The severity of the weather challenge facing farmers differs across regions and depends on whether flocks are lambing at present.

For flocks starting to lamb, availability of space for ewes and lambs is the greatest constraint in the first few days of lambing as there is very little room freed up in group pens to act as an overflow to individual lambing pens.

Many farmers have little option but to try and cope as best as they can. Aspects such as ensuring lambs receive sufficient colostrum, maintaining high standards of hygiene and addressing issues swiftly will all help.

Adequate colostrum

Getting sufficient volumes of colostrum into lambs as soon as possible after birth will get them on the right track immediately. The general guide is 50ml colostrum per kg liveweight in the first six hours of life.

Where in doubt, lambs should be stomach-tubed to ensure adequate intake is achieved. The latter is particularly beneficial where managing triplet litters. Ewe colostrum should be offered to each lamb and, if required, colostrum saved from other ewes/cows or colostrum substitutes can be offered as a top up.

Optimum hygiene

Labour availability is understandably tight at lambing but one area which should not be compromised on is hygiene. The risk of diseases such as watery mouth or joint ill is multiplied where lambs are born into a dirty environment. Many farmers place a strong focus on navel dipping but the risk of bacteria entering the lamb’s mouth from dirty bedding or sucking dirty teats is just as great.

The navels of lambs should be dipped or sprayed as soon as possible after birth.

Spreading lime or a disinfectant powder around drinkers or soiled bedding before fresh straw is applied will help reduce the risk of disease. This is also vital where individual lambing pens cannot be cleaned between different ewes and lambs. Special effort should be made to fully clean and disinfect lambing pens as regularly as possible.

Group penning

Space can be freed up in tight circumstances by grouping a number of ewes and their lambs. Temporary housing in hay or machinery sheds, for example, can be gained by using straw bales for shelter. Do not overstock freshly lambed ewes as this will increase the risk of mis-mothering.

Ewes rearing triplet lambs should also be kept on their own for longer.

Where overflow sheds are being used it is advisable to keep stocking rates at a low level.

Where doubt exists that ewes are able to rear a third lamb, acting early and removing one lamb will aid the transition to an artificial feeder, if applicable. It will also reduce the period until animals can be released outdoors.

Letting single lambs outdoors

If animals must be let outdoors, single lambs are the best option, with ewes capable of putting all their attention on just the one lamb. Keeping group sizes small and letting lambs out early in the day is also highly recommended.

Monitor weather forecast

The greatest risk of mortality in ewes and lambs released outdoors is inclement weather and in particular when lambs are exposed to wind and rain and low temperatures. Keep an eye on the weather forecast, paying attention to the direction of the prevailing wind. If wind direction changes, sheep may need to be moved to other fields that will provide better shelter.

Supplementing ewes

In theory, ewes suckling one or two lambs will not require concentrate supplementation where they have access to sufficient grass (5cm plus). Where utilisation is poor and grass dry matter content is low, which is almost everywhere at present, there is a benefit to continuing to feed ewes suckling two lambs and even ewes suckling one lamb where conditions are poor.

The boost in dry matter and energy intake will help settle ewes and ensure milk yield is not compromised which is vital to keep lambs on track. A half to 0.8kg concentrates (depending on conditions) will go a long way and can be discontinued once weather improves.

Access to fresh water

Ewes in good condition will be able to deal with a temporary shortfall in energy intake if delayed getting to grass. Water intake, in contrast, is vital and increases sharply from two to three litres pre-lambing to up to 10l post-lambing where ewes are consuming a high dry matter diet.

Increased stocking rates in sheds and poor ground conditions will present a higher risk of lambing-related diseases.

A significant negative of weather disrupting normal turnout and poor underfoot conditions is an increased risk of disease occurring.

E coli scour

E coli scour is the main culprit of a build-up of disease. It is most common in intensive systems and in particular where lambs may have received inadequate or delayed colostrum intake. It is contributed to by a failure to get lambing pens cleaned and disinfected, which may currently be a greater issue, with pressure on space available.

Classic signs are lambs ceasing feeding, becoming dull and weak and drooling at the mouth, giving the common name of watery mouth.

The focus must remain on ensuring lambs get sufficient colostrum combined with high standards of hygiene

It can quickly spread and it is not uncommon for 20% to 30% of lambs becoming infected. Treatment involves administering antibiotics daily for the infection along with electrolytes to prevent dehydration and provide a source of energy. Stomach tubing and access to a heat source may also be required.

Where a problem exists, antibiotics can be administered to lambs in the first few hours of life but this route is only recommended where an outbreak has occurred. Instead, the focus must remain on ensuring lambs get sufficient colostrum combined with high standards of hygiene. One thing that is often overlooked is thoroughly washing bottles, stomach tube, syringes, etc. Getting animals outdoors as soon as possible will also help.

Joint ill

The other ailment that is associated with pressure at lambing and a build-up of bacteria is joint ill. Clinical signs are lambs with a swelling or inflammation in the navel, knee or fetlock. Treatments involve administration of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories for pain relief.

Like with watery mouth, bacteria can gain entry through the navel or mouth from dirty bedding or lambing conditions. Advice differs on the best solution to treat navels, with some vets advising iodine at 10% concentration may be too hard on the navel while others prefer iodine over chlorhexidine solution. Most recommend using what works best for the farm and being open to change if problems occur.

Read more

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Managing the lambing ewe to improve lamb survival

Weather playing havoc with sheep management