Lamb group size can also play a role in reducing disease challenges. Small group sizes with adequate space of square feet per lamb may help reduce respiratory problems in young lambs. Keep environments clean Providing a clean and sanitary environment is important during any stage of lamb development and is especially critical during weaning.
A clean, dry environment with good ventilation and drainage can help reduce the potential for disease challenges during the weaning process. This can not only help keep animals dry but can also help save on bedding costs.
Pay close attention to areas surrounding waterers and feed bunks. Proper drainage in these spaces is essential as they are high traffic areas. Perform pre-weaning procedures Change can be stressful for young lambs.
For that reason, work to make one change at a time. Health practices, like deworming, castration, vaccination and tagging, should occur pre-weaning when young lambs are consuming more nutrients from milk replacer or milk from the ewe.
Avoid moving pens, altering lamb feed, performing multiple procedures simultaneously, and any other major changes during weaning. Help lambs graduate from milk replacer and transition to the next stage of life with these six steps. Preparation and a low-stress weaning plan can help lambs seamlessly transition through weaning and become successful members of the flock.
Get more tips on creep feeding lambs. Related Education Content. View All Sheep Education. For example, when the weather and environmental conditions are not favorable like lambing in the early spring or pasture is in short supply, you might want to wean lambs a bit earlier.
Lambs that are raised on milk replacer and supplemented colostrum are often weaned earlier than their nursing counterparts, too. Orphan lambs should always be weaned early, but this should still not occur until the lambs are at least 30 to 45 days old. Weaned lambs are efficient converters of feed to lean tissue — sometimes more efficient than adult ewes, in fact. Weaning your lambs early will let you maintain more sheep on a set amount of land.
You should avoid weaning lambs before five weeks of age, but even this can be a bit dicey. You should only wean lambs this young if they can be raised on a high-quality diet. Otherwise, wait a while. Ideally, you should wait until your lambs are at least eight weeks old. This is when the rumen is completely developed. It is functioning, but not quite fully operational when the lambs are five weeks old.
Wait until the lambs are 70 and 90 days of age for weaning. You should wait longer if the pasture is not of high quality a high-quality pasture for weaned lambs would be clover or alfalfa. The smaller your lambs are, the longer you will want to wait to wean them, too.
Again, small lambs need to be weaned later than large lambs. You should wait until your lambs are about pounds in order to wean them. Another trick you can use to figure out whether the lambs are ready to be weaned is to multiply their birth weight times three.
If you are weaning orphan lambs who have been fed exclusively on milk replacer, you can wean them when they are 30 to 42 days old. It can also be done when they are 25 to pounds.
The best way to wean lambs is to do so gradually, over a period of time. You should begin the weaning process approximately two weeks before you actually plan to separate the mothers from their young. If you wean lambs too quickly or abruptly, this can stress the mother and her lamb. It can also cause issues with drying off ewes.
This can lead to mastitis , an infection of the milk ducts. Lambs need to be given some solid feed at a minimum of fourteen days before weaning.
The easiest way that I have found is to simply allow lambs to access the same feeding and watering areas as their mothers. They gradually begin to nibble on hay and grain and drink water while still continuing to nurse from their mothers. This will help them develop a tolerance to the new feed. It will also get them used to fending for themselves. They continue to nurse a few times a day but mostly consume hay or pasture and grain. Feeding ewes while they have lambs at foot is a great way to 'imprint feed' lambs.
Weaning weights will vary depending on the breed, frame and pre-weaning nutrition. It is important to aim for the heaviest weight possible at weaning. Even small increases in weaning weights can significantly influence the chance of survival. Growth rate after weaning is as important as actual weaning weight for survival of Merino weaners. A light weight, under-grown weaner at weaning time can have its chances of survival bolstered by having a good growth rate. This means hand feeding with the grain or feed that the weaners will face later in the season.
Imprint feeding needs to be done at least three times prior to weaning for the lambs to understand what the feed is and be able to seek it out. If lick feeders or self feeders are being used for weaning then these should be used during imprint feeding also. On weaning day many things should already have been put in place such as deciding on and setting up the paddock that the lambs will be weaned onto or the paddock that the ewes will be moved to , ordering the vaccine and imprint feeding of the weaners while still on their mums.
For more information on weaners refer to the Growing weaner sheep page. Sheep weaning best practice.
0コメント