I've been made to promise I'll stop now, these sheep will complete our flock for this year (except maybe a tup in the autumn).
Ten more hoggs with lambs at foot, so another twenty animals. This should help us keep on top of the grass but doesn't help complete the extension!
They were another good batch of animals, a different cross this time (welsh cross mules), but the ewes look good and most of the lambs are a good size.
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| Out of the trailer |
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| New sheep quite happy with the original ones at dusk. |
When I check the sheep yesterday morning one ewe was really lame, from the first lot not the new ones.
So I decided to get them in again. Luckily our neighbours Ken and Liz helped, along with my wife and the girls. We got them in on the second try and I had to break into a run more times than I would have liked!
The ewe in question had broke the nail on her hoof and it needed trimming quite heavily, cleaning and then spraying up. I think it's lucky I caught this early before anything nasty could get into it, she seems fine later in the day.
I was also slightly annoyed/worried when I spotted what looked like orf on one of the new lambs. It was difficult to tell but there was three more lambs with scabs on their lips and mouths so I'm thinking that's what it is. I treated it and I'll have to keep an eye on it from here on in to make sure it doesn't spread on those lambs or on to others. That said it could be that the animals were on rough pasture and they scratched their mouths on thistles, but something is telling me it's not that.
Anyone that comes into sheep farming with no experience and does well has my full respect, I grew up with it and there is so much to watch out for - I was always told that a sheep has one aim in life and that is to die in the most awkward way possible.
I think the key thing is to keep watching your flock and learning what they're like, that way you'll know when something is wrong.
I guess the next job will be shearing if I can find someone to come and do it for me!
Nice sheep!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Quite proud of my little flock. All young animals all pretty healthy at the moment.
Deleteyour turning into a proper sheep farmer now are you planning on putting a couple of lambs in the freezer :-)
ReplyDeleteOne or two. The rest off to market unless people want to buy them privately.
DeleteShearing is the greatest problem here these days; it keeps a lot of folks out of the business.
ReplyDeleteJust spoke to someone today so hopefully I've got that sorted now. Should be happening next week with any luck.
DeleteWhat a fantasticly satisfying view you have of your field now, full of sheep. But as you say, a lot more work involved than most people would think it would be. Hope they all remain healthy for you and you get some nice legs of lamb etc out of it eventually.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of work but it brings it's own set of rewards. I'm only happy when I'm doing something anyway so this kind of life suits me down tot the ground!
Deletehey Kev, you have probably already done it... but I would quarantine the lambs with the sores, along with their mother. 2 weeks to see if pus pockets appear. like you say it could just be they have been rough with their mouths, better to be safe than sorry. it will also give you a chance to get them more to come to the bucket.
ReplyDeleteAnd just in case again a complete precaution, dont let the girls touch the lambs with any signs.
My Father said he said could be a mineral deficiency post weaning? Someone else might know more on here? What about PP?
I made a phone call to the shepherd who brought them for me and he's spoke to the seller and they've all been treated so nothing to worry about hopefully. The lambs aren't weaned yet and I'm pretty sure it's orf.
DeleteDad caught it once. No one would go near him!
Our sheep seem to get hoof problems a bit often. The Vet and shearer guys both said it is because there is no rough ground for them to walk on like they are designed for and in truth after the rainy season ends and the ground is harder the hoof problems seem to disappear after the dampness.
ReplyDeleteI know spreading health issues is the ultimate issue with sheep. When I went to the shearing classes the first thing they taught us was never wear the same clothing or boots from one sight to the next and always clean all the equipment completely too. We always isolate any new additions to the flock for at least a week.
With the lambs however it may not be rough pasture. Our lambs will chew on anything. The wires to my trailers, the edges of my brush hog, concrete blocks. You name it. The chain hanging down from a gate. Perhaps they were chomping on some tree branches or something to.
I have done a lot of things in my day. Worked sale barns, put up grain bins, drove lifts and loaded boxes for years and I can tell you shearing sheep is the hardest thing I have ever done. My guess is that once you learn how to control the sheep and move them it gets easier because I have seen people who couldn't lift half as much as me shear a sheep without breaking a sweat while I am struggling and panting like an old woman with a yearling half the size they are shearing. If I had to shear ten sheep it would take me six days. Two per day with a day of rest in the middle. I sheared four sheep on my own back in March and it about did me in.
Our land is too low and soft for them as well that's why I know I'll have to work on their feet often I think.
DeleteThe lambs is definitely orf but it's been treated so should be alright. If I buy any more I'll have to set up a separate area for the newcomers, at the moment the rest is down for hay so I don;t want them on it if I can help it.
I don;t fancy shearing although the money is good. To much pressure on your back. I' spoke to someone today and hopefully they'll be coming next week to do them.
I wouldn't attempt to shear my sheep - I have enough trouble trimming Charlie the poodle! Incidentally, our shearers didn't change their clothes etc - I bumped into my friend who had her sheep sheared just before mine, and she remarked on how short the lad's shorts were - so it wasn't just me then!
ReplyDeleteI hope mine don't come in short shorts! I would worry if I sheared them myself that I'd damage them, it only takes one slip.
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ReplyDeleteI have been enjoying your blog for a few months now. Please excuse my ignorance but what is "Orf"?? I haven't heard of it before.
ReplyDeleteOrf is a viral infection that causes scabs and blisters around the mouth of the animal. It can spread down the throat and kill them if not spotted and treated. If you google it you're get some horrific pictures but normally it's not that bad.
DeleteYou're expanding the flock nicely. That's so frequently heard around our place, 'I'll stop now ..... except for ....' ;-)
ReplyDeleteWe'll I need a tup yet....
DeleteSheep! That's fantastic, Kev. I had to laugh about sheeps' aim in life. For goats I think it's to do exactly the opposite of what the humans want them to do.
ReplyDeleteSheep certainly want to die, they're a bigger version of lemmings!
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