Housing Sheep Pitfalls & Problems!
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Welcome to Sheep School, where every day with sheep is a school day! In this latest installment, join us as we navigate the challenges brought on by an unexpected snowstorm and its impact on our pregnant ewes.
As a relatively new farmer, I'm constantly learning and sharing my experiences with you, our valued viewers. In this video, you'll witness the aftermath of a heavy snowfall that caused significant problems for our flock, particularly our pregnant sheep who struggled to reach the grass underneath.
Despite facing adversity, I made the tough decision not to cancel my wife's night away, knowing that I'll soon be consumed with the demanding task of lambing for four weeks straight. Upon my return, I immediately spring into action, cleaning the dung out of the shed to make space for our sheep to come inside.
However, as I reflect on our actions and decisions, it becomes apparent that housing the sheep too close to lambing may have contributed to unforeseen complications. We encounter the heartbreaking reality of losing a sheep overnight, another lying in distress, and one suffering from a prolapse.
Through it all, I share valuable lessons learned and discuss the mistakes made, emphasizing the importance of proper preparation and management during critical times on the farm.
Join us as we vaccinate and fluke dose our ewes, split them into groups according to litter size, and provide them with essential nourishment through silage and meal. This video offers a candid look into the highs and lows of sheep farming, revealing the raw truth behind the scenes.
Key Topics Covered:
Snowstorm aftermath and its impact on pregnant sheep
Balancing personal time with farm responsibilities
Shed maintenance and preparation for lambing season
Vaccination and fluke dosing protocols
Managing sheep groups based on litter size
Emergency situations and dealing with sheep health issues
Reflection on mistakes made and lessons learned
Thanks for watching, see you next time...
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I may be a bit biased since I shear your sheep and the arrangement would benefit me, but I think housing sheep 8 weeks before lambing and shearing them going in is looking more and more attractive for more intensive lowland farmers.
The sheep would be in and settled well before lambing and the land would get a great chance having the sheep off it, no poaching and a chance to green up a bit. Shearing them leaves them cleaner and means you can fit more sheep into the same area in the shed. It also leads to slightly bigger lambs and the sheep don't get stuck on their backs in early summer without the big fleeces of wool.
I'm not a lowland farmer and I could be wrong, but just from the outside looking in it seems like a good option to at least try.
It'd be cool if you put a few in next winter to see how they do vs the sheep outside, it'd make good UA-cam content too!
Interesting video as always David. 🔥
19th July NZ were shearing it's sheep about 2 weeks ago - lambs due to start in 14 days - we are in the middle of winter but ours are mild (for the most part) youtubers Kiwi Farmer and Deep South Sheep and Beef
Its definitely a big change to the sheep's diet so close to lambing. I've always found that sheep are happiest when they are out here in Ireland. Our weather is rarely to extreme for them that they can't cope. The problem with housing heavily pregnant ewes is they spend far too much time lying down as they eat their silage a lot quicker at the barriers as opposed to outside grazing grass in nibbles which takes far longer. Too much time lying down when they are heavy in lamb puts more pressure on their organs leading to more problems and definitely more pressure on their back ends leading to increased vaginal and rectal prolapses. I try to leave them out for as long as possible but introduce some silage/haylage, crystalyx and nuts gradually whilst they are out. When they do come in its not such a drastic change to their diets.
If a sheep could die twice she would. Keep her lit lad.
Like my uncle told me sheep are a herd animal and they do their best to hide if they are sick, and when you eventually see when one gets sick it's usually too late or almost too late to help it. But he also told me that sheep try their hardest to die/kill themselves no matter how well you look after them
Just like horses!
Brave man messing with the twine religion.. Also the silage a year later should only be a bit lower in energy if that but the vitamins have a half life and normally there is less of them in the feed so anything for the sheep to get extra vitamins, we increased the size of our farm 5 years ago but we started by creating new fields 2 years before so we got a bit of spare bales every year and sheep are just a small part of our operation so they get the older bales and their health massively increased with added vitamins, mostly measured in extra lambs, they were always in good condition before as they are now but the fertility didn't follow.
A great , honest video. Good videos
An awful lot of animal vaccines can’t be got this year. The pharmaceutical companies are making so much money making the Covid vaccines that they don’t bother too much with the animal vaccines
You work so very hard and obviously care about your sheep. The ill sheep really was on her last legs - not a lot could've helped her, sadly. Enjoy your videos very much. Best wishes.
