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Author Topic: Our first flock of suffolk sheep - eleven ewes in lamb!!  (Read 3386 times)

chrisandjohn

  • Joined Jan 2011
Our first flock of suffolk sheep - eleven ewes in lamb!!
« on: February 08, 2011, 12:55:02 am »
 ;D we are so excited if not a little pensive about our new flock being completely green we would appreciate any advice. They have come from a local good farmer who I understand does not trust scanning so we are not quite sure what we've got ,i do know the lambs will be a texel X. They are a healthy looking bunch apart from one who seems to be limping on the front L leg. We are not quite sure of their age but they are broken mouthed?? is that the right term so I think that means they are over 2- 3 years? They have settled well into the field and at the moment seem quite placid we are having different but good advice from friendly local farmers as to when we should supplement their grazing some say not yet (their lambs are due end of feb onwards). A very good farmer friend has got me set up to see and experience hands on lambing over the next few weeks I am sooo excited. If there is anyone out there who has any tips we would love to hear from you. We are looking out for hurdles this week so that we can get them to come to us (with gentle persuasion of nuts). Oh and by the way we did buy a horsebox in the end and managed to transport all eleven from the mart they fitted in quite comfortably. :sheep:
« Last Edit: February 08, 2011, 12:57:01 am by chrisandjohn »

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Our first flock of suffolk sheep - eleven ewes in lamb!!
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2011, 06:42:51 am »
You certainly have jumped in at the deep end!

If your ewes are broken mouthed they are at least 4 years and older. If you have got good hay and they are due end of February (3 weeks from now!) you certainly need to feed some concentrate now too, but if they are txl X not too much as the lambs could be quite big. Check how much fat they are carrying on their backs (condition score them, if bones are sharp they will definitely need something!) If they haven't yet, they will need a Heptavac P+ booster asap, again comm farmers will be able to advise/help.

If you have one limping it will be quite difficult to do anything this late on, you cannot turn them over. I would just watch and make sure she gets enough food, and deal with it straight after lambing. Although if you can catch her without too much hassle, one holds the other one could check her foot just as you would do a horse, and some terramycin spray will do a lot of good.


Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Our first flock of suffolk sheep - eleven ewes in lamb!!
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2011, 10:12:20 am »
Broken mouthed means that they have started to loose their teeth due to old age.  They will therefore need extra feeding to lamb safely and you will also need to watch them for twin lamb disease - check their condition scores carefully and pick any which are thin for extra feeding.  When you start feeding them concentrates you must do it slowly so their gut fauna can build up to digest the new stuff.  Think carefully whether to breed from these ewes a second year.  I suggest you also buy a good book on sheep care and lambing and read it from cover to cover before they start lambing.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2011, 10:48:55 am by Fleecewife »
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andywalt

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • kent
  • observe react administer enjoy !!
    • photos
Re: Our first flock of suffolk sheep - eleven ewes in lamb!!
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2011, 06:44:35 pm »
Good advice there from fleecewife (as usual)  I did the same as you and bought 23 ewes 4 wethers and 2 rams last year, very green( but experianced with dairy herds) I must be mad but really enjoying it, its important not to over feed, Ive been very careful and getting used to condition scoring, its very easy to over feed and thinking thats doing them good when it will all end up in tears and prolapses. also make time to watch them each day, I do my best to have an hour with them every day, its amasing what you notice. and watching the lambs growing fast and eating the nuts already in the field and only 2-3 weeks old

so read plenty, also if you have the bbc i player on your laptop look up radio 4 farming today and listen to the last 6 that you can replay, its on at 6am every morning.

Im learning as quick as I can, i can see that like most things there is a method and routine jobs that you need to do at certain times of the year. you will pick it up quick if your as obsessed as I am.

enjoy !!
Suffolk x romneys and Texel X with Romney Tup, Shetlands and Southdown Tup

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Our first flock of suffolk sheep - eleven ewes in lamb!!
« Reply #4 on: February 08, 2011, 07:18:26 pm »
If you start feeding a small amount now you will get them used to you this will make catching or moving easier.

 
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