[wellies]

Hi guys,

Just looked at the weather forecast which says heavy rain and possibly some sleet tonight. The lambs have being living out with their ewes for the last few weeks now the oldest is 4 weeks old and the youngest 8 days old. All are in good health and suckling/growing well. Do you think I need to bring them in if it's going to rain heavily or should I just let them huddle next to the ewes. Have just text my farmer friend who thought it was rather funny 

[woollyval]

Sheep are designed to live outside in all weathers and they will be fine 

[Rosemary]

I brought mine in at 4am this morning. It was horizontal sleet, snow and very windy. TBH they would probably have been OK, but I couldn't sleep, we have the space in the byre, so why take the chance?

[jaykay]

I'm glad my four day old lamb is in. I'm sure yours will be ok, but if you've got room and it's reasonably easy......

I build pallet shelters with tin sheet roofs, facing a wall, in all my fields so that the lambs can get out of the rain if necessary.

[Anke]

Well my two and one day old lambs definitely stayed inside, as it was we had to improvise with a tarp over the top of the mothering pen as the snow was coming from the wrong direction into the shed and they got soaked...

I would do what lets you have a good night's sleep.... if that is inside, who cares what farmers think!

[Tiva Diva]

Our only lamb so far (3 days old) is staying in for now. Our friend and sheep mentor who farms the land around us lost 4 lambs today. He's keeping in those he can: he'd bring them all in if he had room!

[SallyintNorth]

I would do what lets you have a good night's sleep.... if that is inside, who cares what farmers think!

These farmers  have spent the day and half the night bringing in all newborns and any others that were suffering; last night we jacketed all that day's lambs and any others we thought hadn't thick enough skins, and brought in any we thought couldn't take a cold east wind with sleet and snow.  We've lost some today and it's still touch and go with a few.

Generally we'd expect lambs more than a few days old to be able to cope provided there's good shelter available, but any very new ones will founder quite quickly in cold wet weather, particularly if mum has a limited milk supply.

[jaykay]

Sorry to hear you lost some  The weather is evil at the moment isn't it 

[tizaala]

5 past 6 am , and the snow is coming horizontaly this morning , it's a good job we kept them all in the barn while waiting for the last two to lamb.
Lambs can cope with the cold but not the wet because they dont have enough lanolin in the wool to make it waterproof, so we will be hanging on for the last two and hoping the weather improves before turnout time..
Yes , I know they are primitives and meant to cope with evil conditions etc, but we want them putting their energy into growing rather than keeping warm.

[jaykay]

4" of snow overnight and high winds - not good conditions for lambs!

My one little fella is pinging about the barn and the rest of the ewes have had to good sense to hang on to theirs for now - or they had an hour ago anyway 

That's exactly it Tizaala - they're better putting their energy into growing.

When Dad first put calf huts in his fields for his sheep, the 'real farmers' scoffed at him and said that the sheep would never use them. Well, they do, of course. What animal would choose to be wet and cold 

Hope everyone is ok this morning and that this mad weather passes soon.

[wellies]

We had loads of snow, woke up to a blizzard this morning  All lambs and ewes are in and are drinking well so will go and check they have warmed up in a hour or so. Hopefully they will be ok, this weather is just shocking! So sorry to hear of your losses guys, hopefully things will improve from now on 

[Remy]

Woke up to snow covered fields and high winds, thought ooooh nooooo!!     Rushed out to check, all is well but the beautiful lush lambing paddock has turned into a muddy quagmire overnight  .  Have put lamb jackets on the babies and it doesn't look like anyone else is imminent, for the moment - fingers crossed they hold on for a bit!

[MrsJ]

Just wet here.  We lost a ewe lamb this morning.  She was born last night in the barn, one of twins.  The other is thriving.  MIserable day.

[jaykay]

Oh no, sorry to hear that