[FarmerJase]

Evening All,
Our Dorset ewes all lambed about 8-12 weeks, with one late one about 6 weeks ago. So, as this is the first time we've lambed, can anyone please help us with the following questions:
1. When should we seperate the lambs from their mothers?
2. When should we tag the lambs (we're in Wales)?
3. When would be ok to does the lambs for fluke and give them Heptavac?
 
Cheers Guys!

[JMB]

Can't answer your tagging question, sorry.
We heptavac at a month to 6 weeks old ( and you need another dose a few weeks later)
About 6 weeks or more for wormer.
We left our lambs with their mums for a while. September or October I think. They weaned themselves. We just  let the ewes recover before tupping again in November.
J xxx

[Maggie]

I Heptavac my pregnant ewes 7 weeks prior to lambing, which gives the lambs immunity for the first 8 weeks of life.   3 weeks after the last lamb has been born, I give all lambs their first Heptavac shot, followed by their second one 3 weeks after that. 
I worm lambs at 3 days old (plus the mums), ear tag and then turn them out.  Weaning times vary for different people and sheep breeds for different reasons.  I wean off by August to give the ewes time to flush up for tup in November.
Orrabest!
 

[ZaktheLad]

I Heptavac mine as soon as the youngest lamb reaches 3 weeks and the oldest therefore is around 6-7 weeks. I then give them all the second shot of vaccine 4 weeks later, as it advises in the leaflet enclosed with the vaccine.   I tag and worm the lambs at the same time as they receive the 2nd dose of heptavac vaccine, so again, the youngest lambs would be 7 weeks at this time and the oldest circa 11 weeks.   

[Rosemary]

I worm lambs at 3 days old (plus the mums),

Why do you worm lambs at 3 days old?

[SteveHants]

I worm lambs at 3 days old (plus the mums),

Why do you worm lambs at 3 days old?

Quite - the lambs are only drinking milk at that point and cannot possibly have worms.

[ZaktheLad]

Plus I would have thought that there might be some immunity from the ewes wormer dosage that the lambs would receive via the milk at 3 days - although as others have mentioned, 3 days seems very young to be worming lambs?   

I also forgot to mention that I also spray my lambs with Dysect at their 2nd Heptavac dosage catch-up, as this protects them from fly strike for circa 8-10 weeks and saves further unnecssary rounding up/catching of the lambs after their booster vaccine.  The less rounding up/penning of the ewes and lambs the better, so I like to get all the jobs done at the booster sitting!  Far less stressful for them.

[in the hills]

In Wales - I believe lambs born on your holding must be identified before they move off your holding or before they reach 6 mnths kept under intensive systems or 9 mnths kept under extensive systems.


We are in Powys and have kept sheep for nearly 3 years. Animal Health rang last week for the first time and said they would send us some information about keeping sheep and the legislation but wouldn't bother to visit .... fine by me  .


We had already contacted them and requested information about record keeping etc. when we first acquired the sheep but they seem very relaxed and unhurried. If you give them a ring they will send out a booklet giving details of legislation/welfare/tagging requirements  and also a medicine record etc. ..... if you don't already have one.

[FarmerJase]

Many thanks for the advice guys