How to wean lambs and why deworming is important

Sheep have a high twinning rate that ensures faster growth of the herd. The objective of every sheep farmer is to rear the lambs to maturity, faster weight gain is crucial.

The lambs act as replacement stock for the ewes and rams that are culled due to old age among other factors. Many farmers lose valuable lambs at or after weaning. To avoid these losses consider the following:

The key to successful weaning is the ability to supply adequate grass for lambs. Lambs are known to be good at selective grazing, selecting the sweetest and best grass for themselves.

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From 14 weeks onwards, do not allow ewes to compete with lambs for grass. Ensure lambs are in a well fenced field with an abundance of leafy grass.

Grass heights should be maintained at 8cm from the ground. Farmers are also encouraged to move lambs to the best grass on the farm, ideally after-grass containing clover.

Do not graze lightly. Use a follower group of stock, that is ewes and rams, to clean up the grass after the lambs have fed on it.

After weaning lambs can only gain 200gm per day, depending on grass quality and availability.

Using a pour-on on the lambs for fly strike is important as pour-ons have a shorter withdrawal period than dips. Do not dip if you expect to sell within the next month; To keep the lambs clean clip wool around the tail.

At weaning, it is advisable to deworm the lambs, especially when moving to after-grass. It is not necessary if a drench was used in the last few weeks. Deworming can be repeated after three months or as necessary.

Consider treating for cobalt in deficient areas. Lambs suffering from cobalt deficiency, also known as pining, will show signs such as lethargy, reduced appetite, poor quality wool with an open fleece, small size and poor body condition despite adequate nutrition. There may be tear staining of the cheeks, and pale mucous membranes (eyes) develop after several months.

Cobalt-deficient sheep may fail to respond well to vaccinations and be more susceptible to clostridial diseases (for example pulpy kidney) and pasteurellosis (pneumonia).

In severe cases of cobalt deficiency, lambs present with nervous signs including depression, head pressing, and aimless wandering.

The main method of cobalt supplementation is orally- it can be mixed with drinking water. Dosing every 2 weeks with cobalt sulphate is highly recommended in deficiency situations.

It is good to restrict ewe feed for 1-2 weeks to stop milk production when weaning lambs early. This can be on a bare paddock or indoors. Do not restrict too severely, as this could leave ewes too low in condition before going to the ram. Be careful if keeping ewes indoors for a few days after weaning to ensure that they are well bedded, otherwise an outbreak of mastitis is possible.

Where grass becomes scarce, introduce concentrate feeding and continue until lambs are sold. It has been proven that concentrate supplementation of weaned lambs on pasture increases carcass weight and leads to earlier drafting of lambs.