Sheep Care

"Lorna's Black Sheep" 2008 ewe lambs

Patience-because-she-hasn't-any

Bobby

Sheep Care

Over the years we have had many people come for sheep care lessons and we do provide hands on training when possible. Even if you are not buying stock from us, we do try to help educate potential shepherds in what to look for when buying sheep. We also have a mentoring program for new shepherds.

Confinement Systems

Confinement is sometimes required for bonding lambs and mom or for other issues such as needing a heat lamp. Sometimes you require a head gate to prevent mom from moving thus allowing lamb to suckle. This is also used to bond transferred lambs or orphans to another mom.

Pictured here are "lambing jugs" which Pete designed in a fold-away system so that the barn floor can be cleaned underneath with a skid steer. Each unit has 2 moveable sides that lock on to the next section making a square. After a winter of extreme wind chill temperatures we have added a lining of corrugated plastic (commonly used for signs) that can be attached with zipper-ties. This plastic allows for easy cleaning when required as it can be hosed down or simply wiped off with a cloth. A heat lamp may be attached to the jug frame [we use one with a clamp-on style outlet] and sometimes in severe weather we have used light-weight lids for added heat retention.

The ewe and her lambs are usually put in this "lambing jug" after the afterbirth has been expelled, which minimizes contamination of pens with possible pathogens as well as keeping the area drier. Lambs are often towel dried as well just to help with the drying process. Most ewes readily clean their lambs and this action helps with the milk-let-down process and bonding. To readily Graft a lamb when both the lamb is new and adoptive mother has just given birth, rub the lamb with afterbirth or the ewe's own lamb (transfers smell) so she thinks it is her own. We do not use the jugs with all ewes but usually if they are available for younger ewes, we do put them in if only for an hour so that they have undisturbed time with their lamb so that they can rest together. This separation from the herd allows the bonding to go un-interrupted. Experienced ewes rarely need to be jugged, but some are 'stealers' and when hormones are high will try to steal a new lamb from another ewe, until her own are born. This is why it is important to be vigilant at lambing time, and will prevent later need to bottle lambs that didn't bond with correct ewe.

Headgate Box

The most useful piece of equipment we have to use at lambing time is a "lambing jug" with head gate. My husband built this from wood using a basic box structure. The corners are made with a square board such as a 1x1 used for reinforcement and plywood for sides, slats (with out gaps) for flooring and a 2 x 4 base to keep the whole unit slightly off the ground to keep the floor dry. Figure 1 shows the entire unit.

The solid walls prevent the lambs from falling out or being in a draft. A heat lamp can be attached near the ewes head for the lambs to lie under, which keeps them near her nose so that she gets used to them and can clean them.

Figure 2 shows the rear door partially lifted. It slides in a groove that keeps it snug at the rear of the pen. The back can be opened to allow cleaning of the pen with out removing or disturbing the ewe & lambs. The removal of the rear "gate" or door will allow easy entry of the ewe done either by placing lambs at the "head" of the box or pushing the ewe in from the back as required.

Figure 3 shows the head gate in the closed position with the back completely removed. This head gate is made with a frame going up either side of the box with a stabilizing bar across the top. The stabilizing bar has a hole cut to allow the head gate bars to be moved from side to side to allow the ewe's head to pass through and be locked into place. The head gate is made with one solid (unmoveable) upright "bar" and one "moveable bar" that is connected under the flooring with a bolt to allow it to move back and forth in the slot of the stabilizing bar across the top of the head gate.

Figure 4 shows the open position and the notched "locking bar" that holds the head gate in the required position to hold the sheep's head in place. This locking bar is made from a board with notches cut out and connected to the frame by using a bolt which allows easy movement. Although the sheep can lay down or stand without difficulty, she can not move forward or backwards.

Figure 5 shows a lamb with her head in the locked position ("Patience-because she hasn't any" easily moves into position and does not suffer any discomfort.) A pail of water can be offered in front of the ewe every hour or so (I do not leave the water in to prevent lambs from falling in or being drenched with water) and feed can be left at her head.

This unit works much better than trying to catch and position a lamb under a ewe that doesn't want to nurse. She can not move away and is easier to control if she tries to kick the lamb by simply holding her leg up for a few minutes. We have used this to graft lambs, for ewes that won't stand still or seem to prefer one lamb over the other. After only a few hours in the "jug" if the ewe appears to be cooperating, then we move her to a small pen nearby. If she does not feed her lambs, she is still close by and can be popped back into the jug. We have found that this is one of the most useful tools for lambing time we have.

Identification Tags

All our ewe lambs are tagged with 2 "retag brand" ear tags... used because they are more forgiving in extream cold weather. 2 tags are used (identical number) so that if one tag is lost you have time to apply a replacement to maintain identity (a replacement tag is usually a tag from a different tag batch.. old single tags or different color, etc. and just noted in the records)

Ram or butcher lambs are tagged with a CSIP "curl-lock" tag which is purchased only from an authorized facility [Wool Growers]. This is the government tracability tagging and required for all animals leaving your property, to auction, private sale, or to be butchered at commercial facility. (Basically you can be fined $5000 for not having one in if caught on the road with untagged animal(s). ) CSIP is Canadian Sheep Identification Program.

Once a Ewe has lambed we use a large colorful collar tag (printed both sides) We purchase at Northquip. Jerry .. Woodlands MB 1866-999-5807 service@northquip.com They are strung on a 3/8 in nylon cord (like a pull cord for lawnmower, etc) and tied with a knot. These have a very high retention and make handling and passing messages during lambing or general record keeping very easy with their high visibility [you can see this in our pictures].

Pure bred Registered animals are required to have a Double Tag with RFID or tattoo (we use the double tag) with back-up ewe lamb tags or CSIP tags for rams.

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Wall 2 Wall Sheep & Border Collies
Box 40 Poplarfield
Manitoba, Canada
Phone: 204-664-2027
Email: wall2wallsheep@yahoo.ca

'He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.'
--- Author Unknown

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