Just started watching you I watched sheep game but when he lamming for a week or two, he shows us a video every day now we get one every three weeks for five minutes everybod bought his merchandise and watched his channel his wife’s channel even the fed farmers, but that’s the only thing he’s got time for now is fed for farmers. We don’t get to see no sheep content. Lizzie don’t cut that on her but she’s got three babies down, and everybody bought his stuff, the channels, even the membership channel and still no shows.
Do you cull off ewes that prolapse ? Heard people doing this but believe its just to fat/to much lambs inside , also heard its the forage ect that fulls up the guy causing it better to feed good concentrate than alot of forage with low nutrient values
Great video. I've been looking forward to your ewes coming in for lambing. I've fed 5 year old silage in bales and it was as good as the first year. I had it at the back of a heap that I kept adding to and couldn't get at it because it was at the back. Once they are wrapped up perfectly tight and have no holes or pricks in them, the silage will be absolutely fine. In fact, it got me wondering, could the bales last for years and years, but 5 is the longest I've had a bale for.
I’m pretty sure Orla would know if your good for the Job, anyway 😂
Are you selling you're empty ewes since trade is good?
I'll get Padraig my scanner man to call someday he's passing and if they're still empty they'll definitely go..
If you had half them sheep you would be better off. Nearly always less is more
Can you not mark a lame one so you can keep an eye on and be able to distinguish which ones are needing looked at when they are in?
The little bit of black most likely was caused by the hot weather last May. Using white or pink plastic would help to stop it, but not worth the hassle don't know if it looses quality but better be looking at it than for it.
I could do with looking at more, they are really wolfing through what bales I have...
Hi, JP here. 35 years attending sheep school. In answer to your questions, my opinion, if silage is baled in good condition with no damage to plastic, they still come out just as good. Didn't see you remove mould from bale before shaking out. Housing late, total change of diet too close to lambing is a disaster. A false reliance on over rated benefit of grass only for ewes close to lamb leads to problems. As little as .25kg oats for the last few weeks would have made the world of difference. Haven't used the dreaded spoon for prolapses since the early 80s. Rope harness only, as anything inserted cause stress. Transfer of antibodies is an uncertain science, but leaving vaccine too late greatly diminishes any effectiveness. I boost all lambs before turnout. Best of luck.
Depends on your ewes…..we’ve bred for grass only and don’t feed any concentrates if they’re on grass. Colostrum quality is very good, and nice sensible sized lambs that lamb easily and grow away well. You’ve two choices…..breed you sheep to your system, or, structure your system to your sheep. I’ve done both and wouldn’t ever go back to structuring a system to the stock that’s for absolute certain. Yes, it take a a few years to get things sorted but when it starts to come good you the benefits of breeding to the system are immense
Sheep are born with the will to die. 38:02
Cracking video as always. You can’t do anymore than you are doing. Keep up the good work
If you feed the sheep morning and evening it would avoid sheep going down with calcium. Better for prolapse too by not eating a big feed at once..24 hours is too long for sheep with 2 and 3 lambs coming in off grass that's what I found over the years
Robbie's a star, so lucky you have him, like Sheep Shepherd and his epic Dad. Is there a bolus for liver fluke, seems that would be easier than dosing multiple times. The older ewes should perhaps be grazed closer to home, since just a handful and maybe given nuts. But the lambs will likely be just fine, from the thin ewes as they're putting everything to their lambs, but you'll have to pack the feed to those ewes after lambing to get milk. Daily injections of oxytocin will also increase milk production if you can get it from your vet. That ewe stuck in the bales, so typical of a sheep!
I love your videos. Sometimes we do all that we can, and we still lose them. It's never what we want to have happen. Winters can be so rough sometimes!
Pregnancy isn't as straight forward as what some people would imagine, I'd say you're doing a great job. Yes stress and moving them can contribute to issues, but I'd say don't be too hard on yourself.
