Preparing your ewes for tupping is essential for successful breeding and ensuring a productive lambing season.
1. Optimize Body Conditioning
Body conditioning plays a vital role in breeding success. Ewes with an optimal level of body condition score (BCS) are more likely to have higher ovulation rates, which leads to higher lambing percentages. However, avoid over-conditioning your ewes, as excessive body fat can reduce fertility rates. Aim for a balanced BCS to promote both health and productivity.
2. Conduct a Thorough Health Check
After weaning, it’s time to evaluate the health of each ewe and identify those that may no longer be fit for breeding. Here are key areas to check:
Udder: Inspect the udder for any lumps, hardness, or excessive warmth, and look for any damaged teats or signs of infection, such as orf. Checking udders early can reduce the number of foster lambs needed later in the year.
Legs and Feet: Look for signs of injury or disease, especially footrot. Trim the hooves as necessary and treat any issues to ensure mobility and comfort during pregnancy.
Teeth: Healthy teeth are crucial for a ewe’s ability to graze and maintain condition. Evaluate dental health with a focus on the ewe’s ability to survive the winter and adequately feed her lambs. Standards vary, but retaining ewes with sound mouths is generally recommended.
Records: Use health records to identify ewes with past issues like prolapse, mastitis, or infertility. These ewes are generally candidates for culling, though barren ewes might be kept with close monitoring if they are otherwise fit. You can use the MyFarmWorks app to record this information.
Don’t forget to check any gimmers (young, unbred females) in your flock, as they will need to meet similar standards before joining the breeding program.
3. Flush Ewes on Fresh Pasture
Flushing, or providing ewes with access to high-quality pasture prior to breeding, can boost ovulation and increase the likelihood of twins or triplets. Move the ewes onto fresh, nutrient-dense grazing land a few weeks before tupping to support their conditioning and improve reproductive outcomes.