What is Lambing?
In any aspect of livestock production, there is a waiting game. Sheep production is no different. Producers spend time and energy making mating decisions, breeding their ewes or transferring embryos into recips and waiting. And waiting. And waiting. What are they waiting for? Lambing season, of course, is when they can see their mating decisions on the ground.
What is lambing? Well, for a sheep producer, it is one of the most exciting times of the production cycle. It’s the time producers anticipate seeing how their mating decisions look outside the womb, and they get to see the mama ewes go to work.
At BioZyme®, the makers of DuraFerm®, we specialize in vitamin and mineral supplements specifically to #strengthenyourstock by supporting reproductive success and enhancing overall health. DuraFerm is a line of nutritional supplements for sheep and goats that supports optimal digestion and nutrition for maximized performance at every stage of production.
The DuraFerm team wants to answer the question we get from many first-time producers, “what is lambing?” If you’re a veteran at raising sheep, we hope this blog provides some helpful reminders and tools for future production cycles. So, in short, lambing is the process of the ewe or mama sheep giving birth to her offspring. However, we sat down with our resident small ruminant expert, Sam Silvers, to answer that question more in-depth. Silvers is the BioZyme Director of National Specialty Livestock. He also runs a flock of sheep with his wife and kids in West Texas, Silvers Livestock.
The Wait
Before lambing can start, gestation must take place. Gestation is approximately 147 days, during which time the lambs are growing and developing in utero. The most important part of gestation is to provide the flock with quality nutrition. If you are unsure how to calculate the gestation period of your ewes, don’t worry! DuraFerm has created an interactive Sheep Gestation Calculator. Just plug in your breeding dates, and it will calculate a lambing date. Or you can work backward and enter the date you want lambs to hit the ground to discover when you should breed.
The Right Diet Is Key for Gestation
One of the most essential aspects of sheep gestation is to provide those expectant mamas with the most complete diets possible. This includes a balance of vitamins, minerals, water, protein, energy and forages.
“Make sure all ewes are on Concept•Aid® mineral to make sure they get their trace minerals,” Silvers said. “It’s important to ensure the ewes are not overly fat or not too thin.”
With three different formulas, DuraFerm Concept•Aid mineral is ideal for any sheep flock’s operational goals in mind.
DuraFerm® Concept•Aid® Sheep
Are you looking for a loose mineral that is ideal for your flock’s year-round nutrition needs? DuraFerm Concept•Aid Sheep is a free-choice vitamin and mineral supplement for sheep that supports reproductive success.
It contains AO-Biotics® Amaferm®, a prebiotic research-proven to enhance digestibility and high levels of vitamin E for reproductive tract repair. Additionally, it supports embryo production and conception using organic trace minerals.
DuraFerm® Concept•Aid® Sheep Protein Tub
Another quality product that can help prime ewes for flushing is the DuraFerm Concept•Aid Sheep Protein Tub. This protein tub with vitamins and minerals for sheep supports reproductive success.
The 125-pound tub contains the Concept•Aid sheep mineral package in a 16% natural protein tub. It supports embryo production and conception using organic trace minerals, including zinc, manganese and selenium and high levels of vitamin E.
Like all DuraFerm products, it contains Amaferm to enhance digestibility.
DuraFerm® Concept•Aid® HEAT® Sheep
Keeping your ewes bred during the heat of the summer and early fall is critical. That is why we formulated DuraFerm® Concept•Aid® HEAT® Sheep, a free-choice vitamin and mineral supplement designed to support reproductive success when temperatures are above 70 degrees.
This formula contains HEAT technology, a combination of essential oils and garlic, to support animals when heat and insects are a challenge. Of course, it still contains the Concept•Aid sheep mineral package and Amaferm to enhance digestibility.
Like the other two formulas, it supports embryo production and conception using organic trace minerals, including zinc, manganese and selenium and contains high levels of vitamin E.
So now that you know about gestation and how to keep your ewes during that time period, what is lambing?
Preparing for Lambing
Silvers said one of the most important aspects of preparing for lambing is ensuring those newborn lambs arrive in a clean, healthy environment. He said he cleans everything—and he means everything. The ground is scraped, dried and disinfected. Panels, feeders and barn walls are disinfected.
“We disinfect everything to give those lambs a great start,” Silvers said.
Once everything is disinfected and dry, he beds his barn and pens with clean, fresh straw.
Animal Health is Vital
Keeping his ewes healthy is another priority so he can avoid ketosis, also known as pregnancy toxemia. He said the DuraFerm products help ensure his ewes get the vitamins and minerals required to maintain a healthy pregnancy. To be sure, he transitions to the DuraFerm Concept•Aid Sheep Protein Tub with 16% natural protein about 2 weeks before the lambs start dropping.
