The first lambs of the year are now frolicking around the fields and what a great sight that is to see! A sure sign that spring is imminent and the warmer weather is approaching.
At this time of year, walkers need to be extra vigilant to observe the country code and ensure that all field gates are kept firmly closed to keep the sheep and lambs from wandering.
Dogs should be kept on a lead and under control at all times and as owners it is our responsibility to make sure they are kept away from fields that contain sheep and lambs.
Sadly, every year we hear of farmers who have lost sheep and lambs due to dogs running wild amongst the pregnant ewes and worst-case scenario dogs attacking and killing the lambs and sheep. Sometimes we forget that our adorable pets have an ‘inner wolf’ and their natural instinct to chase takes over.
Never allow your dog to get into water troughs as they are a breeding ground for germs and the farm animals need safe drinking water. Keep your dog wormed as a preventative measure.
Ensure dog poo is bagged and binned to prevent disease spreading to the farm animals.
Lambing generally takes place anytime between December and April depending on where in the country you live and the breed of the sheep. The gestation period for a sheep is about 147 days so farmers can calculate from tupping when their ewes are likely to lamb.
Those of us who have no experience of sheep farming can’t even begin to imagine the hard work involved at lambing time not to mention the careful planning and monitoring of the health of both ewes and rams over the previous 5 months.
Our resident shepherd is currently cleaning up his ewes and dagging which will make it easier to spot any problems if the ewe encounters difficulty when giving birth and shearing the bellies to make the udder cleaner and more accessible for the new lambs.
Masterclip stock a range of clippers that are ideal to do this job:
- The Outback is a cordless shearer that has a fast cutting speed of 2500rpm and comes with 2 rechargeable batteries that last for about an hour and half each. An ideal machine for taking out into the field. Click here for more information.
- The Ewe 2000 is a mains powered machine that has a fast cutting speed of 2600rpm and is very lightweight at just 1kg. A good small easy to handle shearer that is great for dagging and shearing. Click here for more information.
- The Ram 3000 is our fastest mains powered shearer at 3000rpm and is still fairly lightweight at 1.6kg. A powerful machine for all year round dagging and shearing. Click here for more information.
