As lambing season approaches, it’s time to get ready. Many factors in this process are not under our control, but if we focus on those things that we can influence, the season will be much easier. Whether it’s your first season or you’re experienced, there are certain preparations you need to make to ensure the season runs as smoothly as possible.
Before you start the countdown to the arrival of new members of your household, it is important to apply expert recommendations. First of all, it is desirable to separate the ewes from the adult sheep during mating due to the dominance of older individuals.
It is important to dry lactating females. There are several methods for drying, and it is important not to stop milking suddenly, but gradually, in order to avoid mastitis. This should be done on time, so that the animal’s body can focus all its energy and nutrition on preparing for pregnancy.
Sheep should be provided with sufficient amounts of clean water, plenty of straw and be given the opportunity to move during certain stages of pregnancy, in order to avoid dystocia.
Below are other tips, and perhaps the most important is that through sleepless nights and constant checks, don’t forget to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year on your property – the birthing season!
Il de France – a breed of sheep with quality meat and high fertility
6 Sunday before lambing
Haircut
Sheep should be sheared 6 weeks before lambing for several reasons. First, clipping allows you to better assess their body condition, which helps you feed them properly towards the end of pregnancy.
Also, this keeps the ewe cleaner during and after birth, and it makes nursing easier for the newborn lambs because they will not accidentally try to suckle with multiple longer wool, but will easily find the udder.
If you live in a colder climate, a full-fleece ewe may become too warm during birth and may choose to lie down on snow or somewhere cold, increasing the risk of hypothermia and lamb death. In addition, shearing allows for better quality fleece to be retained, as the older part of the fiber is removed.
If the ewe lambs very early in the year, so it would be too cold to shear her 6 weeks in advance, you can only shave her back and udder. This will keep the ewe clean, and the lamb will find the udder easier and will be able to suckle.
Later, after the sheep grows stronger, you can completely shear it. It is important not to shear the ewe too close to birth, as stress and manipulation during shearing can cause abortion or other complications.
Change in diet
Depending on the body condition of your ewe, you should start changing her diet 6 weeks before lambing. If the sheep is overweight, you should wait a few more weeks before making any dietary changes.
However, for ewes of average body weight, start to change the diet gradually so that they have the proper nutrition needed for a healthy pregnancy and a strong, healthy lamb delivery. It is important that you implement this change in diet gradually.
It is important to classify sheep according to their food needs, depending on the assessment of body condition and the number of fruits. It is necessary to add the concentrate during the last 6-8 weeks of pregnancy, 2 times a day.
5 Sunday before the appointment
Equipment for lambing
If you already have a lambing kit, you need to inspect, clean and refill it. If you don’t have it yet, it’s time to prepare it. This is also the period when you should check and renew the veterinary kit.
First of all, every farmer should have a “first aid kit” with the necessary accessories for lambing (oil/lubricant, maternity gloves and ropes, stomach tube for lambs and syringe, frozen colostrum, tincture of iodine for the navel, thermometer to control lambs for hypothermia , antibiotic injections and drench for application, 20% glucose injection solutions and Ca/Mg preparations, oral glucose, syringes) etc.
4 weeks before lambing
Vaccination
Sheep are often vaccinated before lambing to protect against certain diseases and ensure the transfer of passive immunity to the lambs. Before vaccination, it is important to consult a veterinarian for the selection of the appropriate vaccine and the correct vaccination schedule.
Vaccination should be done 2-4 weeks before the expected lambing date so that the sheep have enough time to develop immunity, and the antibodies are transferred to the lambs through the colostrum. Proper vaccination is part of a wider herd health management program and contributes significantly to the health of sheep and lambs.
3 weeks before lambing
Tidying up the lambing box
Prepare lambing areas, making sure you have plenty of clean straw and a sufficient number of individual pens to house ewes with multiple lambs. In today’s time, cameras are easily available and at affordable prices. Consider installing a camera in the lambing area to facilitate night checks and monitor the process remotely.
