Author Topic: Checking your flock (Read 3538 times)

jembo · « **on:** May 03, 2010, 10:45:27 pm »

I know most of you have finished lambing now, but i could only borrow the ram i wanted late so am lambing them now - all 2 of them.
I was just wondering during lambing how often you check your sheep?
I am fairly lucky as the sheep are in a field just down the lane from the house, and are out full time (am lambing outside then bring in to pen up for 48 hours).
My girls are well pass their due date. One lambed a lovely but massive single ewe lamb on Friday night, so only have the one to go now. Seeing as they are pass there date, I am constantly checking the last ewe, as she has been giving all the right signs for 9 days now. (she is definitely in lamb).

So i am checking at 11-12pm - 3-4am and 7-8am and constantly during the day. So how often do you check yours?

bazzais · « **Reply #1 on:** May 04, 2010, 01:23:07 am »

Every three hours and spend a while when checking just to have a good look for any signs.

If they do have a problem, you dont really want them struggling for longer than that. Ideally we'd be there all the time - but its just not humanly possible is it

Ta

Baz

jembo · « **Reply #2 on:** May 04, 2010, 08:20:22 am »

Its difficult to judge. When I am contract lambing for people i am there all the time (admittedly i dont do night shifts) but all the flock is in a barn so in theory easier to check.

The reason I ask is that I was talking to a friend at the weekend and they only check their inlamb ewes in the morning and evening, and thought I was mad! However if I had not done regular checks the ewe of mine that has lambed would not have been able to deliver hers by herself and I would have lost both of them.

hexhammeasure · « **Reply #3 on:** May 04, 2010, 08:44:07 am »

Jembo you have the right idea, check regularly and carefully, however you should get a few hours notice that something is going to happenso if you get suspicious check more often. Having said that there have been a few occaisions when I've been duped and nothing has happened and sometimes say right I'll be back in an hour and its all over!

dixie · « **Reply #4 on:** May 04, 2010, 09:28:41 am »

I still have 2 left to lamb, I see to them at 7am then can see them from my house until I leave for work at 8.30, pop back at lunchtime then home after school time. I bring them in at night though, and check before bed but sont get up in the night unless theres signs beforehand. Once theres a sign I tend to stay nearby until they lamb. Just as well, on Friday I had a ewe in the field, was watching her all morning, water bag appeared then a nose and a foot, had to assist as it was a leg back! My first assisted all by myself!!
Think if I were lambing outside I would check during the night too, as it turned very cold and wet here lately.

Elissian · « **Reply #5 on:** May 08, 2010, 05:26:25 pm »

i can see mine from the kitchen window so between us we're looking out quite often, funnily enough 3/4 of them lamb in exactly the same part of the field it's obviously a place where they feel safe. At night we take turns to check them, midnight, 2am, 4am, 6am. We wonder around for about 20 mins checking them all so i suppose they do have gaps during the night where they're not watched. people say i'm mad for doing that but i have lost a lamb through not being there and thats not acceptable, i felt awful about it, of course it maybe that i couldn't of saved it anyway but i'll never know will i?

shrekfeet · « **Reply #6 on:** May 10, 2010, 12:02:05 pm »

Elissian, seems a bit overkill but if you are happy to get up that often then fine. I check once in the night at 3am. This way they don't go more than around 3 hours without being looked at. If they started lambing and had a problem they would probably be okay until I was back with them

sabrina · « **Reply #7 on:** May 10, 2010, 04:00:45 pm »

When I was lambing I would check every couple of hours, tiring yes, but a good outcome is far better than a bad one

spitfire · « **Reply #8 on:** May 10, 2010, 07:49:13 pm »

I guess the practical answer is you check them a often as you can, but its guaranteed they will lamb when you least expect it or like me, are off the farm- my wonderful neighbours called on me for 2 weeks of their lambing every time a suspect delivery was in place so I got some hands on experience of difficult birthing and what to look for.

my sheep decided (8/10) to lamb when I'd just left for work or on my way back so it was left to the men to handle it! all of the sheep managed to deliver without complications- Very lucky! and the 2 I was here for needed a little help.

just like people- you can time these things to arrive at a certain time and they happen when nature is ready- just fingers crossed you're there if the sheep needs you. very pragmatic I know but with a 2 months of lambing and another 2 sheep still to go (weeks away yet) just being realistic

good luck!
Lynne