# what lambing supplies am I going to need?



## patandchickens (Oct 21, 2010)

It may seem odd to ask this before I've actually PUT the ram in with the ewes  but prices and selection are generally far far better in the US than Canada, and I will be going to visit family in the US in six weeks or so and then not again til after lambs are on the ground. So, I need to do my mail-ordering for lambing supplies NOW.

Don't need lists of things like 'rubbing alcohol' etc, just things that have to be ordered from livestock catalogs. We do have a vet who can come out for emergencies but he is _really_ not a sheep guy so I would prefer to be reasonably well prepared myself.

I see all these things in catalogs, prolapse whatsits and navel clamps and docking devices and lamb pullers and all sorts of things, and just have no clue what a person *realistically* should have on hand.

Thanks very much,

Pat


----------



## Bossroo (Oct 21, 2010)

When I ran over 200 head of sheep... I kept, a marking harness, marking crayons for the rams for breeding season, then , docking iron, ear tag applicator, ear tags, a bottle of iodine, some rubbing alcohol, hoof trimmer, tagging sheers, 5 lamb jails and the most important tools... my TWO HANDS. I have pulled lots of lambs without any of the fancy pullers, etc. ( once I pulled out 5 lambs from one ewe). I never had to call a Vet.


----------



## aggieterpkatie (Oct 21, 2010)

Bossroo mentioned lots of good things. You probably already have hoof trimmers.  I'm not sure if you'll want to eartag the lambs, but it helps immensely especially if you have 2 similar looking ones of the same sex.  It is pretty easy to learn to tell apart lambs if you only have a few though.  

I would definitely get a lamb puller/snare (makes it easier to pull, though you certainly can do just with your hands).  I like this rubber kind  because you can disinfect it and it's nice and soft.  

I'd go head and get a tubing kit , just in case you do need to tube a lamb.  (in this link you'd need to buy the syringe  separately)

Definitely have some 7% iodine for dipping navels (and some people dip hooves as well).  You'll need something to dock and/or castate if you plan on doing that.  

Some things you can do without, but may be easier to get "just in case" like propylene glycol.  

Oh, and get a good OB lube too.  And perhaps some betadine/povidone iodine solution in case you need to scrub up the ewe or yourself to go in and investigate.

So really most of this stuff is "just in case" except for the iodine, which you really should do.


----------

