[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

so as the time nears what is the one essential thing that you put in your lambing box first!

[Marches Farmer]

Sterilised lambing ropes in tear-open plastic bags.  Things like iodine for navels can wait for a bit if necessary but if you need a rope you need it NOW!

[Sbom]

Lube..and a snare as a close second

[VSS]

Impossible to choose one - can't get it below four.
Lubricant, obstetric gloves, backtakill, thermovite.

[Tim W]

Binoculars ---- Psion a close second

[Badger Nadgers]

Stuff for the shepherd - hot food and drink, PPE.

[ThomasR]

Can't narrow it down to one, there are so many things that If I hadn't of had at that moment then I would have lost either the ewe or the lambs or even both.
1) lambing ropes
2) Spectrum
3) Combivit
4) Ketosaid (Had it in the box for years and never new what it was Until I needed it. If I hadn't of had it to give tot he ewe she would have died before the vets was open and for a bottle which is under £10 or a call out from the vet over £100)
5) Pen and strep
6) Twin lamb drench
7) Iodine
lube
those are just the very essentials but I do have more than this, I couldn't go into lambing season without a full box. I have shoulder length gloves but if you are clean then I find it easier with out gloves. Everybody will have their own individual make up of a lambing box though

[BenBhoy]

Wow if the first thing you need are ropes, lube etc I'd say what you really need are new sheep!!

Patience
Flask of something hot

[mowhaugh]

This is interesting. I've never used ropes yet, and I lamb a lot of sheep,  but never say never. I can't just think off the top of my head if I had to pick just one thing. Thinking about it.

[pharnorth]

Iodine. Needed for all lambing, easy or difficult.

[Womble]

I have shoulder length gloves but if you are clean then I find it easier with out gloves.

Yes, the big orange gloves are really difficult to work in. HOWEVER, if you put a pair of nitrile surgical gloves on over the top, that works well, with no loss of feeling or grip.

[Foobar]

Patience and binoculars.

[Rosemary]

This is interesting. I've never used ropes yet, and I lamb a lot of sheep,  but never say never. I can't just think off the top of my head if I had to pick just one thing. Thinking about it.

Me neither. I have them but never used them.

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Always orange long gloves and lubricant, plus vit and mineral and calcium just in case. Rubber rings and marker spray are very good, plus shears in case wool around udder is too long. Also an empty, sterilised, dry lamb feed bottle and teat in case lamb has trouble suckling. Also a warm blanket in case of an orphan lamb, difficult birth or rejection. Hope this helps. Ditto all other suggestions  too.

[Womble]

I haven't used ropes, but I have used this rather interesting looking contraption instead, which worked perfectly:





Luckily it was delivered in plain packaging, for ultimate discretion