[suziequeue]

YAY!!! Our last ewe has lambed 

We have gradually improved our lambing routine over the years and learnt ALOT on Tim Tyne's course a couple of years ago but every day is a school day.

What is your single biggest learning point from lambing this year???

Mine is:

MAKE SURE THE LITTLE TRAILER IS READY TO GO AND IN AN ACCESSIBLE POSITION in case a ewe needs to go to the vet in a hurry.

I had gone and collected half a tonne of rotted pig manure from the local piggery two weeks prior to the start of lambing and we hadn't finished putting it all onto the beds. It just didn't cross my mind.

When there seemed an inordinately long time (>2hrs) between the first and second lamb in one of our ewes I called the vet and he had to come out....... which actually turned out quite well because by the time the vet arrived (having got lost on the way!!!) she had delivered the second one. But next year we'll be prepared!!!!

[Coastie]

Keep a bottle of Calcijet 6 (blue lid) and appropriate syringe/needles ready to go in the emergency first aid kit.
Luckily we had some unopened from last year and just in date.  When I went to restock, I found our local store only stocks cattle med. and the sheep med has to be ordered . 
I used a 20 ml syringe as I find it easier to handle then the 50 ml.  Make sure OH /helpers know where to find the emergency kit!

[trish.farm]

Cull some of my older ewes who have had repetitive problems. 

[bloomer]

Find a raddle that shows properly on really dark brown/black ewes so I have better info to work off for lambing dates...

[JedM]

MAKE SURE THE LITTLE TRAILER IS READY TO GO AND IN AN ACCESSIBLE POSITION in case a ewe needs to go to the vet in a hurry.

I had the same experience!  A ewe had a prolapse and wasn't looking good.  Vet said to get her into the surgery as it would be easier for them.  Then I remembered the trailer was full of beet!    Don't think I've ever emptied a trailer so fast before.

[Marches Farmer]

Get some 4ft hurdles so I can have 4ft x 5ft mothering up pens rather than 5ft square.  I had to keep more than usual back from turnout from the nursery shed this year due to the horrible weather over Easter and more pens would've been useful.

[Jukes Mum]

Never tempt fate eg by saying things like "I hope it's as easy as last year" and "well, we had a terrible start to lambing so the rest should be easy" etc!
Our terrible start was a ewe being attacked by a dog which resulted in the season's first lamb being deliver by C-section and a very weak premature orphan lamb. Lambing ended with a first timer getting her lamb stuck, then being terrified of it when it arrived and spending 2 hours trying to kill it.
Hey-ho all's well that ends well (or is that tempting fate  )

[Tim W]

YAY!!! Our last ewe has lambed 

We have gradually improved our lambing routine over the years and learnt ALOT on Tim Tyne's course a couple of years ago but every day is a school day.

What is your single biggest learning point from lambing this year???

Mine is:

MAKE SURE THE LITTLE TRAILER IS READY TO GO AND IN AN ACCESSIBLE POSITION in case a ewe needs to go to the vet in a hurry.

I had gone and collected half a tonne of rotted pig manure from the local piggery two weeks prior to the start of lambing and we hadn't finished putting it all onto the beds. It just didn't cross my mind.

When there seemed an inordinately long time (>2hrs) between the first and second lamb in one of our ewes I called the vet and he had to come out....... which actually turned out quite well because by the time the vet arrived (having got lost on the way!!!) she had delivered the second one. But next year we'll be prepared!!!!

Maybe the real lesson here is ''leave them to it a bit longer'' ?

[suziequeue]

Well - how long is a "bit longer"? Last year I left it one hour then pulled the lamb but I felt that I could have "waited a bit longer"...... so this year I waited two hours and the lamb was still very far back and I couldn't feel the feet.

When I used to do Obstetrics, something magical used to happen to labouring women when The words "Emergency Section" or "Call the Consultant" were used. The same thing happened in this case.

[Tim W]

Well - how long is a "bit longer"? Last year I left it one hour then pulled the lamb but I felt that I could have "waited a bit longer"...... so this year I waited two hours and the lamb was still very far back and I couldn't feel the feet.

When I used to do Obstetrics, something magical used to happen to labouring women when The words "Emergency Section" or "Call the Consultant" were used. The same thing happened in this case.

That of course is the £1M question  But I would wager that many ewes are interfered with that would do their own thing in time
Yesterday morning I had a ewe scanned with trips that had just one at foot , I left her but passed by about 3 hrs later with a neighbouring sheep farmer in the truck (he was just being nosy) ---he thought I was mad to leave her and wanted to catch her up but I left her and on my way home in the evening she had 3 lambs asleep next to her. Her lambing process took 8 hrs I think....sometimes it just takes a while

[pharnorth]

Well I am sure the Vets are well placed to use some discretion on the order they make their calls.  Ours are typically at least an hour away, longer in rush hour traffic. So I might call them after 2 hours for a twin especially if I thought the ewe was becoming distressed, if only to give them a heads up that a come quick call might follow. 

But actually what I learnt was rather different... Having too few to scan I expected the first timer to produce a single, but she was huge so thought twins possible, she had an enormous single. We went in for dinner, came out an hour later to check afterbirth etc to find two more hooves sticking out.  Another enormous twin. So I learnt I know nothing!

[kanisha]

learning from other peoples mistakes .. I've yet to start lambing this year!

[Foobar]

Wood shavings are very absorbent!
Lambed indoors for the first time this year (not by choice, only cos we've just moved to a new place and the fields are like swimming pools) ... and used wood shavings as a base layer with straw on top for their bedding.  Spent last weekend clearing it out as lambing is mostly over for me now and am very impressed with the wood shavings' performance.  Means I have a lot less bulk to put on the manure heap than I would if I'd just used straw.
Dull I know, sorry!

[SophieYorkshire]

Not to believe its going well too early! Our first 25% went well, the second 50% has been bloody dreadful and we've lost 25% of total headcount of lambs. Almost put off of lambing again. Fingers crossed for the last 25%! 

[princesslayer]

Wood shavings are very absorbent!

I like this Foobar - will defo consider next year, after having to clear out tons of straw.

I learnt that my ewes (slightly flighty Jacobs) definitely do not like being watched. They'll only lamb if I go away. I did sneakily watch one with the binoculars though...