Weaning lambs at 12 weeks could help Welsh sheep farmers improve ewe condition in the run up to tupping this year

Ewes were put under pressure by the prolonged cold and dry spring and this could have repercussions for next year’s lamb crop.

At Glanmynys, a Farming Connect demonstration site near Llandovery, the condition of ewes will be assessed when lambs are weighed at eight weeks.

Most farmers don’t wean until 14-16 weeks but research and industry advice suggests that the optimum weaning age should be around 12 weeks. But, if ewes are lean, early weaning is beneficial, farmers participating in a Farming Connect Demo Farm Live webinar broadcast from Glanmynys were advised. 

Sheep and beef specialist Dr Liz Genever said that by eight weeks of age lambs are starting to get most of their energy from grass. At that point, pasture quality and parasite control become important. 

Although suckling the ewe provides social support for the lamb, weaning at 10-12 weeks can be beneficial to ewes and lambs as it reduces competition for grass and lambs can be prioritised for high quality pasture.

“Some farmers are weaning early this year to give ewes more time to gain condition because they had a hard time in early lactation,” said Dr Genever. 

The daily dry matter (DM) requirement of a lactating ewe is 3.5% of her bodyweight but after weaning that drops to 1.5% 

The body condition score (BCS) of ewes in lowland breeds should be at 2.5 at the end of the lactation – any lower and it will decrease the number of lambs carried or scanning percentage per ewe, Dr Genever explained; it takes six weeks to lift BCS by one point. 

A fly treatment or significantly reducing the ewe’s feed for a few days can help reduce the incidence of mastitis at weaning, said Dr Genever.

At Glanmynys, share farmer Peredur Owen and farm owner Carine Kidd run a flock of 1,000 ewes.

Their 2021 crop of lambs from the mature ewes have outperformed the eight-week target weight of 20kg, averaging 22kg 

Their 90-day weight target is 30kg which means they will need to grow at nearly 300g a day to achieve that, Dr Genever calculated.

“It is more of a challenge to hit 90-day targets because of competition from ewes, parasites and pasture quality,” she added. 

Pasture quality is a challenge this year because the exceptional growing conditions is causing grass to head quickly.

Dr Genever recommended prioritising lambs for the highest quality leafy grass – this will have an ME value of 11.5MJ compared to 10.5MJ in stemmy grass and dropping to 8MJ in older swards; thin ewes should be a very close second for priority grazing, she added.

 Batching lambs according to weight will make management easier.

 The trace element status of the flock at Glanmynys is also being monitored as part of the farm’s Farming Connect project work.

 Vet Joe Angell of Wern Vets, who is leading this project work, said not all trace element tests are the same therefore it is important that farmers determine what information they want to gain and to then use the best test for that purpose.

 Dr Angell warned that random testing can be very misleading.

 “Consult your vet or advisor as to the best tests to use and when as timing can be critical to effective interpretation of the results,” he advised.

 Blood testing is useful for establishing the short and medium term trace element status while liver tissue sampling can be beneficial for informing the longer term status of elements such as copper, selenium, cobalt and manganese, Dr Angell added.

 Farming Connect, which is delivered by Menter a Busnes and Lantra, has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.