Hill farmers, don’t only sell lambs. Older ewes are drafted in breeding sales to the uplands. Here the ewe has to get into a good condition if her true value is to be achieved at sale. There is no great length of time between weaning the lambs and the sales where these ewes are sold. How can we ensure these ewes are fully supplemented with selenium, cobalt, iodine and copper so that they are best able to gain condition post weaning.

Bolusing with the tracesure range of boluses will help. They last up to six months. By bolusing one month before lambing, typically at the same time as ewes are handled for vaccination of clostridial diseases, the boluses ensure the ewe is supplemented for up to five months post lambing, with the added bonus of the lambs being born with good blood levels, with further supplementation via the ewes milk until weaning. Lambs are generally weaned between three and four months of age.

This gives at least one month of bolus action for the ewe post weaning, which will help her build condition. What we are seeing more and more, as sheep numbers per holding decline is more grass on hill farms. Farmers are bolusing their breeding ewes two months before tupping and again one month pre lambing in order to get up to 12 months cover for the ewes.

Animax Ltd. Shepherds Grove West,  Stanton, Sufolk,  IP31 2AR