Help stem neonatal lamb losses
Monday 12 January 2009 00:00
Adopting a few simple measures and an easy to follow farm health plan this coming season can help farmers stem neonatal lamb losses, which continue at the 15% mark, and subsequently improve income by £3,000 for the average sized 250 ewe commercial lowland flock.
Can you afford to suffer a 10% reduction in your flock’s profit simply through lamb mortality? “The answer is, quite simply, no. Not many other industries would tolerate losing 15% of their annual production, the recurring national average for lamb losses, when in fact reducing that figure to 5% is within reach,” according to XL Vets’ Dave Armstrong of the Cain Veterinary Centre, Llansantffraid, Powys.
“Neonatal lamb mortality can be minimised through good husbandry and management at lambing and introducing a flock health plan for the long term. However if you are not really sure what’s going wrong and why, then it could pay dividends to ask your vet at the earliest opportunity. As many as 81% of farmers do not seek any advice about lamb rearing according to a Volac survey of 145 sheep producers, and of those who do, only 8% approach their vet.
Lambing is one of the most stressful times of year, however introducing a belt and braces common sense approach to husbandry and management will help smooth the work load, says Volac lamb specialist, Maggie Gould. “For starters, prepare yourself and your staff with the essential equipment, from iodine to antiseptic solutions. Then start to think about how to improve lamb survival - the majority of lamb losses occur within their first three days. Reduce ewe stress by stocking at low density, maintain good hygiene and aim to staff at a maximum of 250 ewes per person over the main lambing period.
“Remember colostrum is the fuel of life; it’s the key to reducing losses from both hypothermia and disease. Check that all ewes, in particular those lambing for the first time, have sufficient colostrum for that essential feed ideally within their first 2-3 hours. If maternal colostrum is not available look to use a quality natural alternative, which has been independently tested”
“Lamb temperature should also be part of the check list. A new born lamb only has enough energy reserves to maintain body temperature for between two and six hours, that’s why colostrum is vital. Normal body temperature is 39oC to 40oC, above this infection is likely and your vet should be consulted; below 39oC and mild hypothermia can be redressed by drying and feeding with warm milk; below 37oC and the lamb will be suffering severe hypothermia and should be placed in a warming box.”
Vets have traditionally been called in for emergency work around lambing time and during the rearing season, or when a particular disease episode has occurred, explains Dave Armstrong. “Several diseases and problems have implications for the whole flock and a problem in one animal may be the tip of the iceberg with the other animals performing at a sub-optimal level. Even lambing problems can be regarded as flock issues; for example overfeeding singles can lead to difficult lambings which could have been prevented by scanning and blood sampling a few singles,” he explains.
“Introducing a flock health plan with your vet will help to prevent these and other issues,” he says. “Despite the continuing antiquated view that these documents keep the assurance inspector happy for another year and are too much hassle for a busy farmer to complete, the truth of the matter is they are incredibly important, dynamic measures to increase your productivity and save you time.
“Flock health plans should be simple and tailored to your system and farm; they are as individual as you and best viewed as a set of events to meet targets to make you money. As number of lambs reared per ewe is the key to profit, this becomes a vital area for the health plan. As with any good business objectives these plans should be SMART.”
· Specific – I want to reduce lamb deaths
· Measurable – I currently loose 15% of my lamb crop
· Achievable – I’m setting real time targets with my vet
· Relevant - I want to reduce losses to 5%
· Time based – I’m being realistic, by next lambing time
“Finally, to ensure your flock plan achieves its targets, build a good team – yourself and your staff, vet, nutritionist and consultant,” says Mr Armstrong, adding: “Prevention is always preferable to cure, therefore forming a plan with your vet can reduce problems and subsequent lamb losses to the 5% mark, enabling overall flock output to be increased and, ultimately, margins to be maximised.”
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