| Sheep
Lambing preparation key
to success
In advance of the lambing season, farmers are advised to
take a proactive approach to maximise ewe performance
and live lambs.
he majority of lamb losses
occur during the first 48
hours of life, but this could
be avoided by focusing on
an effective colostrum
management programme,
says Nia Williams, Nettex
technical manager.
“Newborn lambs have a limited
supply of energy,” she says. “So
by ensuring lambs have rapid
access to a quality source of
colostrum, whether from the ewe,
or from an artificial source, is
T
crucial for lamb survival and their
ability to thrive.”
Research from the Scottish
Rural University College (SRUC)
has shown that over the course of
the first 18 hours of life, lambs
require at least 250ml per kg birth
weight of colostrum to meet
energy requirements, and prevent
hypothermia. However, at least
300ml of this should be consumed
within the first six hours of birth to
provide disease immunity.
“Not all ewes are able to deliver
New sheep tagging
rules in force
New sheep tagging rules mean care must be taken
in the New Year, says NSA.
he National Sheep
Association urges sheep
keepers in all parts of
the UK to be aware that new
rules for sheep identification
come in on Thursday 1st
January 2015.
The derogation from Europe
protecting ewes and rams
tagged before 2010 (‘the historic
flock’) from EID rules is coming
to an end and so, from 1st
January, these animals must be
individually identified on
movement records unless they
going directly to an abattoir or
via a red market. NSA stresses
that the end of the derogation
does not mean animals from the
historic flock have to be
retagged with full EID, but many
producers may choose to take
that step if it makes it easier for
them to move older ewes and
rams from the historic flock
between farms or via markets.
Phil Stocker, NSA Chief
Executive, says: “It is not a legal
requirement to retag ewes and
rams from the historic flock with
electronic identifiers, and we are
not for a minute suggesting a
gold plating of the rules. What
we are saying is to carefully
consider what moves you are
likely to make with older animals
in the future and, if these will not
be direct to slaughter, doubletagging is likely to be the
sensible option. It makes sense
to do this when you are handling
sheep in the coming months –
and don’t forget to make a note
T
in your flock register.”
Also from 1st January 2015,
sheep keepers in England are
no longer permitted to use nonEID tags for lambs and must use
a single EID slaughter tag in
lambs not being retained for
breeding. Lambs born before 1st
January are still permitted to
carry a non-EID tag and there is
no requirement to retag these
animals. Use of the non-EID
slaughter tag is still permitted in
Wales until January 1st 2016,
but NSA urges sheep keepers in
Wales to be very careful about
the tagging decisions they make
in 2015.
Mr Stocker says: “It is has
always been important to use
the non-EID slaughter tag in
prime lambs only and not in
store lambs, but this will be even
more important for Welsh
farmers in 2015, as they will be
the only nation still using the
non-EID slaughter tag and will
reduce their selling options if
they use plastic tags in lambs
that may be bought for further
finishing.”
One final reminder for all
sheep keepers is to keep an eye
out for their Sheep and Goat
Annual Inventory and return it
before the deadline. Businesses
in England will be the first to
receive their paperwork, which
needs to be returned by
Wednesday 31st December. For
farmers in Wales, Scotland and
NI the deadlines are not until
2015.
50 | Farming Monthly | January 2015
a quality source of colostrum in
sufficient quantities for their lambs.
By planning ahead, farmers can
make sure they have an effective
colostrum substitute on-hand and
ready for if and when it’s needed,”
she says.
When choosing a colostrum
supplement, Nia advises farmers
to follow Nettex’s five-point guide.
“Firstly, check if the colostrum
contains a high digestible fat
content.
“Secondly, look to see if the
substitute contains egg proteins.
The additional active proteins help
support immune development and
natural defences to common
diseases.
“Does it include pre and
probiotics, and is the colostrum
easy to mix and consistent in
colour, are the final questions that
should be considered,” she says.
This advice can be used as a
checklist when choosing a
colostrum ahead of lambing to
ensure the artificial source mimics
the ewe’s own colostrum as far as
possible.
Ultra Concentrate from Nettex,
is a quality, easy-mix colostrum
fortified with ewes milk, providing
energy and support to weak and
small lambs when needed. A 25g
dose provides lambs with a protein
rich, nutritional source required in
the first hours of life.
Shropshire Sheep are
traditional, productive
and tree friendly
Shropshire Sheep, the oldest pedigree breed in the UK,
have seen a revival in numbers over the past decade. The
growth in popularity amongst sheep producers across the
globe can be credited to the productivity and versatility of
the breed.
he breed is particularly
popular amongst smallholders who are attracted
by their quiet nature, ability to
finish off grass and their good
quality wool, which is suitable for
hand-knitting yarn.
Shropshires produce excellent
butcher’s lambs from grass-based,
low input systems. In fact,
Shropshire lambs are producing
excellent carcasses, on par with
those produced by many other
terminal sire breeds used in this
country. Many keepers run small
flocks and sell their lamb boxed
direct to the public or rear for their
freezer.