It’s all systems go for us as lambing season approaches

WE are now in the final few weeks before lambing. Concentrate feeding levels have been increased gradually over the past fortnight and will continue at that level right up until lambing.

The ewe’s demand for energy increases dramatically in the last two to three weeks pre-lambing, especially for twin and triplet-bearing ewes.

Lambs grow quickly in this time and colostrum development starts to take place.

I will begin to add some extra soya bean meal to the ration for the twin and triplet-bearing ewes for the last two weeks pre-lambing.

This may take a little extra work feeding but I believe that it will prevent work, as ewes will lamb down with better colostrum quality and quantity, and better-developed lambs, and will then be able to grow and thrive better.

It is the first year that I will lamb the whole flock indoors. I have often lambed the purebred Bluefaced Leicester ewes indoors but this was on a smaller scale.

All ewes were housed after scanning and were divided into groups, depending on the scanning results and the time they were going to lamb.

So far I have found great benefits from feeding the ewes inside. The ewes are in better body condition.

I can monitor and control the feeding of the ewes much better, and the ground that I would usually have ewes grazing on at this stage has a good cover of grass, which will give the lambed-down ewes a great start in March.

I can also take up silage ground earlier than I would have before.

I believe that I will gain from having the extra grass available in spring. Much of the earlier grazing ground has received an application of urea.

Lambing indoors, as I have been told by many, can have its challenges also.

Problems such as lameness, bedding and diseases such as E. coli (watery mouth) and mastitis can surface.

But I have found that the bedding has worked well so far. Ewes are bedded at least twice a week.

I have noticed since the weather has changed to damper conditions that the bedding level had to increase, but lameness has not been a problem so far.

Ewes were foot-bathed going into the shed and have been through the footbath twice since.

They went through the race for mineral supplementation pre-lambing and also for the clostridial vaccine booster.

I have disinfected the lambing pens and followed this with a probiotic spray. I mist this on top of the straw for the final two weeks pre-lambing.

The treatments for mastitis, watery mouth and scours in ewes and lambs will be sprayed in the individual lambing pens between lambings to reduce the pressure of infection.

Keeping the sheds clean and well bedded is important, as is ensuring the lambs get colostrum with antibodies from the ewe to help protect them against disease.

If the immune system of both the ewe and lamb is strong and the sheds are kept clean, problems should be kept to a minimum.

Hygiene is important at lambing time. It can be difficult when people get tired and are very busy but it should be a top priority.

Keeping equipment and the working area as clean as possible can help prevent many problems that lie around the corner.

I have set up an area for foster and pet lambs with an automatic feeder. This has worked well for me for the past few years and is a great labour-saving device

I will always try to adopt lambs onto other ewes but if this option is not available, the lambs are reared on the feeder.

I have found that it is important to keep the feeder clean at all times. I am not too keen on getting foster ewes from other farms as there is a reason that the ewe has no lamb.

Think about it: did this ewe abort lambs? Is she spreading disease to your farm, then? I think people need to be very cautious with this.

The next six weeks will be busy for me and for many. Preparing the final touches and attention to detail now can save a lot of time and work later on.

Tom Staunton farms at Tourmakeady, Co Mayo