Every lambing season brings with it stress, sleepless nights and the disappointment of losses. While no amount of preparation can prevent this, there are many measures that farmers can take to make these weeks more manageable. A good deal of preparation in the weeks running up to lambing will ensure that things go more smoothly for you and your animals. That’s why we here at Agridirect.ie have put together a list of top tips for a successful lambing season. We hope you find them useful!
Tip 1. The first and most important thing to consider in the run-up to lambing is ewe health. To ensure that ewes are in the best possible condition as they approach their due date, you should ensure that their body condition score (BCS) is between 3 and 3.5. Ewes with a higher or lower BCS than this are likely to have difficulty delivering their lambs.
In addition to this, you should ensure that ewes are not deficient in any essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements in the run-up to lambing by administering a supplement. Supplements can be delivered in drench or bolus form, while bucket licks are also a good idea.
Tip 2. For ewes wintering indoors, provision of adequate feeding space is essential.
You can make sure that ewes are getting access to enough feed by providing adequate trough space for each animal. As a rule of thumb, each ewe will need at least a half metre of space at the trough. Any less than this will result in competition for feed, with weaker, shy animals losing out to the more boisterous ones.
In terms of feed, it is always a good idea to supplement silage and meal with a portion of soya. Feeding 100g of soya per day in the run-up to lambing is an excellent way of ensuring that your ewes will be able to produce enough colostrum to support new lambs.
Tip 3. Make sure that you have all the equipment and instruments you require for lambing before the first lamb is born. You should stock up on everything from lubricants and gloves to iodine, colostrum, syringes, needles, stomach tubes and lambing ropes at least a month before the first lamb is due. This will save you having to make unnecessary trips to the local store at an awkward time, or call up neighbours in the middle of the night for a favour.
Tip 4. A clean and spacious lambing pen is all important. Without one, you will inevitably run into difficulties. Chances are that several ewes will lamb at once, while winter weather also means that lambs may need to remain indoors for long periods of time. This means that it is a good idea to have a good number of pens ready for use at any one time.
Pens need to be carefully cleaned and disinfected before and after each use. Failing to do so will leave both lamb and ewe vulnerable to a range of potentially fatal infections such as joint-ill. Straw is probably the optimal bedding for lambing ewes.
A difficult season ahead
Every lambing season presents its own challenges, but this one promises to be particularly difficult for sheep farmers across the board. The collapse in sheep prices means that many of us are facing unprecedented financial challenges at the moment. The combination of financial strain and the exhaustion of lambing season can be damaging to physical and mental health, so I would call on the entire farming community to support neighbours, friends and family at this time. It is important to remind ourselves and those around us that there will be brighter days ahead.
On behalf of everyone at Agridirect.ie, best of luck to all farmers this lambing season.
MPG