He will also make sure his ewes receive a shot of CD&T vaccine about two weeks before lambing. This vaccine protects against overeating and tetanus and passes through to the lambs.
Checking the List
At least a month before the first lamb arrives, Silvers goes through his lambing time checklist. He doesn’t want to be caught without anything he needs when those lambs make their arrival.
Lambing Supply Checklist
1. Sure Champ® Liquid Boost®
Liquid Boost is a liquid for all livestock designed to provide immediate support to the animal’s digestive and immune systems. Like the DuraFerm products, it contains Amaferm. It also contains MOS to help normalize gut microflora and support the immune system and flavoring to help drive feed or water intake.
Silvers likes to add Liquid Boost to his ewes’ water after lambing to help drive them to eat and drink. It also works to drench any lambs that need an additional boost.
2. CD&T vaccine
As previously mentioned, all ewes will need a CD&T vaccine just before lambing. You will also want to give your lambs a dose of CD&T. Always read and follow label directions.
3. Nutri-Drench
Nutri-Drench is a supplement that Silvers likes to give his lambs shortly after birth to give them some extra nutrition. It’s as simple as giving them a pump or squirt in their mouth.
4. Iodine
All lambs need their navels dipped or sprayed with iodine to prevent infection and the spread of disease. If you do dip navels in a small container, be sure to dispose of the iodine and get fresh regularly. Iodine in a spray container is more sanitary; however, might be slightly messier in the barn.
5. Bands & Bander
Silvers said he typically docks tails at 10 days old, so having tail bands and a reliable bander on hand is important. It is important to dock the tail at the proper length. For show animals, that will probably be a little shorter, but for ewes staying in production, you will likely dock just slightly longer to help prevent prolapse.
6. Ear Tags & Tagger
As with docking, ear tagging is part of the processing that occurs when lambs are about 10 days old. Make sure you have flock identification tags prepared and a tagger that works with your tags.
What is Lambing Like on the Day?
After you’ve done all this work, cleaned the barn, waited nearly five months, kept your ewes healthy and checked your list, the big day is finally here! It’s lambing day! But what does that mean?
With reproductive technologies and genetics being fairly advanced, Silvers moves ewes that are due within a particular time period into a loafing or “drop pen.” Ewes can lamb or give birth in this larger area, which seems more natural or comfortable than confining them to a small area.
In the Pen
Once the ewe has lambed and cleaned off her lamb(s), Silvers moves the new family into smaller pens called jug pens, where the new mama and her babies or baby can bond and get to know each other a little better. Depending on the health status, how the lamb is nursing and if the lamb is a single or multiple (twins, triplets), determines the amount of time they stay in the jug. Silvers said the ewe and her new offspring can stay jugged up anywhere from 5-10 days.
Silvers likes to do a quick post-natal exam on the newborns to make everyone is doing fine once they are born. Always make sure their airways are free from afterbirth and they can breathe freely through both their nose and mouth. This might be an area where you offer some assistance to the ewe if she hasn’t fully cleaned their faces.
Supporting the Lambs & their Mama
Dip their navel in iodine, as we mentioned in the checklist, to prevent infections. Dip at birth and about 6-8 hours later and ensure that your container and iodine are clean when dipping.
Make sure the lamb is up and nursing. Silvers suggests you might have to help the lamb if it appears it is going through the motions but not getting any milk. Pull the teat wax or remove the plugs on the ewe if her lactation cycle hasn’t started yet to be sure the lamb is getting milk.
Once in the jug and the lambs are nursing, make sure the ewe has good-quality hay, feed and water. Your lambing day was successful.
DuraFerm Can Help
We hope we’ve answered what is lambing, we hope you understand how important nutrition is leading up to the lambing process. DuraFerm® is a renowned brand of nutritional supplements for sheep and goats. Our products support optimal digestion and nutrition for maximized performance at every stage of production.
Best of all, DuraFerm products use the latest technology and organic trace minerals to improve reproductive success in sheep and goats. If you’re looking to take your operation to the next level, DuraFerm has your back.
The DuraFerm brand is developed by BioZyme., a leading fermentation company pioneering advancements in animal nutrition and health. Through innovative research and high-quality manufacturing, BioZyme creates powerful solutions that improve animal performance and support producer profitability in the agricultural industry.
Our mission: undeniable positive impact on the health and wellness of your animals and your operation.
Get your DuraFerm Today
Now that we’ve explored “what is lambing,” we are ready to help provide you with a quality nutritional supplement for your flock.
You can purchase DuraFerm products powered by AO-Biotics Amaferm. DuraFerm is available through the extensive BioZyme dealer network. Locate a dealer near you today. DuraFerm offers reproduction resilience and retention. What more could you ask for?
You can also gather more information about DuraFerm from our educational blog series or by signing up for our newsletter.
