What are two benefits of crutching ewes?
Advantages:
- It is easier to spot ewes that are close to lambing and those with udder problems.
- It is more sanitary and makes nursing easier for lambs.
- The barn (shed) is drier and less bedding is required.
- More ewes can be accommodated in a limited space.
- Fleeces contain less dirt and feces.
Why is crutching done?
Crutching is shearing the wool from the rear end of a sheep – between the legs and around the tail. The purpose is to remove ‘dags’, which are clumps of wool stained with faeces and urine.
What does flushing ewes mean?
Flushing – is it good practice? Although flushing by feeding a high plane of nutrition just before mating was traditionally applied to all sheep, it is actually only a short-term fix when ewes fail to reach their target body condition for mating, explains Dr Genever.
What is the difference between Dagging and crutching?
Crutching – refers to removing wool from the belly, legs and crutch of the sheep by either half belly, full belly, or full crutch, and may include eye wigging. Dagging – refers to removing of stained and faeces embedded wool on the tail and the hind legs.
What is involved in crutching sheep?
Generally, whole flocks are treated together. A mechanical shearing handpiece is used, and the graziers sit the sheep between their legs and shear the required portion of the sheep, leaving the main fleece to continue growing.
Can you crutch wet sheep?
Sheep must be dry to be sheared! Sheep with wet wool should not be sheared! This includes dew, or in some cases frost.
When should I start flushing my ewes?
All ewes should be brought together for flushing three weeks before mating, but remember for prolific breeds (such as Aberdales and Lleyns) it is best to hold condition at about 3.0 and not to flush or you will get too many triplets and quads.
When should ewes be flushed?
Flushing done correctly means ensuring the ewe is well fed for at least three weeks pre-mating. Ideally, Kenyon says, if farmers are going to flush the low BCS ewes, this needs to be done four-six weeks before mating. Using supplements to flush ewes is possible but can be expensive.
Is crutching a word?
Present participle of crutch.
How often do sheep need crutching?
If shearing in autumn then all sheep should be crutched in late winter, a couple of weeks before lambing is due. A pre-lambing crutching coincides with removing wool from around the udder to reduce the risk of udder strike and makes suckling easier.