BY IAIN Richards, veterinary ecologist:

For those that are lambing in March or later, now is an excellent time to be putting together the final plans.

Getting the feeding of the ewe right is the best way to ensure that the lambs are healthy and grow well in the first few weeks. Deciding how much feed they need will depend on how many lambs they are carrying and the quality of the forage available.

Scanning is very accurate to determine lamb numbers and most feed companies will offer a forage analysis. Single-bearing ewes can usually get by quite happily with good quality forage, but twin- and triplet-bearing ewes often need extra supplements.

A big problem to overcome, especially in cross-bred sheep, is that in the last couple of weeks the lambs get so big that they reduce the size of the rumen – the main stomach. This reduces the amount the ewe can eat, and at the most critical time of pregnancy. So getting this information and then creating a proper diet is vital.

It is worth repeating that the bulk of the diet should come from good quality forage. I am aware of more sheep farmers calculating and feeding a total ration. This is an excellent way to spread out the feeding through the day, reducing the risk of acidosis. Your vet can help create a feeding plan as well as advising on taking blood samples to make sure the ewe is being fed the right quantity and quality.

As well as the ewe, the lambing sheds should be just about ready, cleaned down from last time and well-stocked with feeding tubes, gloves, milk replacer, stored colostrum and all the other equipment you need. Diseases such as watery mouth and joint ill continue to be problems, and with pressure on to use fewer antibiotics, good hygiene and good colostrum become really important. If you are in the habit of worming ewes at lambing, please have a chat with your vet. In most cases it is not needed and, unfortunately, it can be an easy way to spread wormer resistance in the flock.