While it is not possible to keep every lamb alive, there are measures farmers can take to reduce mortality rates at lambing.
The single greatest factor influencing profitability on sheep farms is the number of lambs available for sale, according to Michael Gottstein of Teagasc.
By now, many farmers will have identified the number of lambs that the ewes are carrying by scanning, and will be estimating the maximum number of lambs that could be available for sale/replacements.
Nutrition
The correct nutrition of ewes prior to lambing is an important factor in reducing lamb mortality.
As Gottstein explained, thin ewes are more likely to lose their lambs than ewes that are in good body condition.
“Apart from body condition, proper nutrition and feeding management also reduces the risk of metabolic diseases, such as twin lamb disease, milk fever and prolapse, which also have an adverse effect on lamb survival,” he said.
Gottstein advises to pen ewes according to litter size and expected lambing date:
- Thin single bearing ewes should be penned with twin bearing ewes;
- Thin twin bearing ewes should be penned with triplet bearing ewes.
As thin ewes need additional nutrition in the last six to eight weeks prior to lambing, Gottstein urged farmers to ensure that ewes have enough trough space. For most lowland flocks, 600mm (2ft)/ewe is required.
The head of the sheep knowledge transfer programme said farmers should keep an eye on ewe body condition during late pregnancy and if ewes start losing condition increase feed levels.
Gottstein recommends to feed ewes a balanced diet with appropriate vitamin and mineral supplementation and to split concentrate feeding to twice a day once the feeding level increases above 0.5kg/head/day. This is essential to reduce the risk of prolapse.
To maximise colostrum quality, Gottstein advises that adequate rumen undegradable protein (soyabean) should be fed to ewes.
Hygiene at lambing
As lambs are born with little immunity, the cleanliness of the environment they are born into is very important.
Gottstein said: “The environment is not just the pens, gates etc., but also any items used by the shepherd when assisting in the birth, feeding or handling lambs and also the clothing worn by the farmer.”
In particular, care needs to be taken to thoroughly disinfect the navel of the newborn lamb.
As the navel provides bugs with direct access to the stomach and liver of the lamb, Gottstein said it is very important that the navel is disinfected properly to prevent bugs from entering into it while it is drying and shrivelling up.
The navel of the lamb should be disinfected as soon as is practical after birth and again four to six hours later. Immersing the navel in the disinfection fluid is preferable to spraying, Gottstein added.