After a busy lambing season on farms, getting ewes and lambs out to grass is a welcome relief to farmers in reducing the workload, but key management tasks should also be kept in mind.
Some of the key management tasks to monitor with ewes and lambs at grass include nutrition, minerals, parasites, lameness, and grass management.
Meal feeding to ewes is generally phased out as they go to grass post lambing, but offering lambs a lamb ‘creep’ or forward grazing ration can help boost performance and weight gain.
Where grass supplies are tight, supplementing lactating ewes with concentrate feed until grass reaches at least 4cm in height is advisable.
‘Creep’ grazing lambs is also an effective grazing management practice, with Teagasc trials showing farmers can increase lamb performance by 20-30g/head/day by this method.
While the focus for sheep flocks is on lamb performance, ewe nutrition should also be kept in mind.
Some farmers also like to leave ewe and lamb mineral buckets in the paddock with ewes for 6-8 weeks post lambing to reduce the risk of mineral deficiencies in ewes.
Internal parasites
At this time of the year, the main cause for concern in terms of parasite burdens in lambs is the risk of nematodirus (battus) and coccidosis.
Farmers should pay attention to the lifecycle of nematodirus, as it is different to other worms that can cause significant lamb-performance problems.
According to College of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) beef and sheep advisor, Rachel Megarrell: “The signs of nematodirus to be vigilant for are sudden onset of diarrhoea with faecal staining of the tail coinciding with a loss of body condition.
“Lambs will appear dull and gaunt and they will also exhibit signs of dehydration characterised by congregating around water drinkers.”
Farmers should consult their veterinary practitioner to implement a lamb parasite control plan for their flocks.
The CAFRE advisor also said: “The signs of coccidiosis in lambs can be easily confused with nematodirus and both can occur simultaneously, making diagnosis more difficult.
“The risk period for lambs is between 3-8-weeks-of-age, and scour that is black in colour and blood may also be seen.”
“It is essential that you consult with your vet for accurate testing and diagnosis if coccidiosis is suspected and to determine the best course of treatment.”
Sheep should also be closely monitored for flystrike in the coming weeks. Preventative actions such as shearing, crutching, dipping, or pour-on treatment at a suitable time are more advisable than reactive treatment for flystrike.
Lambs should also be covered against pasteurella and clostridial diseases through a vaccination programme. Farmers should consult their vet for advice on the best course of treatment.
Lameness
Lameness in a sheep flock is an issue most farmers will be aiming to control rather than eliminate.
The CAFRE advisor says that “in most cases, routine foot trimming of all feet is unnecessary and can do more harm than good”.
She instead suggested regular foot inspection with correct diagnosis and early treatment as the best control strategy.
According to the Agricultural and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), some of the main types of lameness in flocks include:
- Interdigital dermatitis (scald);
- CODD (contagious ovine digital dermatitis);
- Foot rot;
- Toe granuloma;
- Toe abscess;
- Shelly hoof.
CAFRE advisor Megarrell said: “It is worth noting that controlling foot rot in ewes will help reduce the incidence of scald in lambs, as they are caused by the same bacteria.”
“Individual scald cases can be targeted with antibiotic spray treatment onto the hoof; however, this is labour-intensive, and you may find that the best option is to footbath the entire flock regularly”.
Foot bathing
Foot bathing is best carried out on a dry day with sheep feet as clean as possible. This is best achieved by placing a second foot bath, filled with water, immediately before the main treatment footbath.
When foot bathing ewes, ensure the solution is mixed at the correct ratio, deep enough to cover the entire hoof,and that all feet are treated.
Animals should be allowed to stand in the footbath solution for the recommended time, but this is more easily achieved with stand-in pens rather than walk-through baths.
Sheep should then be allowed to stand on a hard, dry surface for up to one hour after treatment.
After foot bathing, the advice is to move the sheep onto dry pasture that has not been grazed within the previous two weeks. Farmers should also remember to take care to dispose of the footbath solution carefully.
After the hard work of delivering the 2025 season lamb crop, keeping on top of management tasks over the coming weeks will help keep mortality rates low and ensure good lamb performance.
