Tips for the lambing and goat kidding season
Rearing strong, healthy lambs and goat kids is a real achievement every year. A good start is half the battle! That’s why we’re sharing some tips for the lambing season!
Every season brings its own adjustments. As it is now winter, temperatures will drop. Did you know that, when ambient temperatures are lower, young animals use their energy reserves and feed to keep themselves warm? This comes at the expense of their immunity and growth. It is therefore important to prevent this from happening to your lambs.
Tips for the lambing season
1. Is it cold in your lambing shed?
Use straw instead of flax; the lambs can snuggle up in it and it keeps them nice and warm.
Are your lambs huddled together with their legs tucked under their bodies? If so, they’re probably too cold.
2. Good air quality is important!
Keep an eye on the humidity; it should not exceed 75 per cent.
Is the air in your home still too damp, and are you worried about ventilating more thoroughly? If so, why not use a building dehumidifier?
If necessary, use a CO₂ meter to check the air quality. The Aranet 4 is a handy and easy-to-use device that can be very helpful in checking whether the readings are within the correct range.
3. Keep a close eye on your ventilation
In winter, ensure a temperature range of 4–6 degrees, a minimum ventilation rate of 0.15 cubic metres per kilogram per animal and a maximum ventilation rate of 1 cubic metre.
Watch out for draughts: the airflow can be significantly disrupted by gaps in walls or roofs.
4. Using a bottle, administer at least 5% of the body weight (approx. 150 ml) of colostrum no later than 2 hours after birth
Repeat this within 6–12 hours and administer a third dose of colostrum within 18–24 hours. Did you know that Denkacare Vitalfirst can help improve the quality of colostrum? This product can be used as a colostrum substitute or supplement!
5. From the second week onwards, provide tasty lamb pellets/muesli, good-quality roughage and fresh drinking water
6. If you are feeding in limited quantities, select the animals based on their drinking speed and weight
This will prevent some animals from drinking too much whilst others do not get enough.
Only move healthy animals
7. Disinfect the navel immediately after birth
Are you experiencing problems with joint inflammation? If so, take extra care, use a good-quality iodine solution and disinfect the navels at least twice.
8. Check the water-to-milk powder ratio in your drinks dispenser regularly.
Pay particular attention to this if you are using milk powder in several stages.
9. Ensure that drinking pipes and drinking fountains are clean.
Young lambs are very susceptible to harmful bacteria that may be present even in an apparently clean environment. These bacteria also often cause the lamb’s milk to spoil more quickly.
Additional support
A healthy start is the foundation for the future! That’s why we’ve shared these tips for the lambing season, but we also offer a range of supporting products:
- To encourage water and concentrate intake, add Denkacare Vitalfort to the water for 14 days around the time of weaning.
- For extra support during weaning, mix 14 days’ worth of Denkacare Vitalcure into the feed.
- To provide extra support for the lungs, add Denkacare Vitalair to the milk for 5 days.
What else you need to know:
The season can also affect the flow properties of milk powder. Did you know that?
Do you have any questions about this article, or would you like one of our specialists to take a look with you and provide practical tips? Feel free to contact us!
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