[agri293]

Hi there for the first time I kept lambs entire to see if they would fatten quicker now that the weather is changing no energy in the grass I was wondering if I should bite the bullet I have room to keep them inside I have good quality hay to feed them and supplement with concentrates looking for advice on my theory cheers

[SallyintNorth]

We had to fatten some lambs indoors in 2007 - because of the FMD movement restrictions we couldn't sell them as stores. 

Your problem areas are:

• feet
• ventilation / heat / moisture

To keep feet healthy, you have to keep the well-trodden areas as clean as you can.  Plenty of straw.  You can lime where they stand a lot too.  Clean up spoiled hay, if you leave it it gets wrapped around their feet and makes it more likely they'll get infected.

If you do have some pasture you can let them onto when the weather is suitable, that will help - exercise is good for feet.

Depending on the breed, your shed and your weather, you could have very hot sheep.  You could consider shearing them before housing - you would probably then not be letting them out for exercise unless it was very mild.

You could also have problems with pneumonia, etc, so you want lots of ventilation, even to the extent of making the shed so cold you can't shear them as they'd be shivering.


Is there a reason you would prefer to house them rather than feeding hay or silage and concentrate in the field?

[shep53]

As SALLY says keep out the rain but not the wind ,air must not get stale.  Make sure plenty of water and the right type of pellets, consider salt only licks to help them drink more

[SteveHants]

Where are you in the country?


I'd try caking them outdoors first.

[agri293]

Thanks for your replys they are all texel xs I will take all of your advice on board the shed I have faces west so there is plenty ventilation with a gap in the back to let the air through  what concentrate would you reccomend can I put them on a tup mix although they are lambs or stick to lamb pellets

[SallyintNorth]

If they're lamb pellets, check that they have the additive for tups and wethers, or you could get urinary calculi in the males. 

Personally I would use a 16% stock blend (with the additive) but I guess they'll come on quicker on a higher protein feed.

My experience is that only some of the lambs really eat the cake; they fatten first (and if you don't watch it, they get fat), then when they go, some of the 'next rankers' come onto the cake, and so on.

Shall you feed ad lib or ration it?

[shep53]

Have a look at EBLEX better returns store lambs . Might help . You can buy pellets / blends designed for fattening lambs , don't know how many lambs you have but buying 1 tonne either apallet load or tote bags would be cheaper than buying single bags

[mart2671]

Hi leave them in the field give them some 16% sheep cake and some sugar beet shreds . Drench them all first and also if you can give them a jab of ivomec they will come on lovely , sheep dont tend to do so well in side as not a natural enviroment for them . Also at this time of year if you can get them stock feed swedes are good too lots of goodness and cheap too, look in your local paper or google to find local supplier .

[VSS]

Hi leave them in the field

I think that bit of advice depends on where you are and the quality of your grazing. I know that anything that isn't fat now, won't fatten outside here until the spring. There is very little goodness in the grass. We have got a bunch of 35 or so store lambs that will be coming in very soon to finish hopefully by late November/early December. They won't get fat outside.

[si-mate]

If you are going to bring them in then give them a week or so on cake outside, gradually building up the quantity beforehand otherwise you are at risk of acidosis if they are not using to concentrates.
Also you are better off giving them good clean wheat or barley straw rather than hay as they will fill up on hay and not consume the optimum quantity of finisher which should be offered ad-lib.

[mart2671]

Well i my opinion sheep fatten better out than in , no matter where you are in the country . If fed correctly wormed and looked after  they will fatten in short period . Yes there is very little goodness in the grass this time of the year and thats why u are supplimentary feeding them with hay and hard feed to get them fat i assume . You also need to look at the fat lamb market at the momment as  fat lambs have dropped in price and you need to work out wether the extra feed work will give you a good return , or if there big lambs will they make as much store as the dairy farmers will bring there cows in now and will b looking for stores to fatten on there cow grass . Last year the last of my Texel cross Zwartbles born in May were sold in early December and made £94 store . My Brother in Yorkshire is fattening all his last lambs   outside on stubble turnips and sugar beet shreds . Being the fourth generation of sheep farmers we were always told that sheep do better out than in but hey we all have differant ideas on whats best . 

[SallyintNorth]

Well i my opinion sheep fatten better out than in , no matter where you are in the country .

mart2671, I lived in Exmoor so I thought I understood harsh weather and moved up to Northumberland.

Trust me, you - and your brother in Yorkshire - have no idea.  West Northumberland and North Cumbria hill farmers send their hoggs to Yorkshire for an easy first winter.

Yorkshire farmers moving to north Cumbria haven't a clue how to make hay in a climate like ours.  Typically they try once, the hay is terrible, and they switch to silage.

All of which said, I don't think we know where agri293 is?

Oh, and I know of a very well-respected farmer in Exmoor winters his Suffolks indoors and his Exmoors outdoors.  Horses - and sheep - for courses, eh.

[shep53]

Have been using sheds for 30yrs , fattening hoggs ,inwintering  x ewes even tupping inside, also done all this out side, no problem either way , do what suits you