this could produce lambing difficulties. Over fat ewes should be monitored and put on limited grazing. Fed at up to 0.5kg a day these can be used as a maintenance diet. After weaning, ewes should be kept on a low plain of nutrition with concentrates kept to a minimum or cut out completely, depending on availability of grass and condition of the ewe.

But this is from the guy selling it!

[andywalt]

thanks waterhouse, so I have got the amounts right at the moment thats good.you havnt  mentioned the amount of hay per day? I have been told that too much hay can also bulk them out and cause problems with lambing?

or do you think ad lib hay is ok?

[Anke]

As the lambs grow inside the ewe will not be abe to eat too much hay, as stomach space shrinks - so that's why concentrates are important. I don't think you woud be overfeeding hay.

In first time lambers the udder can drop a bit earlier than in older ewes, but reglar checks from now on necesary I think.

Have fun - lambing is the best (and hardest) time on the holding! Take pictures!

[waterhouse]

We have given them ad lib haylage but only one has lambed so far so we wil see.  Her milk arrived after she lambed but the advice to cut wheel arches in her fleece was invaluable.

Good luck.  Four in the morning with a warm lamb is special.

[andywalt]

Cut wheel arches in the fleece !! I like that one, I was going to give them a trim up oncve lambed, i dont want to mess them about before hand. ohh yes pictures will be posted !!!

[OhLaLa]

Cut wheel arches in the fleece !! I like that one, I was going to give them a trim up once lambed, i dont want to mess them about before hand.

Wheel arches? Could you explain please?

[little blue]

a clipped arch-shape area of the fleece to "expose" the udders OhLaLa.. so lambs can get to them easier & e.g. mastitis can be spotted sooner.

andywalt... (and other shepherds) just wanted to say "Good luck" with the lambing, I bet you're dead excited as well as abit nervous?!

[waterhouse]

When Jill had lambed neither of us could initially find the teats, so the lambs had no chance.  The shock of finding that mum was a tank covered in wet axminster and the shutters were down on the milk bar nearly did for one of them.  After about an hour the milk arrived but only on one side so the stronger lamb started filling his face leaving us to feed the other with a bottle.  Milk did appear on both after a while but it took more than a day before you could really say she was in full production.

The Dartmoor is a rather woolly sheep so the wheel arches are actually essential.  We're intending to carve the others out before lambing - there's enough going on.

The boys arrived at 2kg and 2.2kg.  Is this about right?  A lot of manufacturers literature assumes a 5kg lamb. 

[bazzais]

Wheel arches - I like it

Nothing worse than continually seeing a poor little lamby sucking on a 'wool dreadlock'

Baz

[Rosemary]

The shock of finding that mum was a tank covered in wet axminster and the shutters were down on the milk bar nearly did for one of them. 

That's so funny (not the doing for the lamb) but the brilliant description.