Some early-lambing flocks have already had their first ewes drop over the last while, while many others will have been busy lambing right through the Christmas period into the new year.
Lambing can be a stressful time on farms, so to make life that bit easier and stress-free, it would be no harm to pick up a few essential items before that first ewe drops.
Listed below are some items that will come in handy during the lambing season.
These include:
- Towels and disposable gloves;
- Iodine solution;
- Lubricant;
- Stomach tube and syringe;
- Lamb milk replacer;
- Straps – for prolapsing ewes;
- Marking sprays;
- Infra-red lamps.
To reduce stress levels and to avoid constantly going back and forth to the vet for supplies, it is important to stock up on these essentials.
Checklist
As well as stocking up on supplies, it is also important to make sure everything is in order in the lambing shed to ensure the lambing period is a success.
The shed should be washed down and bedded with straw. When the ewes are housed, the pens should be topped up with fresh straw every two to three days or when it starts to get wet and dirty.
Now is a good time to set up individual pens; in order to make sure there are enough buckets available for each pen so that a ewe has access to clean water at all times.
Also Read: Housing: How much lying and feed space do my ewes need?Every farmer will want to avoid this, but setting up an area for pet lambs now will save time come lambing.
Furthermore, it is important to ensure that there is adequate ventilation and that the infra-red lamps are working properly in order to give a lamb the best possible chance of survival.
