I put newborn lambs and their dams in a lambing jug as soon after
birth as I can, and they remain there for a couple days; more if
there are any problems. A lambing jug allows me to monitor both the
ewe and her lambs to ensure that the lambs are getting sufficient
milk and are otherwise healthy. The ewe appreciates being separated
from the flock because she would do that naturally to protect her
lambs. It enables a first-time mom to bond with her lambs. But most
importantly, it enables me to catch the little buggers to apply ear
tags. I apply them at age 2 days. I use the small brass tags sold by
Premier at
http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=122670&cat_id=103
because in my experience, any larger tag will rip a lamb's tender
ear. I apply scrapie tags only to adult sheep and ONLY if they are
leaving my farm.
A lambing jug can be a temporary enclosure and measure 6x6 ft or in
my case 3 x 12. You can see photos of my lambing jugs at
http://critterhaven.biz/info/articles/barn_setup.htm. I built these
permanent ones after using scrap chainlink for a couple of years to
experiment with the idea.
Carol
At 10:26 AM 3/31/2015, you wrote:
So, how do you all identify your lambs? At what age do you typically ear
tag?
Carol Elkins
Critterhaven--Registered Barbados Blackbelly Hair Sheep
(no shear, no dock, no fuss)
Pueblo, Colorado
http://www.critterhaven.biz
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