Ewes rejecting lambs?

Ewe placed in an orphan head gate. Ewes that reject their lambs may be placed in the head gate to re-bond them with their lambs. Can also be used to graft lambs onto ewes. 

It's not uncommon to have a ewe reject her lambs. There are a variety or reasons that this may happen.

• First time mothers may be afraid of what just came out of them. 
• If group penned close together, some ewes become nervous. This is an opportune time for granny ewes to come and steal lambs. 
• Sometimes a ewe having multiples will lose track of the first lamb (while focusing on birthing the second or third, etc). She then cleans off the later born lamb(s) meanwhile the 1st has wandered off. 
• Sharp teeth. This causes discomfort to the ewe during feeding so they prevent the lamb from feeding in order to avoid the pain. This is fixed with a quick pass with a tooth file. Check the lambs teeth before doing so to ensure this is the cause of the neglect. 

For most cases (other than sharp teeth), rejection can be remedied by placing the ewe in an orphan head gate. 

Lamb with sharp teeth. Filing the teeth prevent the lamb from damaging the dam's udder. 

Introducing PRS-I and PRS-B energizers

This Spring Premier added several new units to its PRS Energizer line-up. These units offer some of the same features of the original PRS line-up but with added enhancements.

Details…

• Output 0.5 or 0.25 joule. 
• Same UV treated, high-impact plastic outer case but the energizer inside varies in joules of output and energy use/hr.
• Include a backup battery charger.
• Have an easy-access on/off button.
• On/off button shows up very well at night (flashes green or red depending on battery charge level).
• Have an overcharge regulator to protect the battery.
• Can be placed on the ground or on the top of steel T posts.
• Include wires and clips to connect to the fence and the ground rod. 
• Larger batteries (in amp-hr) than competing units of similar output.

PRS-I vs PRS-B?

A “PRS-B” (for “Basic“) unit removes a steady 50 milliamperes per hour from the battery—which in turn must be recharged by the solar panel.

“PRS-I” units (for “Intelligent”) are able to reduce their energy demand when the fence’s voltage is high—due to few weeds touching the fence. 

This occurs in fall and winter for most fences and occurs all year for some horse, cattle and deer fences.

So an “I” unit’s battery is more likely to remain charged through the low sunlight days of autumn and winter.

0.25 vs 0.5 Joule?

0.25 joules will work for a roll of sheep netting or a strand of “weed-free” rope. It’s also enough for most cattle and horse temporary fences. Will work with a roll of PoultryNet or VersaNet but grass must be mowed or sprayed as needed to maintain adequate voltage. 

For multiple rolls of net we advise 0.5 joule units or larger.

Below is a video of setting up a new PRS for in-field use. If you have any questions give us a call at 1-800-282-6631 or visit our website at www.premier1supplies.com.

Introducing Drivable Netting Posts

Drivable Netting Posts!

Can be hit hard with a mallet/dead blow hammer or tapped in with a steel hammer. Fence sets up easily in hard or frozen soils as well as soft soils. Pushing is no longer necessary.

Who needs Drivable Posts?

• Those who find it too difficult to push single spikes or step double spikes into the ground.
• Those who install net into: Hard soils in summer, frozen soils and rocky soils.

Features:

1. Drive Cap (brown in color to distinguish from regular post caps). Can be hit with a mallet or dead blow hammer (not steel).
2. 19mm post with fiber glass cables. Same sturdy post as our FiberTuff end/corner posts. Excellent for high strain fence lines. 
3. Spikes with a spike stop to prevent the spike from being forced up into the post—possible when combining normal single spikes and hard soils. 
4. Single spike. All the downward driving force is directed toward one spike (not two) making soil insertion easier. Single spike less likely to tangle than double spike.  

Drivable posts are currently available in the following nets:
ElectroNet
ElectroStop
Bear QuikFence
PoultryNet 12/48/3
PoultryNet 12/42/3 (PN)

Spring Fence Checklist

You're ready for spring. Your animals are ready for spring. Your pastures are ready for spring. But are your fences ready for spring? Before you set your flock or herd loose onto pastures that haven't seen use for a few months, make sure the fences are ready to keep livestock in and everything else out.

Walk the fence line(s). Check for branches or trees that may have toppled during a winter windstorm. If needed, clear branches and trees off of your fence and assess its condition. Most HT fences can bounce back after heavy branches have been removed. Other fences may need some more involved care. If the fence is in a flood prone area, remove any downed trees/limbs that could be washed into the fence.

Make sure all conductors are intact. If needed, mend with repair kits, ropelinks, twistlinks or gripples.

Check plug-in and battery energizers before use—the fence must be adequately electrified. For battery energizers, make sure the batteries are fully charged before bringing them to the field.

If using a PRS, this video details how to bring it out of winter storage and get it ready for spring fencing.

For more informational posts, click on the links below:

Before you buy or build a fence
Troubleshooting electric fences
Tips for setting up netting successfully
Netting: Struts or Strings
Netting: single spike or double spike posts?
Netting Tips

Heat Lamps

Premier's Prima Heat Lamp in use with young orphan lambs. 

It's heat lamp season. With the cool to cold weather folks are looking for ways to keep baby lambs and chicks warm. Thus they're relying on heat lamps. We've re-designed our original heat lamps to be significantly more formidable.

