Top Tips for Housing Ewes
by Daniel Hession - Nutritionist & Technical Manager - Aurivo
House ewes on a dry day
Avoid housing ewes with wet fleeces if possible. If the weather conditions are not dry house ewes in smaller batches. Where ewes are housed wet, it can take up to a week for the fleece to dry out. Ensure there is adequate ventilation in the shed to prevent respiratory problems.
Winter shearing
Shearing ewes at housing offers a number of benefits. This practice will create more space, make handling easier while also increasing lamb birth weight. At least 8 weeks wool regrowth is required.
Lameness
Footbath all ewes before housing. Separate and appropriately treat lame ewes and either pen separately or delay housing until infection has cleared up. Adequate straw and lime will help reduce the number of lame ewes.
Fluke
Ewes should be treated for fluke before housing or shortly afterwards.
Group Ewes
Ewes should be grouped and penned by litter size (based on scanning results) and on the basis of expected lambing date. This will allow for more accurate feeding in late pregnancy.
Space requirement
Ensure ewes have adequate feed and lying space. In most sheep sheds, feed space is more often limiting than lying space. Sheep pens should be modified to provide additional feed space if necessary.
Floor Space Requirements
Source: DAFM S146 (2016)
Feeding Space Requirements
Source: DAFM S146 (2016)
Water
A supply of clean fresh water is very important for housed ewes. Troughs should be checked daily and cleaned out straight away if required.