For many flocks lambing down in March, thoughts should be turning to see what supplies are on the farm that will be needed for the upcoming lambing season.

The lambing period is about the busiest time on the farm all year and with the stress that can bring the last thing you want to end up is being unprepared with no necessary supplies on hand.

For some, help will be on hand during this busy period, while for many others, that luxury won’t be there. So by having supplies at the ready in the lambing shed, it will go along way in making life that bit easier.

So, essential supplies such as: gloves; lubricant; iodine for lambs navels; antibiotics (subject to vet advice); syringes; needles; glucose; colostrum; lamb milk;  feeding bottles; teats; marking sprays; calcium injection; thermometer; jugs; whisks; buckets for water; infra red lamp; lambing aids; stomach tube; and a prolapse harness should all be gathered and at the ready for the busy period.

Furthermore, make sure that you have plenty of straw available. Between bedding large group pens as well as the individual pens, a good bit of straw is going to be required so make sure it’s there.

As well as straw, lime for disinfecting pens should be at the ready. Straw and lime should not be skimped on this lambing season. We need newborn lambs coming into a clean environment, so straw and lime are a great way of ensuring this.

Getting individual pens set up

Teagasc recommends allowing one individual pen per six ewes, particularly where lambing is compact.

Do all your preparation work before lambing such as setting up the individual pens, feed racks and water buckets.

A greater emphasis must be put on hygiene in this area. It’s important to make sure that the pen is kept clean and dry to prevent disease for both the ewe and her lambs by using plentiful amounts of fresh straw and lime.