Lambing season is one of the busiest and most physically demanding times of the year for shepherds. With long hours, little sleep, and the pressure of ensuring every ewe and lamb is cared for, it’s easy to overlook personal safety.…
The arrival of lambing season brings both excitement and challenges for shepherds. A common concern among many is the question: “What methods can be used to help stillborn lambs start breathing?” While it’s heart-wrenching to deal with stillborn lambs, there…
Ovine Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma (OPA), also known as Jaagsiekte, is a contagious and often fatal lung cancer that affects sheep. It is caused by a retrovirus called the Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV), which leads to the development of tumours in the…
This is a bit of an open-ended question and will vary depending on several factors, including breed, age, breeding status (i.e. pregnant or not, or male!), time of year, type of grazing land (hill/lowland/conservation site/short-term grass ley etc) and to…
How do I know if my lamb is too cold? And what can I do about a lamb that is cold? The normal temperature of a lamb is 39°C-40°C. The rectal temperature of any dull, weak lamb that seems unable or…
What should I put in my lambing kit?
A previous blog post describes the importance of good quality colostrum in the prevention of watery mouth infections. But what to do if you get a case? Firstly, how do you recognise it? The name is self-explanatory, as the lamb…
Firstly, lambs need a good start: ensure that they have had adequate colostrum- and ideally that should be ewes’ colostrum not a substitute- and are not scouring. Lambs should get 250-350ml colostrum in total within the first 24 hours after…
What is the best alternative now that Spectam is less available?