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Solution name: Designing proper sheds for lambing
Country: Romania
Dairy or/and meat sheep: Dairy and Meat
Source of information: Knowledge, Industry
Level of solution:
X |
Knowledge |
X |
Practical |
|
|
Just Being Tested |
Aim: To assure proper lambing conditions indoors and to improve lamb survival
Description:
- Manage ewes in late pregnancy in small groups, of 20-30 animals, allocating 2 m2/ewe.
- Design lambing pens (2/1 m), one lambing pen for every 8 expecting pregnant ewe. Allow ewes to spend with their lamb(s) 24-48 hours for a proper dam-lamb bonding. Pay attention especially to primiparous and ewes with twins or triplets.
- Air drafts should be kept lower than 0.4 m/s at lambing, air temperature between 5 to 18 °C, humidity ≤ 70%, lighting intensity should be higher than 100 lux with at least 8 h of light per day.
- Use fresh clean straws bedding (0.5 kg) every day, and replace bedding from lambing pens before introducing new ewes.
- The use of UV bulbs to help thermoregulation in week lambs improves survival rates.
Expected benefits: Reduction in lamb losses
Prerequisites and/or limits (knowledge, training, capabilities, cost, management, facilities, equipment, etc.)
- The use of lambing pens requires extra labor and initial costs with materials.
- Some minor investments should be done in UV bulbs, related costs with energy and thermometers to monitor shed conditions.
- Aspects such as temperature and humidity inside the shed are hard to control.
Scientific references
https://www.unitheque.com/Livre/france_agricole/Produire_mieux/Le_logement_du_mouton-7998.html).
Tips & Tricks:
Expected impacts:
| Benefit | |||||||
| Benefit expected | Increase productivity: -less mortality |
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| System | |||||||
| Is the solution suitable for various production systems | Y | ||||||
| If no – for which system | dairy & meat | ||||||
| Cost | |||||||
| What are the asset costs | <100/lamb | ||||||
| What are the maintenance costs | <50/lamb | ||||||
| Any limits to its applicability | No | ||||||
| Work Load | |||||||
| Farmers | Service provider/tech.-vet-others | ||||||
| How much time is required to prepare and implement the solution | >=1week | ||||||
| How many people is needed to implement the solution? | 1 person (the farmer) | ||||||
| Timing | |||||||
| How long it takes to get results? | >=1week | ||||||
| How long it takes to see an effect on sheep productivity? | current production period | ||||||
| Equipment/Facility | |||||||
| Farmers | Service provider/technicians-vet-others | ||||||
| What kind of equipment/tool are necessary? | Lambing pens, UV bulbs, bedding materials | ||||||
| Skill/Knowledge-Training (farmer) | |||||||
| Does the solution need any specific skill/knowledge or training? | Yes | ||||||
| How much time will be required for training | 1 day training | ||||||
| Wider Environment | |||||||
| Is there any particular regulation link to the solution? | NO | ||||||
| Does the solution need any particular structure or organisation? | NO | ||||||
Users’ evaluation:
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Country |
TURKEY, SPAIN |
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Solution No/Name |
41. Designing proper sheds for lambing |
|
Farmer/Service provider/technicians-vet-others |
Farmers |
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Why did you select this solution? |
To improve lamb health and increase survival rate |
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Was it easy to implement? |
Yes |
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If not say what are the identified drawbacks? |
– |
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Did you need to adapt it? |
Yes |
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If yes, how? |
It is necessary to take into account the features of the facilities (square meters of the shed, bedding type and quality, separation by lambing type) |
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Were you happy with the outcome of the solution? |
Yes |
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What were the outcomes? |
98% of the ewes bonded with their lamb(s) Lower numbers of orphan lambs Less incidence of diarrhea |
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Score the solution |
Interesting and easy to implement |
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Will you continue to implement it? |
Yes |
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If not, for which reasons? |
|
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Comments/Additions |
Recommend this easy application to everyone |
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