Sheep - Things to do this Month - February
SHEEP – for a March/April lambing flock:
Keep an eye on the calendar –– sounds obvious, but easily forgotten when you’re busy! We’ve created a really handy Breeding Flock Planner that you can set to your own calendar to help you remember key dates throughout the year- Continue to monitor ewes’ condition – if you’re unsure about how to do this, see, Sheep on Your Smallholding – “Managing Your Flock for Peak Health” for a demonstration, or watch Adam Henson demonstrating how to on our YouTube Channel.
- Scanning: assuming the ram joined the ewe flock in early November and remained with them for two cycles, the ewes will now be coming into their third month of pregnancy (60-90 days), which is the ideal time to scan if you haven’t already done so.
- Once you’ve arranged the date, set up your handling system so that the ewes will file one-by-one into the scanning pen. The more organised you are, the less stress will be caused to the sheep (and the shepherd and scanning operator!).
- Give all ewes a booster vaccination against clostridial diseases and pasturella at between 4-6 weeks before they are due to lamb
- Mid-way through the third month (approximately 8 weeks before lambing), start feeding concentrates at a ‘stepped-up’ rate, adjusted according to the scanning results – we’ve prepared a sample chart and guidance notes to help you calculate the amount of feed you’ll need:Nutritional Management of the Ewe in Late Pregnancy
- Be aware of the main Metabolic Diseases that can affect ewes in the late stages of pregnancy: Twin Lamb Disease (also called ‘Pregnancy Toxaemia’). Hypocalcaemia (also called ‘Milk Fever’), and Hypomagnesaemia (also called ‘Grass Staggers’).
- It’s never too early to check you have all the supplies ready for lambing, you can download our Lambing Equipment List for a comprehensive list of everything you’ll need, as well as a few luxury items!
- Check hay and straw supplies are adequate for the outdoor or housed lambing flock, depending on your system.
- Newborn lambs are very vulnerable to infection, so a few weeks before you are due to bring the flock in, thoroughly disinfect the lambing shed (floor and walls), hurdles, buckets, feeders and hayracks – dilute the disinfectant as indicated, and use a pressure sprayer to get thorough coverage of all surfaces.