Good hygiene can cut lambing shed mortalities

Using a bedding sanitiser to help maintain rigorous hygiene standards could reduce mortalities in the lambing shed.

The first 24 hours of a lamb’s life is the most crucial for survival – and the risk of mortalities is at its highest during this time, says Matthew Bell, business development manager for Timac Agro.

To help combat this, Mr Bell says sheep farmers should use a bedding sanitiser into their housing management protocols at lambing time. A disinfectant-free drying agent such as Actisan 360 can hold three times its own weight in moisture, he adds.

“This is important because during lambing, bedding can get damp very quickly, which is a rapid way for a lamb to get cold. A lamb moved into a damp pen, with its navel still wet, can be more susceptible to picking up infection.”

Breeding ground

Damp bedding can also be a breeding ground for bacteria – causing diseases like watery mouth, joint ill, septicaemia or mastitis in ewes. A sanitiser can keep bedding dry for longer, while creating an unfavourable environment for harmful bacteria.

An infectious bacterial disease that can
kill newborn lambs usually within the first three days of life, the bacteria that cause watery mouth multiply very rapidly in the gut. Without treatment, affected lambs die within hours.

“Farmers want to try to encourage good bacteria that have probiotic properties, as this supports a lamb’s immune function and antibody levels,” says Mr Bell. A clean, dry environment for lambs and ewes will pay dividends in the long run.

A small amount of bedding sanitiser goes a long way and adds: “You only need 50-100g per pen, or 100g/m², depending on the population density. On top of keeping bedding drier for longer, this can also help bedding to last longer and go further too.”