As Bonfire night finished with a bang, the majority of tups were in and (fingers crossed) working their magic. It’s been a very tricky transition from weaning to tupping for many with discussions about ewes not looking quite their best, and worm burdens remaining unseasonably high. Now is the time to think ahead to the next lambing season, with some things to be ticked off the list now, ahead of the busy period.
Continue to monitor ewe condition. Weigh your ewes!
Monitoring ewe condition throughout pregnancy is crucial to reduce the risk of lambing complications (for example pre-lambing prolapses and oversized lambs) which can arise through too fit or too lean ewes. Correcting ewe condition sooner rather than later is critical. Condition score again at scanning and pre-lambing vaccination – mark any thin/ fat ewes each time.
For those lambing indoors, getting an accurate ewe weight is essential for calculating pre-lambing diets. Weigh ewes when the tups have come out, if you have not done so already pretupping. Select 20 mature ewes in good condition (BCS 3). If ewe lambs or shearlings are to be in separate groups in the lambing shed (recommended), ensure that these are weighed too.
Set reminders in your diary
Vaccine boosters, pre-lambing faecal egg counting and pre-lambing blood sampling can all be pencilled in now, so set reminders in your diaries to ensure that they don’t get forgotten.
Get forage analysed now
No two years’ forages are the same, and so getting this analysed will be one of the best annual investments you will make. If several forages are available, we can assess the merits of each to ensure that forage potential is maximised. Getting forage/s analysed ahead of purchasingany addition feeds can pay dividends and, with concentrate prices near £400/tonne, selecting the most cost-effective option to match the forage available is a sound investment.
Good pre-lambing rations pay forward in maintaining ewe health; boosting colostrum and milk quality; and ensuring lamb size and vigour is maximised. We are able to help consider which feeding options will fit your situation and your ewes in the run up to lambing. There is no one-size-fits-all and so we are also able to
offer support once a ration plan has been developed.
Written by, Nicky Ogden BVM BVS MVM MRCVS
