Author Topic: Weaning Question (Read 4428 times)

Templelands · « **on:** July 19, 2012, 01:05:35 pm »

So my lambs born in April are still with their Mums and they are getting big.

Whats a good time to wean and does anyone have any suggestions on a good way to do it.

I had hoped for a natural weaning - but we had them sheared today (YAY) and the shearer said they need separated so the Ewes milk can fully dry up.

Any help as usual much appreciated!

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #1 on:** July 19, 2012, 01:18:19 pm »

Can't remember what sort of sheep you have, TL. When will you tup? When do you plan to sell the lambs?

If the lambs are nearing the magical 38-42kgs liveweight, and you're not wanting to tup in the next month, I'd say just sell them off their mothers as soon as they're fit enough to go. Less stress all round.

If you're not tupping soon, but the lambs need longer to finish, one option if you prefer a more natural weaning is to give the lambs a creep area and feed them cake there, while keeping their mums on poorish ground and not giving them any cake. The mums will dry off themselves and the lambs will become more self-sufficient - especially if you can arrange it that they have access to better grass via their creep area. One day you can just shut the return-to-mum route off and they'll hardly notice.

If you do want to wean soon, it's total separation and steal yourself for 48 hours of blaring from both mums and lambs. Put the mums on poor ground, leave the lambs where they were for the 48 hours, then give them a mineral drench and move them onto good grass - usually it's 'fogs', where a hay crop has been taken a few weeks ago, for the lambs, but in the current weather you may not have any fog available.

Templelands · « **Reply #2 on:** July 19, 2012, 01:23:30 pm »

Thanks for the advice Sally - we have Zwartbles - we are keeping all the lambs as we will breed from them next year - but the three mother Ewes will be bred from this year. We have one wether that we have been told to keep as company for our Tup - which we haven't bought yet - but will be soon.

Hoping to have a flock of 20 in a few years time

Foobar · « **Reply #3 on:** July 19, 2012, 01:37:35 pm »

I tend to do mine when the oldest is 18 weeks old, or when they reach about 30kg (although weight will depend on the breed), which ever is most convenient for me. Sometimes it depends on when fields have been cut for silage etc, so that I have a bare area for the ewes and a good area for the lambs (as far apart as possible).
This should allow at least two months for the ewes to regain some condition before putting them to the tup.

I keep them separate for 2 weeks which is usually long enough for the ewes to dry up (and the lambs to stop bleating), then the ewe lambs get put back together with the ewes, and the ram lambs stay separated (your wether can go back with the ewes too).

One tip I read, which I am trying this year, is give a mineral drench to the lambs two weeks prior to weaning. It just gives them a boost which should help them with the stress of weaning.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #4 on:** July 19, 2012, 06:37:59 pm »

I have not kept Zwartbles so perhaps they are different. With my sheep I leave the ewes to wean their own lambs, which they have always done by 5 months. The exception is entire males, which are removed at 4 months and kept in a different field. When the lambs are 5 months old, the ewe still has two months dry to get ready for tupping in November.
If we do have to separate ewes from lambs, we would not do it sooner than 4 months. We then put the lambs into an adjoining field so they can both see and hear their dams - this way there is no stress at all. I am aware that this is the opposite of the usual advice to move the two so far apart that they can't see or hear eachother, but we have silent weanings

Haylo-peapod · « **Reply #5 on:** July 20, 2012, 09:29:42 am »

Quote from: Fleecewife on July 19, 2012, 06:37:59 pm

I am aware that this is the opposite of the usual advice to move the two so far apart that they can't see or hear eachother, but we have silent weanings

Last year I came across similar advice, i.e. put the ewes in an adjacent field to the lambs for weaning, as you say FW it does seem to work better all round (providing you have reasonable fencing

). Afterall I guess there are very few people here on the forum that have the acreage to put the ewes and lambs out of sight/hearing of one another.

Foobar · « **Reply #6 on:** July 20, 2012, 11:55:52 am »

Is it just my lambs that fling themselves at full speed at the stock fencing then? (thus wedging their heads in tight fast!)

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #7 on:** July 20, 2012, 01:23:30 pm »

Quote from: foobar on July 20, 2012, 11:55:52 am

Is it just my lambs that fling themselves at full speed at the stock fencing then? (thus wedging their heads in tight fast!)

No, not just you, foobar!

Mallows Flock · « **Reply #8 on:** July 20, 2012, 08:21:24 pm »

I am lucky to have land in 2 different villages nearly side by side. I take their mums to the new, fresh paddock and keep the lambs on the current one to minimise stress. They shout for about an hour and then get back to the most inmportant task in hand.... stuffing their faces with grass (ewes and lambs). I guess outta sight, outta mind

Anyway, I am their mum... it's me they want to see everyday

Templelands · « **Reply #9 on:** July 20, 2012, 10:55:28 pm »

ha ha excellent - we have a lot of space between paddocks so Sunday is the day. We will move the Ewes up top and leave the lambs where they are.

I'm told they need a two week gap apart - is that right?

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #10 on:** July 21, 2012, 12:49:46 am »

Two weeks should do it - make sure the mums' udders have shrivelled; if there's no milk the lambies can't find any.

Templelands · « **Reply #11 on:** July 23, 2012, 02:03:42 pm »

So weaning started today

Mums in a paddock at the top of the land out of sight and earshot of the Lambs, Lambs in the bottom paddock with the horses.

So far - apart from the odd bleating session all is well. The Ewes seem to be more interested in eating!

Looking forward to re-introducing them all again when the milk has dried up.