Months of work goes into the planning of the arrival of lambs. You must be as prepared as possible to ensure success.
I have been raising lambs for over 20 years. I have shed-lambed in January and February in South Dakota and Indiana and also pasture-lambed in Indiana in April.
Profit margins are slim in livestock operations. So it only makes sense to match the sheep and lambing system we use with our goals, objectives, resources, and market. Shed lambing and pasture lambing both have advantages and disadvantages. The goal of this post is to help you choose the system that’s best for you.
According to Dr. Bob Leader, DVM, “from a profitability standpoint, the single most important decision you can make is when to lamb. That is because the costliest animal to feed is the lactating ewe.”
Climate, feed costs and available labor are the most significant considerations and you should weigh them heavily. Also consider factors like disease, predation, and the state of the livestock market.
Shed Lambing
In the United States, most sheep are raised in smaller farm flocks where shed lambing is the norm. Shed lambing is best for out-of-season lambing, early lambing, and prolific flocks.
The use of barns can ensure successful winter lambing that would not be possible otherwise. It is easier to control losses with intensive management. Treatment of ewes and lambs is simpler. If you vaccinate your lambs, you’ll often successfully wean more lambs. Shed lambing allows for quicker access and intervention. You have more control over problems when they arise.
Typical lambing barns should house at least 10% of the flock. Ewes are shorn 2-4 weeks prior to lambing. Some are brought inside to lamb and remain there till grass is available; others simply lamb inside and are then moved to another area.
Most lambing barns are set up with a drop pen for ewes close to lambing. Depending on the size of the flock, you can use several drop pens to contain a certain number of ewes. You’ll have less mismothering, or ewes stealing lambs, if you use drop pens.
一旦母羊生下羊羔,它们通常会被搬到每个家庭的罐子里(单独的围栏)。大多数生产商会在24-48小时内将家庭成员从罐中带走,并将他们转移到一个有一对的混合围栏中。这样做可以让它们团结在一起,学会在鸟群中找到彼此。母羊和羊羔可以在罐中加工(标记,绑带,驱虫)。在罐子里,你可以检查母羊的袋子,确保她有奶,两个奶头都有功能。
瓶装羊羔几乎是不可避免的,所以最好提前为它们设置一个区域。这个过程的每一步都可以观察到潜在的问题。您可以根据需要进行调整。
在牲口棚里,如果羊羔妈妈不能喂养它,从它妈妈那里带走它是相对容易的。把羊羔交给另一只母羊,或者把一家人放在罐子里的时间比平时长一些。
Disadvantages Of Shed Lambing
棚式产羔系统的缺点是对牲口棚、围栏、畜栏、水、饲养设备和牲口棚清洁设备的投资过高。此外,冬季的饲料成本明显高于春季。羔羊蠕变饲养也提高了饲料成本。
棚产羔系统也是劳动密集型的。在羊舍系统中,你必须每隔几个小时检查一次母羊和羊羔。您还需要携带feed到各个笔,并在笔内分发feed。你还需要经常弄脏钢笔和换床。
Mortality in lambs is usually the highest in the first 30 days. Grouping more animals together also increases the chances of disease. The most common problems are mastitis for the ewe, and pneumonia and scours for lambs. Keeping things clean, draft-free, and uncrowded goes a long way in keeping sheep healthy.
Pasture Lambing
Pasture lambing doesn’t require as many capital investments. Ewes lambing on pasture have their feed at their feet, so it does not need to be brought to them. Barns are not a necessity, because pasture lambing is best done when temperatures are at 45° or higher. Natural shelter is usually sufficient for newborn lambs. Still, set aside shelter on your property in case of foul weather.
Ewes on pasture that exercise daily have less dystocia problems. Mis-mothering is also less likely in a pasture, since a ewe that is lambing will distance herself from the flock and can remain undisturbed.
Your labor requirements can be significantly lower if you lamb in pasture. Most producers who pasture lamb do not check pastures after dark, because ewes are unlikely to lamb at night. My experience has been that most of the ewes will lamb early morning or at least during daylight. It sure is nice to be finished at sunset and not feel like you need to go out in the middle of the night.
Lambing in the spring can result in improved fertility for both the ram and ewe. Delaying breeding until the middle of breeding season can result in 5–10% increase in the number of lambs born. Lambs born in later spring can take advantage of spring, summer and fall forages, which also significantly decreases the cost of finishing these lambs.
Disadvantages Of Pasture Lambing
The disadvantages of pasture lambing? It’s harder to treat them, since you have to catch them. It’s also harder to pick out ewes who are bad mothers or produce little milk. That means it’s easier to determine which ewes to cull in a barn.
Predation is more likely on pasture. Wolves, eagles, coyotes, and other predators can easily attack your flock when they are outdoors and unsupervised.
Processing ewes and lambs and record keeping can be more challenging in the pasture, because sheep families are harder to keep together outdoors.
Pasture lambing requires a better shepherd with good skills. An experienced lambing dog makes a world of difference.
你还必须花时间和精力来维护你的牧场。保持饲料健康,检查你的羊是否有寄生虫。如果你经常发现寄生虫,你可能需要把你的羊转移到另一个牧场。
Set Stock Vs. Drift Lambing
Set stock and drift lambing are two common ways to address pasture lambing while maintaining the health of the flock, providing adequate nutrition, and getting the most of your pasture.
Here’s how set stock pasture lambing works. Move some ewes to a lambing pasture with ample grass. Keep them there until the group is finished lambing. Once the lambs are at least one week old, it will be relatively easy to move the sheep.
Move the sheep to begin pasture rotation, take advantage of the spring growth of grass, and decrease parasite exposure. At the start of every day, rotate ewes that have not lambed to another pasture. Leave behind ewes with newborn lambs. This will allow the new family to bond in the lambing bed the ewe has chosen.
After 2-3 days, these new families are gradually grouped into pastures together. Some producers move the ewes with newborn lambs to new pasture and leave the ewes that have not lambed. This method of drift lambing has the advantage of moving new families to the best grass available.
Drift lambing makes checking for new lambs easier since there are not older lambs in the pasture. It also limits ewe access to newborn lambs so they can not steal them. Many people who use pasture lambing methods employ guardian dogs who remain with the flock 24×7 to protect them from predators.
Choose The Right System
仔细看看你的情况。想想你拥有的资源和优势。考虑潜在的挑战。牧场产羔和棚舍产羔各有优点。归根结底,这取决于什么最适合你。最后,你甚至不需要选择一种方式或另一种。你总是可以从这两个系统中提取一些东西,进行一些调整,然后按照自己的方式来做。
德尼斯·拉克利是一名自由撰稿人,养了20多年羊。她用边境牧羊犬来管理羊群,用牲畜护卫犬来保护她的羊群。
Edith Reyntienssays
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Related Posts:6 Reasons To Raise Sheep
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Kane Jamisonsays
Thanks Edith, good eye!