Industry experts have warned of the potential shortages in the supply of antimicrobial treatments used to tackle watery mouth in newborn lambs. Now is a good time to consider other options to help prevent instances of watery mouth occurring this lambing season.
Achievement of lamb growth targets starts with the right preparations ahead of lambing. What happens from scanning through to the first four to six weeks of ewe and lamb nutrition has a huge influence on lamb daily live weight gain (DLWG) and how quickly they can leave the farm.
In episode 3 of Wynnstay Agri-Hub podcast, season 2, I was joined by youngstock specialist Laura Monk and national beef and sheep specialist Bryn Hughes to look ahead to prepare for the upcoming lambing season. We talked through the critical stages which influence lamb success, starting with ewe nutrition during pregnancy.
Wynnstay has a strong team of RAMAs, fully trained and legally qualified to advise, prescribe and supply certain veterinary medicines. In this issue of Farm Focus, we meet Tony Morris, Animal Health Sales Specialist in Worcester and surrounding counties. Tony tells us how getting fully involved in customers’ farms is key to understanding their needs.
AMTRA-qualified RAMAs support farmers by offering advice and prescribing preventative medications and treatments, including for sustainable worm control.
In the first episode of the new season of the Wynnstay Agri-Hub Podcast, I was joined by Sarah Brooks, who facilitates AMTRA training and supports our team of 200 qualified RAMAs, and Chris from the Cardigan store. Together, we delved into how farmers can get the right advice on medicines, and the support we can offer and highlighted some seasonal challenges.
In order to increase performance in any flock, it is important to consider regular body condition scoring (BCS) in order to identify any drastic changes in ewe condition not noticeable through observation alone. Through this you can ensure that ewes are on target for the system and the time of year, and in turn will result in improved fertility, increased lamb performance and reduced incidence of metabolic diseases.
The target condition score will vary depending on the farm type, breed, and time of year and ewe prolificacy.
The nutrition of the ewe is key in achieving an optimum body condition score (BCS) at tupping, ensuring high levels of fertility, and a maximum lamb crop next season. It can take up to 6 weeks to increase a ewes BCS by one point, therefore it is important to act sooner rather than later.
Minerals are necessary to sustain life but you might be surprised by how many cow and calf operations are mineral deficient, especially when it comes to copper and Selenium. Here is our guide to minerals and the roles they play in keeping your livestock healthy.
Whether lambs will be retained for breeding or finishing, it is imperative that they have the correct balance of trace elements in order to thrive. The 4 key trace elements needed for optimal performance are Selenium, Cobalt, Iodine and Zinc. All these trace elements are contained within the ‘Wynnstay Lamb Bolus’, or alternatively if lambs only require Cobalt, then the ‘Wynnstay Cobalt B12’ bolus is a suitable alternative.
Rigorous and sustained adoption by farmers of an established disease management protocol is what’s needed to reduce the incidence of sheep lameness on many UK farms.
Two thirds of all joint ill cases are caused by the bacteria Streptococcus Dysgalactiae – the same bacteria that causes mastitis in cows. The other third of cases are preventable through adequate colostrum uptake.
