Lambing care
(Continued from Page 1)
Marlin L. Rook,
Newville R 3, and Dr. Robert
Herr, Narvon R 2.
Most of the sheep owners
agreed that ewes should be
grained for some time before
the laihbs are bom. While
> lottos
717-733-4151 FARM MARKET
I 1755 WEST MAIN ST.
' I V. mi west of tphraia on fit, 3??.
MW
ALL. AS OUR
dUEST!
A fact-filled day
on the latest
in agribusiness.
Join your friends and neighbors while you
enjoy an eye-catching audio-visual pres
entation Featuring valuable tips on how
to get more performance out of your
equipment dollar
You'll see what's new in equipment from
Allis-Chalmers more-horsepower trac
tors Gleaner combines Air Champ plant
ers and more Then join us for food
refreshments and information-trading
conversation
A day filled with valuable information To
make it worth joining us at EQUIPMENT
EXPO Don t allow yourself to miss it 1
THURSDAY, FEB. 16
AT
HOFFMAN COMMUNITY
BUILDING
SOLANCO FAIR GROUNDS
Quairyville, PA
10 AM to 3 PM
Lunch at 12 o'clock
GRUMELLI’S
FARM SERVICE
QUARRYVILLE, PA 17566
PHONE 717-786-7318
, The
Rising Power
m Farming
some started graining their
ewes as much as two months
ahead of time, others started
feeding grain along with a
good quality hay ap
proximately one month
before lambing time. Close
watching of the flock was
recommended.
ALLIS-CHALMERS
It was related that ewes
have a tendency to get lazy
as their lambing time ap
proaches. As it is important
that the ewes get exercise,
flock owners have a variety
of methods to make sure that
the sheep get up and move
around. One way is to
separate the water and feed
areas so that the ewes will
travel from one to the other.
It was also stressed that ice
is a potential hazard to ewes
and they should be kept
away from it.
Some sheep breeders
“crotch” the ewes before
they lamb. This consists of
shearing the wool around the
udder area and vulva to
remove the excess wool.
This also removes any
debris which the lamb might
otherwise mistake for a teat.
It gives cleaner access to the
nursing area.
Proper care of newborn
lambs requires special at
tention and care. Some
sheep owners get up
regularly throughout the
USED BOU-MATIC
MODEL E-P
AUTOMATIC DETACHERS
*550 per unit installed
VANCO SALES CO.
RDM, Box3oo
Carlisle, PA 17013
Phone: 717-776-3494
Ask for Van Hooker
night during lambing season
to check on ewes which
might drop their lambs. As
soon as a newborn lamb is
found, it and its mother are
placed in a lambing pen
where they can have in
dividual care.
It was stressed that the
care of lambs for the first 24
hours of their lives is the
most critical time. After the
first day, the lambs are
generally out of danger if the
initial treatments are given
to help give them a strong,
healthy start.
Immediately after the
lamb is found, its mouth and
nostrils should be checked
and cleaned for muccous,
giving the lamb an easier
chance to breathe. The lamb
should be dried off all over
its body.
The navel should be
treated with iodine to avoid
tenanus. This is like an open
wound and a potential in
fection area.
It is very important that
the lamb can nurse shortly
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 4,1978
after being bom. To survive,
lambs must get the
colostrum present in the first
rich milk of the ewe. Ewes
should be checked to make
sure that their nipples are
open and the lamb can
nurse.
One sheep breeder, Dr.
Herr, milks out his ewes and
gives the lamb its first
feeding m a bottle, Giving
the lamb its first feeding m a
bottle assures that the lamb
is fed and supplied with the
nutrients and antibiotics it
needs for a healthy start.
“There is no substitute for
colostrum”, Herr com
mented, citing its nutritional
and antibiotic qualities. Cow
colostrum should be kept on
hand m case a ewe lacks her
own. It can be used as a
substitute.
Dr. Herr also gives his
newborn lambs % teaspoon
of soluble Terramycm with
Vz teaspoon of water. The
medicine is given orally, and
Herr uses a disposable type
syringe without the needle.
Lambing pens should be
free of drafts and filled with
clean bedding. Many sheep
breed -s use heating lamps
to givt, added warmth.
Lambs at the MacCauley
farm are weighed shortly
after being born to keep
track of the animal's growth.
Each lamb is given a baby
ear tag to further identify it.
The MacCauleys and also
many other flock owners
also identify the ewes with
paint stamping on their
backs about a week or so
prior to lambing. This allows
for easy identification when
watching the flock. Once a
lamb is dropped, it receives
the same paint stamp as its
mother.
The following program for
feeding ewes after lambing
was recommended. For the
first day, just hay is fed to
the ewe. On the second day,
about % pound of grain is
given to the ewe along with
the hay- The third day, the
ewe gets IVz pounds of gram
plus hay and this is con
tinued for approximately 60
days.
Most lambs start eating
gram about the third day of
life but some breeders offer
grain from the first day.
While ewes are fed them
grain ration twice a day (IV2
at a tune), lambs have their
grain given free choice, and
can eat all they want.
It was recommended
feeding more grain to
mothers of twins, as opposed
to mothers of just one lamb.
Each ewe should be watched
and her needs determined.
Marlin Rook pays special
attention to older ewes, and
will separate them if he feels
that they need special care.
In a case of triplets being
born, the lambs will get
special feed, and he will try
to place the third lamb on a
ewe who has a smgle lamb.
Next week this lambing
feature will contmue with
information about how to
care for lambs after they
come out of the lambmg pen,
and are past the first week of
age.
23