PREPARATION KEY TO OUTDOOR LAMBING SUCCESS
A failsafe routine is a critical part of successful outdoor
lambing, but good preparation in the weeks preceding is equally important,
according to Nettex Area Business Manager Jane Moodie.
Combining her full-time job with a hands-on role on her
family’s Scottish Highlands livestock farm, Miss Moodie knows as well as anyone
the value of being organised, and for her this includes having a checklist of
vital supplies.
From powdered colostrum to spare batteries for her
headtorch, she ensures nothing is left to chance once the real action starts.
“I have everything I need in the quad box as well as
duplicates and extra stocks in the shed,” she adds. “The last thing you want
when you’re in the midst of lambing is to run out of vital supplies or be
without a critical piece of equipment.
“It’s important that all your kit is clean and functioning,
so check it in good time. Ensure you have all your lambing aids, like lube,
lambing rope, disposable gloves, and iodine. Prepare for the worst, so keep a
thermometer handy, as you’ll inevitably have a sick ewe at some point and be
sure to have calcium and energy supplements on hand. A good supply of syringes,
needles, antibiotics and anti-inflammatories will also be essential, as you
don’t want to be running off to the vet when you really need to be on the
farm.”
Miss Moodie is especially mindful of the importance of
colostrum and says it is essential to leave nothing to chance in this
department.
“I will routinely milk a little colostrum from the ewe and
stomach tube the lambs where I’ve given assistance, just to be absolutely sure
they’ve had that vital first feed as early as possible,” she says. “It can also
be useful to freeze any surplus colostrum, when available, but the best
insurance is to have a good supply of high quality powdered colostrum that can
be used to supplement any ewes that for whatever reason are not able to supply
their lambs directly. This really has to be given within the first few hours to
give the necessary antibody protection so keep a good supply of colostrum and
ensure you have spare syringes and tubes.
“I also keep a bottle of Nettex Lamb Kick-Start supplement
available, to give any weak lambs a boost. Simply administered orally, this
concentrated energy source will help to get lambs up and drinking in the
critical first few days.”
Lambing 200 Scottish Blackface and Scotch Mule ewes outside
from about the middle of April, Miss Moodie admits that having sheds nearby as
a back-up for emergencies is a welcome bonus. She sets up ahead of time by
erecting clean pens inside as well as having some pens in the lambing fields.
The flock will have been split into groups carrying singles,
twins or triplets following scanning in January, and fed accordingly, and in
the weeks leading up to lambing the level of vigilance increases.
“As lambing approaches there is increased risk of prolapse
and of ewes becoming stuck on their backs, so I’ll be checking them three or
four times a day by the end of March. It’s important to have prolapse harnesses
available, and to keep an eye out for symptoms of twin lamb disease. Multi Lamb
Rapid is a fast-acting energy source that I like to have available to give any
ewes that are showing signs of twin lamb disease.”
Once lambing starts, the routine is to check from first
light, at about 5am, and then every three hours until dark.
“If I see anything close to lambing last thing at night,
I’ll usually bring it inside,” adds Miss Moodie. “If all is well, they go back
out as soon as the lambs are up and drinking. Then it’s a case of checking all
new-born lambs within 24 hours, when I’ll catch, mark, and tail them. If we’re
in doubt about anything then there’s the option to bring them inside, but more
often than not they’ll be moved off to fresh grazing in batches within a few
days.”
Minimising problems at lambing time of course starts by
ensuring the ewes are healthy and in optimum condition well in advance, and
that starts pre-tupping.
“I aim to have vaccinations, worming and fluking done six
weeks before the tups go in and use a long-lasting vitamin and trace element
bolus to eliminate the risk of any deficiencies in the critical months of
pregnancy. The Nettex Endurabol that we use is specifically formulated for
sheep and delivers essential vitamins and trace elements at a consistent rate over a
period of six months.”
For the Moodies’ April outdoor lambing system, tups are not
introduced until mid-November, when grass quality and availability is usually
falling away.
“We’ll bring the ewes off the hill ground and onto a flush
of grass two weeks before tupping,” she adds, “and then start strip-grazing
stubble turnips, supplemented with haylage.
