Lambing in the snow

Acm

Well-Known Member
I've got 550 sheep lambing out in the snow at the moment , not too bad actually but it keeps you on your toes ! What's everyone else up to today? I've just come in from the lambing paddocks for an hours break to have some grub .

boy were these lady's pleased to see me !




And of course Charlie had to take one on board in the snow this week too ! ;)
 
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Been feeding and cleaning all day, lambing and calving don,t start until April, hate snow !
 
Well done on Charlie. Yes I bet the girls were pleased to see you.

Not much going on in London at the moment a part from the now. Will be lambing in Shropshire in March and hope to get some late Does and the odd fox.

Do you lamb inside or out?
 
I am glad I am not lambing in this weather. Why do you do it, for the fun? However I am nearly as bad; 320 red deer outwintered so all on big bale silage.
3 bales per day through the bale shredder. Luckily I have a fairly dry farm, if indeed that term can be applied anywhere this year, so although it is making a mess it is on fields that will be ploughed for arable silage in spring, followed by stubble turnips for the next winter.
It would be easy to say that deer are far more clever than sheep having calves in May but of course it is the farmer who decides when he wants the sheep to lamb. I hope the lambing goes well for all of you involved in sheep.
 
Not lambing til March here. Took feed blocks up the mountain this morn and struggled to get through with 4wd tractor.
 
I am glad I am not lambing in this weather. Why do you do it, for the fun? However I am nearly as bad; 320 red deer outwintered so all on big bale silage.
3 bales per day through the bale shredder. Luckily I have a fairly dry farm, if indeed that term can be applied anywhere this year, so although it is making a mess it is on fields that will be ploughed for arable silage in spring, followed by stubble turnips for the next winter.
It would be easy to say that deer are far more clever than sheep having calves in May but of course it is the farmer who decides when he wants the sheep to lamb. I hope the lambing goes well for all of you involved in sheep.

Its important for us to lamb as early as possible in order to have lamb ready for market by mid march . It's when prices are best for us and last year we managed over £100 per lamb for the first 500 with the best nearer £125 . Our lambs need at least 10 weeks to be at a killing weight of over 40 kgs ! Like you say we decide when they lamb , this works for us , we get the very best prices , you need to be prepared for some long nights like tonight will be . You wouldn't do it if you didn't love it .
 
Well done on Charlie. Yes I bet the girls were pleased to see you.

Not much going on in London at the moment a part from the now. Will be lambing in Shropshire in March and hope to get some late Does and the odd fox.

Do you lamb inside or out?

We lamb outside and as the ewes lamb we bring them in for about 4 days . In this weather though its more like a week !
 
Certainly feel for you lambing in this weather, bad enough in april when we start, I have a prelamb shearing season in Norway to get through before then though:(
 
Today spent helping with construction of a new shed for my ped' Beltex ewes. Lambing from 5th Feb'. Inside, I cannot be doing with assists lying in snow or slush when there are 8 inches of straw to lie on inside a nice shed with lights and an I.R lamp to restore feeling to frozen fingers.
I hope the weather doesn't do too much harm to your flock over the next few days.
 
Today spent helping with construction of a new shed for my ped' Beltex ewes. Lambing from 5th Feb'. Inside, I cannot be doing with assists lying in snow or slush when there are 8 inches of straw to lie on inside a nice shed with lights and an I.R lamp to restore feeling to frozen fingers.
I hope the weather doesn't do too much harm to your flock over the next few days.

With Beltex, I'm just surprised your fingers actually get the chance to freeze... :D
 
Today spent helping with construction of a new shed for my ped' Beltex ewes. Lambing from 5th Feb'. Inside, I cannot be doing with assists lying in snow or slush when there are 8 inches of straw to lie on inside a nice shed with lights and an I.R lamp to restore feeling to frozen fingers.
I hope the weather doesn't do too much harm to your flock over the next few days.

Thanks bud ! They'll be alright , hardy old things aren't they . Know what you mean with the assists ! I had one at 3am this morning kneeling in 6 inches of frozen snow . Wakes you up !
 
awwwwwnoooooo god forbid
april is time enough for us we switched to lleyns over the last 10 years, life is alot easier now than when we had pedigree texels and charollais lambing in january/feb
you have my sympathies lambing now
 
A couple of years back we lambed at minus 24deg C. Poor wee buggers were freezing to metal hurdles if we didn't bank the straw up the sides, I' d just as soon lamb in the snow than try that again.
I'd rather spend ten min's helping a Beltex into the world than hours trying to prevent a Suffolk leaving it!
 
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