Lambing Time is Around the Corner
Jeff Held, SDSU Extension Sheep Specialist
January 1999
Success at lambing time will often be determined well before the birth of the first lamb. It seems many producers are surprised when the ewes kick off the lambing season, apparently they were ready how about the shepherd! Sheep respond remarkably well to management decisions and input, this is especially noted during lambing.
Hopefully management decisions made for the flock result in more pounds of lamb weaned per ewe with excellent economic return to labor. Meeting expectations for a flock usually involves high labor input compared to the remainder of the year. However there is a limit to the hours a person can devote to lambing barn activities therefore it’s extremely important to be organized and establish a plan to follow once the newborn lambs hit the ground.
Prior to the upcoming lambing season producers should review lambing records from last year. Complete production records can reveal major flock limitations: newborn lamb death loss (%) and causes, % lamb crop weaned, % ewe death loss during lambing, ewe culling rate and reasons culled, ewe abortions, etc. With this historical perspective, a flock management plan can be developed to benefit both livestock and the producer.
Planning facility management maybe the most critical issue in the level of success for a given lambing season. Inadequate facility layout impacts efficiency for feeding and watering livestock thus reducing the focus on newborn and young lamb health.
In general the animal penning areas needed are:
1. Pregnant ewes- In late-gestation the pregnant ewes consist of three separately managed groups, mature ewes in adequate body condition, “thins” which require additional feed, and ewe lambs.
2. Lamb drop area – The area adjacent to the lambing pen area which provides adequate environmental protection. Keeping the temperature near freezing or above improves newborn survival rate. Sorting ewes to this area helps to focus attention on the close up ewes thus reducing orphans and newborn losses.
3. Lambing barn area- A thumb rule is the number of available lambing pens equal at least 10 percent of flock size. For most medium or large framed sheep the lambing pens should be 5’x5’, healthy ewe and lamb families should remain isolated for 48 hours to assure bonding and monitor lamb well being. Temperature (35 -50 F) and ventilation control is important independent of winter or spring lambing. As the temperature rises the air holds greater moisture, thus increasing the risk to lamb health.
4. Mixing pens for ewe and lamb families - Up to 10 ewes with their lambs, the mix pen should have ample space to allow ewes an area to isolate themselves with their lamb(s). Monitor bonding among families and make sure lambs receive adequate milk. Well-adjusted families can be added into larger groups when lambs are a week old.
5. Larger mix pens- Move animals into larger groups with increasing lamb age. Even in large flocks limit these groups to 75 to 100 ewes with lambs for better management until weaning.
6. TLC pens- Sort ewes with udder problems or poor performing lambs. Simply a smaller group setting to improve observation opportunities.
Other facilities needs may include an area for orphan care, splits based on number of lambs reared and ewe lambs. Ewes lambing for the first time at 12-14 months of age should be managed as a group separate from the mature ewes, pre- and post lambing.
Few producers layout a complete lambing time system even with adequate buildings and panels to construct pen dividers. The main restrictions are providing water and/or feed to these groups of animals.
Each operation and operator is unique and from year to year the weather and lambing time push influence to best facility management system. The key points in facility management are specific grouping provide greater opportunity to monitor lamb well being and properly meet ewe nutrient needs throughout lactation.
Lambing Time Management Tips
Pre-Lambing
(Last 4 weeks of gestation)
· Shear ewes – warmer and drier environment for the flock and adds 30 percent more space in the facilities
· Condition score- sort thin ewes, feed higher energy diet
· Parasite control- deworm with Tramisol or Ivomec; use pour-on for external parasites
· Vaccinate – Clostridium perfringen toxoid type CDT
· Pregnant ewe lambs- manage as a separate group
· Prevent/control disease -
Toxoplasmosis- 15-30 mg rumensin per head daily
Vibrio- use chlortetracycline 200 – 300 mg per head daily
Chlamydia – use chlortetracycline 200-300 mg per head daily
· Supplies and facility setup
· Be ready!
· Drop area and adjacent lambing pens- control environment and ventilation depending on conditions
· Lamb delivery – normal presentation - most ewes will drop a lamb within 30 minutes once the waterbag is completely exposed. Investigate lamb position in the birthing channel after 30 minutes. See SID Handbook (1996) for possible abnormal positions.
· After lamb delivery remove the waxy plug from each ewe teat by stripping milk from udder. Also helps determine colostrum (1st milk) volume. Each lamb should get approximately 2 ounces colostrum per pound of body weight in the first 24 hours. Soon after birth get the lamb(s) to suckle, if encounter difficulty deliver 4 ounces colostrum with stomach tube. Colostrum is critical for health and nourishment since it contains important antibodies and is a high-energy food.
· Move the family to a lambing jug after the ewe has completed delivery. Remove the afterbirth material after it is deposited in the lambing jug.
· Check ewe milk supply frequently while in the lambing jug helps determine adequate supply and lambs’ willingness to nurse.
· Get lamb(s) to suckle as soon as possible, use a stomach tube if unwilling to voluntarily nurse. They must receive colostrum, at least 4 ounces. Repeat with similar amount every 4 hours until nursing. If the ewe has inadequate colostrum use that taken from a donor. Available frozen colostrum is a must for any sheep operation, the best is from the sheep but goat and cow colostrum will also work. Commercially prepared colostrum products are available.
· Clip and dip the navel in 7% iodine
· Identify lambs with eartag or paintbrand
· Supplement every lamb with Vitamin E, oral and injectable products available. Common recommendation is 400 IU at birth
· Check health status on each lamb several times a day. Be sure all lambs are nursing and receiving adequate milk. Strong well-fed lambs will stretch out following rest.
· Keep in lambing jug for 2 days to reinforce mother to lamb bonding.
Nearly 20 percent of all lambs born die before weaning, 80 percent of those losses occur in the first 10 days after birth. Good baby lamb care can significantly improve the number of lambs reared by each ewe in the flock. The major causes of baby lamb death are starvation, hypothermia, pneumonia and scours. The first two causes, starvation and hypothermia (low body temperature) are physical aliments, which upon action by the manager can be corrected. It’s important to have the experience to recognize these aliments, and develop a plan to act.
Hypothermia often occurs with lambs failing to nurse soon after birth. Of course in a cold environment it sets in sooner compared to warmer conditions. Lambs born with low vigor are especially susceptible since they are less active, often unable to stand up, and subsequently also fail to nurse.
To determine whether a lamb is hypothermic, simply to cold, using your finger check the temperature inside the mouth. If the mouth or tongue is cold, supplemental heat is needed immediately. Many different techniques can be used, but the most popular is a “hot box”, a small wooden enclosure heated with regular light bulb(s) (100 W) or a hand held hair blower. Reviving lambs using this technique slowly restores the lamb body temperature to normal (102.5F), expect full recovery to take an hour or so. Once the recovery process is complete the mouth and tongue will be warm to the touch. Now the lamb at risk can be placed on the ewe to suckle or have colostrum delivered using a stomach tube. It’s important to note that the use of stomach tube with a lamb that is experiencing hypothermia almost certainly leads to death. First warm up then get the stomach tube!
Starvation occurs frequently in lambing sheds across the country. Ewe milk is the sole source of nutrients for a young lamb, if not available in adequate quantities to maintain and gain weight the lamb relies on body reserves. Yet these body reserves are limited and used up quickly. Identifying whether a lamb is receiving adequate mothers’ milk is important to avoiding lamb losses. With experience producers often judge the ewes ability to feed lambs while in the lambing jug, any lamb removed is either grafted on a ewe with more plentiful milk production capabilities or reared on lamb milk replacer.