Be sure to stock up on basic emergency medicine and lambing aids (antibiotics, nylon ropes, identification spray, and antiseptics).
2 weeks before the appointment
Diet
Until now, all changes in nutrition during pregnancy should have been gradual, and now it is time for the sheep to be on 100% alfalfa, in order to provide them with the necessary nutrition for the end of pregnancy and to prevent pregnancy toxemia and other complications. If necessary, you can also add some grain to them to complete their diet.
Monitoring symptoms and keeping records
Start watching the sheep closely and watch for symptoms that indicate impending lambing. Changes will be seen in their stomach, pelvis, hindquarters, udders, as well as in their behavior.
Keeping a record of each ewe’s symptoms can help you know exactly when they are ready to lamb next year.
1 Sunday before lambing
Continue to monitor symptoms and keep good records until lambing. Monitor the sheep carefully, watching for signs of toxemia.
Lambing
Lambing is the most important period for the farmer, and proper preparation is crucial, given that 75% of sheep deaths and 70% of lamb deaths occur during or immediately after lambing. When assisting with lambing, the farmer should be aware of the moment when it is necessary to call the veterinarian.
Care of sheep after lambing
Key things to know about lambing
Increased supervision and duty: It is crucial to provide increased supervision and vigilance in critical periods, because a large number of lambs can be saved from banal causes of mortality that can lead to even 20% losses. Supervision and proper acceptance can drastically reduce these losses. There are a number of simple procedures for accepting lambs and preventive measures in the first, critical days.
Heavy lambs: Difficult lambing can be caused by an oversized fetus or inappropriate fetal situs/habitus, which can lead to trauma such as rib fractures, liver rupture, and brain hemorrhage.
Obese ewes carrying one lamb tend to have heavy lambs. Ultrasound diagnosis is important for proper nutrition. Sick, emaciated ewes or those with pregnancy toxemia are more likely to have a difficult lambing.
Assistance with difficult lambing: When assisting with difficult lambs, the farmer should use enough oil, his hands must be small and covered with a plastic glove. Sheep do not tolerate long-term vaginal and uterine manipulation.
If the farmer cannot reinvigorate the sheep in 10 minutes, a veterinarian should be called. Assisting should be as clean as possible, with the use of fine ropes, and the fruit must not be pulled too much to avoid trauma and death. You should always check if there are any remaining lambs in the uterus.
Synchronized lambing and labor: Farm labor needs to be efficiently deployed with synchronized lambing flow. Placing cameras in the lambing pens increases nighttime surveillance, which is especially important with spikes.
Pouring the udder: Pouring of the udder is not a reliable indicator of the proximity of the moment of lambing; the real indicator is separating the sheep from the herd.
Protective measures and group rearing of lambs: Application of protective measures and group rearing of lambs are more efficient and easier when rotation work is used.
Preparation of individual boxes for mother-ewes: It is necessary to prepare individual boxes for mother-ewes immediately after the birth of the first lamb (do not separate the ewes before lambing).
Movable, prefabricated metal fences that are easy to assemble and disassemble are recommended. The ewe and the lamb should be in an individual box for about 10 days in order to strengthen the maternal instinct and prevent the lambs from being trampled.
Abortive: Abortions should not be ignored; it is necessary to examine the cause of the abortion in order to eliminate the suspicion of an infectious reason. It is normal for a certain number of abortions to occur in the herd, but each case should be investigated in detail, especially if the proportion of abortions exceeds 5%.
The main infectious agents are chlamydia, toxoplasma, leptospira, listeria and salmonella. Rapid diagnosis is key, and the best sample is fresh aborted material. There may be more than one cause of abortion in one herd, so at least 10% of aborted cases should be examined. Concealing an abortion is unprofessional and harmful.
Recording: Be sure to keep detailed records of all procedures, symptoms and interventions on the farm.
Sources: Mother Earth News & Association of Veterinary Practitioners of Serbia
Source: www.agromedia.rs