Were did you get them troughs u have in the shed
Excellent video my little fella loves them top job 👍
Thanks 👍
Where can I buy one of them round black work benches that you're using for your medicine😅. A few more of them would be handy to have. Keep up the great work
Can't wait for the lambing 😀
Hope I can keep the videos coming, might be a little shorter but probably no harm 😊
Check her out for twin lamb die
I used to put those things back out in a grassy paddock with grate success and make sure they eat cake
Good video as usual ,, sorry about the dead ewe ,, we all get one or two cases but hope the rest of the season goes smoothly
Great video again. Heck of a lot of work for you all 😮. Take care
Thanks 👍
This time of year if a ewe gets sick its never a good turnout
Definitely not alone David….always a time for losses 😞 I’d agree with yourself, definitely not ideal to leave them until two weeks before lambing to bring them in, added stress, new diet etc etc BUT, anyone in the job knows full well sometimes and for many different reasons, things just don’t always work out and your not quite as on them as you’d like. We’ve all been there, or in my case, I’m the same as you, feels like I’ve been behind the entire year with weather etc 😭 just have to make the best of it and do your best with the situation in front of you, you can’t do anymore than that!
The backpack and holster is bloody brilliant!! Will definitely be ordering a couple sets of those 😍😍😍 good on ya, great job with them!! 👌🏻👊🏻👍🏻
Shy
but willing
like a cat in a dairy .
Ar an Orlaith 😍 😅
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That's so great . I watched your video. very interesting . Raising livestock in cold weather conditions is difficult
You should maybe try getting some gloves that are needle proof! I think the guards use them and also people in recycling centres use them. Great videos by the way 😊😊
Sheep are standing in field's thinking up new ways of dieing all the time, the best of luck with lambing 2024, great videos. 👍
I don’t batch footbath I keep numbers on my ewes sides all year and just do the ewe and foot that is bad when they are in.
I’d imagine housing maybe a month post lambing would be best ,never hard feed singles here and always leave triplets out until the week of lambing but they’d be already on nuts and some silage with grass
Never feed two year old silage here to sheep to high risk of Listeria IMO ,great video
Best of luck lambing
Great video again david big fan any luck with getting a student
Thank you..👌
Help has landed, stay tuned 😉
sorry David that the sheep died. i wish you great sheep farming year, your a great hard working farmer.
An old farmer friend of mine once said when you have sheep what you need is 3 things an attaché case with a range of injections a syringe and above all a spade to dig a hole
Just watched this you have had your chalo with the weather . Its been bad all over the uk .
Hope it gets better .
Thankyou for the schooling .
Take care .
Hi David i see plenty of sheep game merch around Shetland but no sheep school. Hows about you send me a free hat and jacket to wear and get you noticed up here.
I feed everything the same unless thin but have no sheds of enough small fields so far ewes with plenty of milk and good lambs. As soon as ewes lamb they get split twins and singles twins did get creep feed last year
Yes it’t not ideal agreed, last year Joanne from Dale Farm cut things a bit fine but they did get away with it. So let’s hope you do as well.
Put the thin single in with the twins.
Great video you have plenty of ewes to lamb this year hope it goes well we are lambing at the minute 30 left looking forward to the end👍
Your are taking a big chance leaving them that late. Hopefully you don’t run into big problems ahead 🤞🤞🤞
Another great watch 👍
Thanks 👍
Has been a difficult time for you guys and hopefully you can get through the difficult time.
Hi do you tag lambs straight away and what tags do you use cheers
Hi just wondering what gun you were using
I think you are spot on.
Good see ya busy.time ahead ya
Good one
Look.pretty.good
Good stuff
Stuff always happens. Including uterine hemorrhage when getting near birth, which you won't know is happening until it's too late.
I will say calcium is unlikely to be of much help prior to birth, milk fever will be after. The similar condition prior to birth would be pregnancy toxemia (pregnancy ketosis; too much energy sent to the lambs, not enough energy coming in) which would be more likely to respond to propylene glycol.
In sheep, milkfever is more common befor lambing than after, so calcium is the correct treatment. Might be accidos too, so not wrong to give som propylenglycol too.
I agree. Looks like that sheep may have had Pregnancy toxemia. Always worth treating her for that, and the calcium, to be on the safe side. I have found that the calcium on it’s own didn’t do the trick, for my sheep anyways. Just my experience 😊
Great video David I think anyone who has sheep usual loses a ewe or two when they have them in for the first week or so 👌
Thanks Gary 👍
Hows things David fair play to you great videos. FYI on the silage quality. Im currently feeding pit silage from May 2019 to the milk cows here and thankfully cows are milking well on it. Have not tested it though. Keep up the good work!💪