Shetland Monitor Farm Meeting to Focus on Management of Pregnant Ewes

Opportunities to improve scanning percentages and lamb survival rates will be among the key discussion areas at the next meeting of the Shetland Monitor Farm.

Farmers and crofters are invited to the free meeting, which will include a focus on the management of pregnant ewes, on Saturday 1 April.

Host farmers Kirsty and Aimee Budge from Bigton Farm are due to start lambing their 240 Shetland cross Cheviot ewes outside in May.

At the meeting, which starts at Bigton Hall at 11am, the Budge sisters will explain how they manage their ewes in the run up to lambing, and their hopes for this year’s lambing.

The Budges are generally happy with their scanning results. In 2016 the ewes scanned at 157%, and this increased to 164% this year. However the sisters, who have managed the farm since 2014 with support from their family, are keen to improve their current rearing percentage of 109%.

“Bigton generally has a good scanning percentage but we lose a lot of lambs before weaning,” Kirsty Budge said.

“So we are keen to hear from others on Shetland about how we can improve this as clearly every lamb successfully reared makes an important contribution to our farm income.

“We would also like to learn why some of our ewes lose their lambs after scanning and hope that others who farm on Shetland will share their experiences so that all the flockowners in Shetland can benefit and reduce losses in their own flocks.”

Both Kirsty and Aimee Budge know that it is important that pregnant ewes receive the right nutrition throughout pregnancy. The influence of protein in the ewes’ diet before lambing will be discussed, as well as the ewe’s other nutritional requirements to produce strong lambs with good survival rates.

Assessing condition score of ewes plays a very important role in achieving this and at the meeting facilitator Graham Fraser from SAC Consulting Lerwick will demonstrate some condition scoring techniques to ensure ewes are in the correct condition in the run-up to lambing. 

He will be joined by Jim Tait of Shetland Vets, who will give an overview of how flockowners can prevent and minimise problems at lambing and provide tips to help save hypothermic lambs. 

Aimee Budge commented: “We are really looking forward to getting some thoughts on how we can boost the number of lambs born and successfully reared at Bigton. Hopefully information shared at this meeting will help us and others in the area looking to improve their flocks’ efficiency.”     

The Shetland Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.

Bigton farm will be hosting regular meetings over the next three years as the Shetland Monitor Farm, which will focus on technical and financial challenges that their business, and many other local farmers and crofters in Shetland, face.

The Shetland Monitor Farm meetings are open and free for all farmers and crofters to attend.  Attendees will also have an input into topics covered, speakers invited to meetings and visits to other enterprises and businesses.  Lunch will be provided and the meeting will finish at 3pm.

To book your attendance (and lunch!) please contact the project facilitator Graham Fraser, SAC Consulting Lerwick on 01595 693520, or email frbslerwick@sac.co.uk

For more information about the monitor farm programme, please click here.