There has been an increase in reports of lambs falling foul of the clean livestock policy (CLP) and being rejected for slaughter in recent days.
The greatest challenge is getting animals being finished outdoors drafted when dry, with wet fleeces significantly increasing the risk of lambs falling from category B into category C.
Poached land
Where lambs are grazing on marginal soils, poached lands or fodder crops, then there may be little option at present but to house or delay slaughtering.
Lambs housed with wet, soiled fleeces may take a few days to dry to a satisfactory level, where remedial action can be carried out if necessary.
Where fleeces are badly soiled, there may be little option but to part or fully shear lambs.
Find dry ground if possible
Where housing is not an option, moving lambs that are selected for slaughter to a drier piece of ground - where there is a better chance of at least having a clean place to lie - will help in drafting when fleeces dry.
Moving lambs to dry ground is easier said than done for many and in such circumstances moving feed troughs daily to avoid poaching and soiling of underbelly wool will help.
Wet lambs should also be avoided from being transported, as lambs transported wet can quickly arrive at a situation of fleeces becoming soiled.
Dirty tail-ends should always be dagged before transporting, with the importance of using a deep bed of appropriate bedding to absorb moisture heightened at present.
Fasting lambs pre-movement will also greatly help in reducing the soiling risk. However, access to water should never be restricted.
Read more
The sheep clean livestock policy refresher course
Wool regrowth trial at Teagasc Athenry
Watch: sheep clean livestock policy under the spotlight at Roscommon event
There has been an increase in reports of lambs falling foul of the clean livestock policy (CLP) and being rejected for slaughter in recent days.
The greatest challenge is getting animals being finished outdoors drafted when dry, with wet fleeces significantly increasing the risk of lambs falling from category B into category C.
Poached land
Where lambs are grazing on marginal soils, poached lands or fodder crops, then there may be little option at present but to house or delay slaughtering.
Lambs housed with wet, soiled fleeces may take a few days to dry to a satisfactory level, where remedial action can be carried out if necessary.
Where fleeces are badly soiled, there may be little option but to part or fully shear lambs.
Find dry ground if possible
Where housing is not an option, moving lambs that are selected for slaughter to a drier piece of ground - where there is a better chance of at least having a clean place to lie - will help in drafting when fleeces dry.
Moving lambs to dry ground is easier said than done for many and in such circumstances moving feed troughs daily to avoid poaching and soiling of underbelly wool will help.
Wet lambs should also be avoided from being transported, as lambs transported wet can quickly arrive at a situation of fleeces becoming soiled.
Dirty tail-ends should always be dagged before transporting, with the importance of using a deep bed of appropriate bedding to absorb moisture heightened at present.
Fasting lambs pre-movement will also greatly help in reducing the soiling risk. However, access to water should never be restricted.
Read more
The sheep clean livestock policy refresher course
Wool regrowth trial at Teagasc Athenry
Watch: sheep clean livestock policy under the spotlight at Roscommon event
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