Dirt floor for sheep barn?

[miss_thenorth]

Ok, getting ready to have baby lambs here--need to get them a barn of their own for lambing. so, would a dirt floor be okay? Straw or shavings? While we are using shavings this year for the horses, I am thinking that straw would be so much nicer for them to give birth in.

What else do I need to undertake to prepare for them?

What are your thoughts, sheeples?

 

[FarmerChick]

dirt floor fine

either shavings or straw is fine but I prefer straw...shavings tend to "cling" to kids and small particles can clog up their little noses and mouths pretty fast. they need that few days to get a sense about them and straw seems to be the better bedding in the end....but both are OK. I lean toward straw though.

be sure you have Betadine to dip the navels right after birth...very important. Some rags for wiping later if needed.....heat lamps "might" be need depending on your area. Also get yourself a bottle of NutriDrench for Sheep. I use NutriDrench for my goats (not sure if it is OK for sheep also--have to look at bottle and it is in the barn right now...lol) Super electrolyte type nutrient. I hit every kid with NutriDrench after they are on their feet and they first finish nursing. If they are poor and weak I hit them immediately. Instant body energy.

other than that, just wait and enjoy the lambs.

 

[miss_thenorth]

thanks! I was leaning more toward straw too, for the softness factor. got betadine, and I'll talk to the feedstore guy about nutridrench. I think heat lamp is definitely needed. I know for goats you need a ceramic bulb, would the same be true for sheep? Although sheep aren't quite as rambunctious as goats are--for safety sake I think ceramic would be better.

 

[FarmerChick]

I always used 100 watt regular old bulb.

I hung mine with a clamp over the corner.....the kids would gravitate to the light and the lamp was hung high enough that it never got in the mommas way. I never went "heat lamp" crazy here cause being in NC it just wasn't necessary.


Many of mine never got the bulb...LOL...just out of the wind, warm straw etc. and a small pen. Small pen, while being big enough to momma to move keeps the heat in without her squishing them.

Only ones that got a bulb were maybe the trips and quads that were smaller and needed a little Umppfff..


remember too you can get a lamb coat for them....easier than a heat lamp and safer in a way

 

[miss_thenorth]

Thanks., Okay,another noob question. do I have to make a separate area for both ewes, or can they share the same area? I went over to a neighbours goat barn at kidding time and she had all her mommas in together with their babies. So this should work? Or should I have two separate areas?

 

[FarmerChick]

separate definitely......oh my goodness goats are horrible when it comes to practically killing the other kids. they want their own.....BUT I DO believe I hear sheep are easier on other lambs.

but to be safe, separate when they kid out. it is the safest way to go definitely!! later when lambs are stronger yes you can let everyone mingle, and everyone knows who their moms are.

if a lamb or kid mistakes the mom and trys to nurse sometimes the momma will beat the far out of the young'in...and I mean beat!! those little day olds do not have alot of defense at all.

 

[freemotion]

I know less than nothing about sheep, but I do know how to keep a stall warm and dry! My favorite for a foaling or kidding stall is shavings on the bottom to absorb urine and straw on top. The straw is not really absorbant but the urine runs through it and gets sucked up by the shavings below. Keeps the stall nice longer.

I will be setting up my deep litter for the goats this weekend, and will do it this way. Then just spot clean until spring. The kidding stalls will be immaculate, though.

 

[Beekissed]

Miss_thenorth, here is a link you might find interesting and a paragraph from it:

http://www.barkingrock.com/sheep101.htm#SHELTER

Q. Can sheep live outdoors year 'round, or do they need a shelter? I'm worried that they'll be too hot/cold in the summer/winter.
A. Are the sheep living in British Columbia or Mexico? We use those extremes to illustrate that again no one answer fits every case. But regardless, any sheep will benefit greatly from some sort of protection from driving wind/snow/rain and shade from the hot sun. It doesn't need to be elaborate, and it should NOT be heated! It definitely needs adequate ventilation!! A run-in type shelter, as is used commonly for horses, or something similar for the sheep will work just fine. And, of course, no sheep will object to the fanciest of barns!

Again, we stress the need for ventilation. It's very common for first-time shepherds to worry that their sheep are too cold, especially after shearing or during cold winter weather. Often the impulse is to close all the doors and windows in the barn to eliminate "drafts". Then the new shepherd frets because he/she didn't do an adequate job because the sheep got sick. Next the shepherd redoubles efforts to exclude all fresh air, and even installs a heat lamp. This ends up being a very self-defeating effort as what the animals needed was fresh air, not warm air.
If you find this hard to believe, try this: get down at sheep level and try breathing there. If you have a barn or shed that's enclosed livestock for more than a few days or weeks - especially a small barn or a smallish pen - your eyes will probably start to water from the ammonia buildup from the urine. Now imagine what it's like living - eating, drinking, sleeping - in that environment for an extended time, and you'll understand why the ventilation is so important! Added to the ammonia buildup is the moisture accumulation in a tightly closed barn from the sheep's breath and bodies. It's the perfect conditions for breeding pneumonia germs! Open the windows and leave them that way.

I've read this in several sheep related articles....sheep, unlike goats, are born ready to rumble...usually right in the fields on the cold ground. Some folks put their sheep in the barn, in lambing jugs, but they don't heat the barns at all.

Straw or hay bedding is recommended if you have fine wool breeds and for lambing situations. Other than that, wood shavings are fine.

You can keep ewes together for lambing, as long as they have enough space to have a quiet corner to themselves. Most sheep farmers don't have enough stall space to provide a separate jug for each ewe, so they often just allow enough space or only let them stay in the jugs for two days.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Good link, thanks. I had to look up where they are from though. I still am concerned about our temps, but they are in Pennsylvania so it probably gets as cold there as here. So I guess no heat lamp.