After a drier than normal January and February, we are now suffering the consequences of a sharp change in weather over the last two weeks. Ground conditions have deteriorated and this combined with wintry showers is presenting challenges in getting ewes with young lambs released outdoors.

The severity of the challenge facing farmers differs greatly across regions as demonstrated on pages 12 and 13, which details the volume of rainfall over the last two weeks.

For indoor lambing flocks, reducing space is one of the greatest challenges for those in the first few days of lambing as there is very little room freed up in group pens. For those lambing outdoors, the challenge is identifying and bringing in lambs for attention that have contracted a chill.

There are a number of management practices that can help overcome current challenges.

Adequate colostrum

Getting sufficient volumes of colostrum into lambs as soon as possible after birth will help put lambs on the right foot forward immediately. The general guide is 50ml colostrum per kg liveweight in the first six hours of life. Where in doubt, lambs should be stomach-tubed to ensure adequate intake is achieved.

Optimum hygiene

Labour availability is understandably tight at lambing but one area which should not be compromised on is maintaining high standards of hygiene. The risk of diseases such as watery mouth or joint ill is multiplied where lambs are born into a dirty environment. As reported in recent weeks, the risk of bacteria entering the lamb’s mouth from dirty bedding or sucking dirty teats is as great as bacteria entering through the lamb’s navel.

Spreading lime or a disinfectant powder around drinkers or soiled bedding before fresh straw is applied will help reduce the risk of disease. This is also vital where individual lambing pens cannot be cleaned between different ewes and lambs. Special effort should be made to fully clean and disinfect lambing pens as regularly as possible.

Group penning

Space can be freed up in tight circumstances by grouping a number of ewes and their lambs. Temporary housing in hay or machinery sheds, for example, can be gained by using straw bales for shelter. Do not group freshly lambed ewes as this will increase the risk of mis-mothering.

Ewes rearing triplet lambs should also be kept on their own for longer. Where dout exists that ewes are able to rear a third lamb, acting early and removing one lamb will aid the transition on to an artifial feeder, if applicable, and will also reduce the period until animals can be released outdoors.

Letting single lambs outdoors

If animals must be let outdoors, single lambs are the best option, with ewes capable of putting all their attention on just the one lamb. Keeping group sizes small and letting lambs out early in the day is also highly recommended.

Monitor weather forecast

The greatest risk of mortality in ewes and lambs released outdoors is caused by inclement weather and in particular when lambs are exposed to wind and rain and low temperatures. Keep an eye on the weather forecast paying attention to the direction of the prevailing wind. If wind direction changes, sheep may need to be moved to other fields that will provide better shelter.

Supplementing ewes

In theory, ewes suckling one or two lambs will not require concentrate supplementation where they have access to sufficient grass (5cm plus). Where utilisation is poor and grass dry matter content is low, there is a benefit to be gained in continuing to feed ewes suckling two lambs and even ewes suckling one lamb where conditions are poor.

The boost in dry matter and energy intake will help settle ewes and ensure milk yield is not compromised which is vital to keep lambs on track. A half to 0.8kg concentrates (depending on conditions) will go a long way and can be discontinued once weather improves.

Grass tetany

Feeding meals will also reduce the risk of grass tetany by helping to slow down the rate of grass digestion. Where meals containing magnesium are not being fed, it is important to offer ewes access to lick buckets. Remember, magnesium should be provided three days in advance of when it is needed so it is important to have buckets out as soon as possible.

Access to fresh water

Ewes in good condition will be able to deal with a temporary shortfall in energy intake if delayed getting to grass. Water intake in contrast is vital and increases sharply from two to three litres pre-lambing to up to 10l post-lambing where ewes are consuming a high dry matter diet.

Increased stocking rates in sheds and poor ground conditions will present a higher risk of lambing-related diseases.

A significant negative of weather disrupting normal turnout and poor underfoot conditions is an increased risk of disease occurring. E coli scour is the main culprit of a build-up of disease and is most common in intensive systems and in particular where lambs may have received inadequate or delayed colostrum intake. It is contributed to by a failure to get lambing pens cleaned and disinfected, which may currently be a greater issue with pressure on space available.

Classic signs are lambs ceasing feeding, becoming dull and weak and drooling at the mouth, giving the common name of watery mouth. It can quickly spread and it is not uncommon for 20% to 30% of lambs becoming infected. Treatment involves administering antibiotics daily for the infection along with electrolytes to prevent dehydration and provide a source of energy. Stomach tubing and access to a heat source may also be required.

Where a problem exists, antibiotics can be administered to lambs in the first few hours of life but this route is only recommended where an outbreak has occurred. Instead, the focus must remain on ensuring lambs get sufficient colostrum combined with high standards of hygiene. One route that is often overlooked is thoroughly washing bottles, stomach tube, syringes, etc. Getting animals outdoors as soon as possible will also help.

The other ailment that is associated with pressure at lambing and a build-up of bacteria is joint ill. Clinical signs are lambs with a swelling or inflammation in the navel, knee or fetlock. Treatments involve administration of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories for pain relief. Like watery mouth, bacteria can gain entry through the navel or mouth from dirty bedding or lambing conditions. Advice differs on the best solution to treat navels, with some vets advising iodine at 10% concentration may be too hard on the navel while others prefer iodine over chlorhexidine solution. Most recommend to use what works best for the farm and being open to change if problems occur.