[pooks]

Want to put two of my bigger wilts ewe lambs to the ram this year  as trying to avoid them getting too fat (as one of last years single lambs is now massive and I worry she wont get in lamb this year as a shearling).  I have good grass to last me till lambing next April.  Generally don't feed ewes during the winter may only give a little ewe nuts a few weeks before lambing to twin bearers.  how should I go about treating the ewe lambs if they get pregnant?  will be scanning to find out who is and isn't.  I obviously don't want to not give them enough nutrients to grow themselves but am also very aware that I don't want them having big lambs.

can they do this on grass alone?  an idiots guide would be appreciated (have ready eblex guide on lambing ewe lambs).  this will be my third lambing but first time with ewe lambs.

words of wisdom please.

[Marches Farmer]

Can you put them on reasonable grazing through the Winter and leave the weather to take care of any excess condition?  They're still growing their frames at this stage and I think it's a big ask to expect Spring-born lambs to grow themselves and their own lambs at the same time.  If they were December or January born it might work out.

[Tim W]

I lamb 200 ewe lambs off grass alone every year
I find the trick is to give them ad lib decent grass until scanning then cut them back a bit tighter until 2 weeks before lambing. Never let them rear more than one lamb and then wean the lambs at 10/12 weeks old to give the ewe lamb time to recover

I do lamb Wiltshire ewe lambs but find that they are usually a bit immature (compared with other shedding breeds ) and hence not such good mothers
If you are lambing them outside the hardest thing to learn is to LEAVE THEM ALONE

They will subsequently reach the same mature weight as their barren contemporaries but they may take 3 years to do this

And just remember that if a ewe lamb rears a lamb it is a bonus ----

[pooks]

Ok, so two weeks pre lambing, put them on better grass? That's it? No concentrate?

[novicesmallholder]

We have bolused the ewes this year with vitamins. It contains cobalt, selenium and iodine, and sits in the rumen and gives vits for 6 months. Other than worming and fluking and giving twin lamb  if required, we will not be giving any feed or anything else

[Tim W]

Ok, so two weeks pre lambing, put them on better grass? That's it? No concentrate?

That's all I do ---the aim is to get them lactating in time for lamb arrival without growing the in-utero lamb too much

But you will want to take into account what grass you have and how good it is-----I aim to lamb ewe lambs in the last week of April which means that they have plenty of good young grass/clover ahead of them
If you lamb them in March maybe you won't have such good grass and they may want a little supplement ?

[pooks]

Thanks for the advice, will see how they get on with the ram, when he visits towards end of month.