It’s March and spring is here…hopefully! As the mornings get lighter and the spring flowers pop up, we can all look forward to seeing newborn lambs in the fields again, cavorting about in their little gangs and generally getting up to mischief. But all that playing is hard work. And when the weather inevitably takes its springtime twists and turns, it is important that each ewe is there to feed, shelter and protect her own lambs.
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“Mothering up” in sheep is simply the establishment of a strong bond between the ewe and her newborn lambs. This connection forms in the hours immediately following lambing. And will continue to be present throughout spring and summer at grass. In many cases mothering up will happen quite naturally if the ewe is closely observed but not disturbed around lambing time. However under certain circumstances the shepherd may need to become more actively involved.
As members of the public, we too can play our part in this vital process. We can do this by ensuring we access the land around farms responsibly during this critical period; keeping dogs on leads or ideally away from sheep altogether; and respecting any signs a farmer may have put up regarding their livestock.
Why is it important that lambs are mothered up?
Without doubt the single most important event in the life of a newborn lamb is the receipt of an adequate quantity of good quality colostrum, delivered quickly! Colostrum, the first milk, is absolutely vital for a lamb’s future health and wellbeing. This is because it contains antibodies (immune system proteins that combat infection) and nutrients to provide the energy needed for lambs to keep warm and keep up with the flock!
Lambs that mother up well after birth will receive this colostrum and subsequent milk feeds reliably; resulting in strong, healthy, growing lambs requiring minimal input from the shepherd. They will be ready for turnout from the lambing shed sooner after birth, which minimises disease risk and frees up space for the next ones to lamb. After turnout lambs that have mothered up well will be more resilient in the face of adverse weather too.
Lambs that do not bond quickly with the ewe will very likely not receive adequate colostrum within the initial 2 hour window; leaving them at much higher risk of diseases such as joint ill, navel ill or watery mouth. They will lack energy to keep warm. And therefore, especially outdoors, will be at higher risk of hypothermia and low blood glucose if/when the weather takes a more wintery turn.
Without a strong maternal bond, lambs may seek out other ewes to suckle from, competing with her own lambs for milk. More dominant ewes that have not yet given birth may “pinch” or steal another ewe’s lambs; feeding them her colostrum and leaving none for her own lambs when they are born. Additionally, she may reject her own lambs at birth. This will leave a shepherd with a significant amount of work on their hands and potentially a high incidence of lamb disease and loss.
Ensuring good mothering up
There are several factors to consider when promoting good mothering up in your flock. Some can be implemented immediately while others involve longer-term planning.
For all flocks at lambing time:
- Move ewes to the intended lambing area (field or shed) a few days before lambing is expected to begin. This minimises stress and avoids unsettling ewes on the point of lambing.
- Maintain a comfortable and peaceful environment as stress in the ewes may lead to mismothering as well as low milk yields and poor milk letdown.
- Ensure ewes have free access to food in the lambing shed or field, with enough trough space to avoid competition or jostling. Hungry ewes may leave their newborn lambs to feed, which disrupts the process of mothering up and increases the chance of poor colostrum quality or intake.
- Avoid disturbing ewes during labour. Observe quietly from a distance, keep all dogs away from the lambing area and prevent disruption by vehicles entering the field or shed. This is especially important for sheep lambing for the first time.
- Give ewes and lambs time to mother up but be prepared to intervene quietly if necessary. Most lambs will be on their feet within 15 minutes of birth and will be actively and enthusiastically searching for a teat. A few minutes of vigorous suckling should deliver a suitable volume of colostrum and a contented lamb with a full belly of milk will settle quietly with its mother.
- If a ewe has had particular difficulty lambing, especially if she has had to be assisted, an injection of anti-inflammatory pain relief should be given. Your veterinary practice can advise on this and provide medication for you to administer. A ewe that is unwell or in pain may not allow lambs to suckle or may reject them completely.
Outdoor lambing flocks
Avoid moving the ewe and newborn lambs from the site of lambing; unless it is necessary to bring them indoors for further attention. Management tasks such as ear tagging, ringing tails or castration should ideally wait until lambs are dry, well fed and bonded; so best delayed until 12 hours or more post lambing. These tasks should then be performed quickly and quietly at the lambing site. For example using a small trailer to collect the ewe and lambs into; carry out any necessary procedures; and release the ewe and lambs again together.
Outdoor lambing flocks may be at increased risk of disturbance by members of the public, especially those with dogs. On some farms it will be possible to avoid lambing in fields adjacent to footpaths or commonly used walking routes. Where this is not possible, placing clear, polite, informative signs at key access points near the farm may help to re-route walkers; particularly around those vital few weeks in the springtime.
Indoor lambing flocks
Ewes lambing indoors are in closer proximity to one another before lambing and have less space to isolate themselves during labour. So mismothering and pinching of lambs may occur more frequently. When a ewe has lambed indoors, move her quietly to an individual pen (within the group lambing pen) where she can remain undisturbed to bond with her lambs, usually for 12-36 hours before turnout. Individual pens should be at least 1.5 x 1.5 metres in size (i.e. 3m2 ) as smaller pens increase the risk of ewes lying on their lambs. Food and water must be provided to each pen and one individual pen should be available for every 8-10 ewes in the group. (More if the ewes have been synchronised to lamb over a very short period).
Longer term considerations
Some breeds are more maternal than others but within any flock, select ewes for good mothering ability and only keep daughters from ewes that have reared lambs well themselves. Any ewes that do not prove to be good mothers should not be retained for future breeding.
Although tups/rams may have EBV’s (Estimated Breeding Values) including the trait “maternal ability”, this reflects his daughters’ milk production and the growth rate of her lambs to 8 weeks of age, rather than her mothering instinct.
In conclusion, mothering up is absolutely key to lamb health and farm productivity
Aim to breed from ewes with strong maternal instincts, lambing in good body condition and into a well thought out environment. Ensure adequate early colostrum intake, intervening when necessary. And keep ewes and their lambs together until a strong maternal bond is formed.
Consider meeting with your vet to draw up a flock health plan or lambing plan well ahead of time. And don’t be afraid to ask for advice throughout the lambing period. Or at any time of year for that matter!
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