• Easier grill attachment. Instead of snapping on the grill, new design twists on. 
• Improved chimney system: reduces heat pockets at the top of the lamp. 
• Glass reinforced material: greater strength and more resistance to higher temperatures (holds up to long use of 250w bulbs). 
• Shorter length: can be held higher on short wire panels. 
• Anti-chew cord. 
• Strong attachment design. Use a heat lamp clip to connect to wire panels. This is significantly stronger than most heat lamp connections you will find.  

Brooding chicks with a Prima Heat Lamp and Heat Lamp Stand. 

Do's 

1. Tie or clip them securely—particularly if adult sheep, goats or pigs are exposed to them. A lamp that falls onto animals or bedding has consequences that can be very serious—including a fire. 
2. Use PAR glass (pressed glass) bulbs. Far more durable than common heat bulbs. 

Don'ts

1. For sheep, goats and other non-poultry livestock—don't hang them closer than 20" from bedding or baby animals that can't move away from them. You can hang closer than 20" when brooding chicks, as long as excess heat has a place to escape and the birds are comfortable spread throughout the brooder.  
2. Don't enclose them in barrels or similar small spaces. The heat must be allowed to move away from the lamps. 
3. Don't use heat lamps any longer than necessary. (We hear reports of folks using them continuously for 2-3 months.) Lambs and kids only need extra heat when they are weak or wet newborns or suffering from hypothermia. We start weaning chicks off of lamps when they're close to fully feathered. 

For more information on shed-lambing, check out this article on our Guide to All Things Sheep. 

Lambing Jugs

With lambing season already here for many, a few of the questions we've answered have pertained to lambing jugs. Our lambing system tends to shift from year to year but one of the constants is our use of lambing jugs for indoor lambing.

Q. How big should they be for different breeds? 

A. Usually the following:

• Small breeds—4'x4'
• Medium breeds—5'x5'
• Large breeds—5'x6' or 6'x6' 

Q. How tall should they be?

A. Use your own judgement. Ewes that are flighty or are jumpers, taller panels are recommended. For calmer ewes, shorter sides are acceptable. 

Q. Should they be open or solid?

A. Solid sides have merit in older drafty barns—they block drafts. 

For barns that are not as drafty or if lambing in warmer weather, open sides allow the ewe to see other sheep (in our experience, this helps to calm them). 

Q. How long should the ewes stay in them?

A. Standard for most flocks is 1-3 days. 

• Big healthy single lambs—1 day in the jug 
• Twins—2 days
• Triplets—2-3 days

Q. What is the best bedding to use?

A. A variety of bedding types can be used. We have more or less used them all. 

• Straw is probably the best/easiest to get (Around $3.25-$5 bale). 
• Wood shavings are soft and work well but cost a little more ($6-$10 per bale locally).
• Corn stalks, though rough, are cheap and plentiful in our area. 
• Corn cobs work well if available. 

Q. What is the best way to water ewes in the jug?

A. We have a few different systems in place for watering our ewes. 

• The first is a PVC pipe that runs the length of the barn. Holes are cut into the pipe every 4'-5' to allow ewes access to the water. Water constantly flows through the pipe which keeps it from freezing. 
• For pens not next to the water pipe we use individual buckets. 

1. Buckets are filled via a hose. The shepherd walks along the jugs and tops off the buckets. 
2. A large stock tank is filled and buckets are taken out of the pens, filled by dipping into the tank and returned to the jug. (In talks for being put into practice this year, not official yet.)

Q. How do we feed them in the jug?

A. Welded wire bale feeders, square buckets, BYO feeders and even tile drainage tube have been used in recent years.  

Understanding a forage report

Not sure whether the bale in the feeder is providing the ewes what they need? Run a forage test to find out what's really in there. 

The majority of my Monday involved taking advantage of the final hours of 2014's short sleeve weather. The goal? Take core samples of our baleage before winter's chill sets in. The core samples were then sent to a forage lab where the results would tell us everything we wanted to know about our baleage and then some more.

Why wait until November to take? We made baleage, which needs a few weeks to cure before it's considered ready. Our last batch was made in mid-September, so I waited until those bales were ready and tested all the batches in one go.

Results came back Wednesday and I had to remind myself of what some of the terms and initialisms on the forms meant. Below are a few of the terms that can be found in a forage report. If you have any questions, I suggest talking to one of your extension nutritionists. They know these terms pretty well (and they don't have to look them up either).

Glossary of (basic) terms:

ADF—Acid Detergent fiber. The least digestible fiber (higher the number the poorer the forage).

Ash—mineral content of the feed (inorganic matter in the feedstuff). 

Crude Protein—nitrogen from protein as well as non-protein nitrogen sources such as ammonia, DNA and RNA. 

DMI—estimated level of intake an animal must consume of a ration that contains the energy concentration recommended by nutrient tables.

Dry matter—everything in the feed except water

Fat—amount of crude fat in the forage.
Lignin—component of cell walls that is indigestible.
Moisture—amount of water in the forage.

NDF—Neutral detergent fiber, makes up the bulky part of the plant. 

NEG—(net energy for gain or growth) estimate of energy available used for weight gain once maintenance is achieved.  

NEL—(net energy for lactation) estimate of energy available for lactation after needs for maintenance have been met. 

NEM—(net energy for maintenance) estimate of available energy to keep the animal as is.
NFC—Non-fibrous carbohydrates (sugars, starches)
pH—measure of acidity or alkalinity.

RFV—relative feed value. 100 is considered average. 

Soluble Protein—protein that is able to be broken down in the rumen.

TDN—total digestible nutrients. Also a measure of the energy value of the feedstuff.