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SHEEP-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 56
Ewes lambing for the first time can be somewhat nervous or confused at what is happening to them, or their maternal instincts may not have yet been fully developed. Should you find one or your ewes in this condition then it is best to keep it in a building, with a small pen large enough for one ewe and her lamb, and keep them there for several days after lambing. On average 3 days should suffice once they have become accustomed to nursing, then once you feel the ewe and lamb have bonded then she and her lamb can be put in a pen with other ewes and their new borns. Ewes that have already lambed need to be alone with their lambs for only 1 day. Mature ewes prefer a larger area for actual lambing where there is sufficient room for them to walk about before going into labor. Needless to say, a lambing pen is essential if your lambs are born in the winter, but they can also come in handy for pasture lambing.
An advantage of a lambing pen or "jug" as it is called, is that it provides confined space if help is need for a difficult birth where you can keep your eye on the ewe's progress. If you have decided to raise sheep that are large, or breeds with large heads that can have a few problems when giving birth, or ewes such as the Finnsheep that have multiple births (in which case they will need a larger pen to accommodate the happy family), then a lambing pen is a blessing for both you and her. A lambing pen also has the advantage of preventing a lamb/s becoming separated from its mother, it also protects the lamb from been trodden on by other sheep, or becoming wet and cold. During this time of lambing never allow dogs or even strangers to approach the lambing pens. Frightened or nervous ewes can loose their cool and the consequences can be devastating.
It is essential that lambing pens have clean bedding, and are fitted with a small hay feeder and a container of water that cannot be spilled and dampen the bedding. A 5 gallon (19 liter) bucket is good. It is important to have the bucket high enough to avoid the lamb drowning in it, also bedding should be kept away from it. A lambing barn must not only be clean but it must be dry and free of drafts but not warm. Drafty or warm barns can cause pneumonia in young lambs and on occasions their mothers. If your barn is closed without proper ventilation, ammonia from fecal decay and urine will build up and this irritates both eyes and lungs which is another contributing factor for pneumonia and cause of respiratory disease. A barn should be cleaned out on a daily basis and replaced with fresh bedding with a small amount of lime being placed on the floors.
There is another
An advantage of a lambing pen or "jug" as it is called, is that it provides confined space if help is need for a difficult birth where you can keep your eye on the ewe's progress. If you have decided to raise sheep that are large, or breeds with large heads that can have a few problems when giving birth, or ewes such as the Finnsheep that have multiple births (in which case they will need a larger pen to accommodate the happy family), then a lambing pen is a blessing for both you and her. A lambing pen also has the advantage of preventing a lamb/s becoming separated from its mother, it also protects the lamb from been trodden on by other sheep, or becoming wet and cold. During this time of lambing never allow dogs or even strangers to approach the lambing pens. Frightened or nervous ewes can loose their cool and the consequences can be devastating.
It is essential that lambing pens have clean bedding, and are fitted with a small hay feeder and a container of water that cannot be spilled and dampen the bedding. A 5 gallon (19 liter) bucket is good. It is important to have the bucket high enough to avoid the lamb drowning in it, also bedding should be kept away from it. A lambing barn must not only be clean but it must be dry and free of drafts but not warm. Drafty or warm barns can cause pneumonia in young lambs and on occasions their mothers. If your barn is closed without proper ventilation, ammonia from fecal decay and urine will build up and this irritates both eyes and lungs which is another contributing factor for pneumonia and cause of respiratory disease. A barn should be cleaned out on a daily basis and replaced with fresh bedding with a small amount of lime being placed on the floors.
There is another