Need:

  • Deciding on feeding groups/Link between the state of the animals & feeding
  • Distribution/Management of concentrate allocation during lambing
  • Lambing records/ewe performance
  • Scanning and dividing ewe groups for appropriate nutrition

Aim:

Determine pregnancy and litter size in ewes, to facilitate nutrition planning.

Description:

Ewes can be scanned to diagnose pregnancy and expected litter size. This facilitates nutrition planning pre-lambing. Expected lambing date can also be predicted.

How to implement:

A trained operator uses an ultrasound scanner and specially designed crate to quickly identify pregnancy and/or expected litter size. Ewes are marked to record litter size and EID recording may be used.

Expected benefits:

  • Quick, stress free and undertaken with sheep in standing position in a designated crate.
  • Identifies barren ewes that can be culled or sold.
  • To facilitate nutrition planning in late pregnancy ewes can be grouped according to expected litter size to avoid under or over feeding.

Prerequisites and/or limits:

  • Ewes should be restricted from feed for about 10 hours in advance of scanning
  • Availability of trained operator with equipment
  • Facilities to group ewes according to expected litter size pre-lambing

Cost / Benefit Analysis

Social, environmental and welfare assessments: –

Country:

Ireland

Production system (Dairy or/and meat sheep/goat):

Dairy and meat sheep

Category of Animal (ewe, goat, replacement, lamb, kid):

Ewe, replacement

Source of information:

 

Attachment/links:

ADOPTION PREDICTION:

What is the expected uptake of this technology and when might peak uptake happen?

Dairy Goats Dairy Sheep Meat Sheep
Tjotta_meat_sheep_Norwegian_digifarm
NIBIO Tjøtta – Digifarm Norway
UNISS, Universty of Sassari Department of Agriculture
Le CHIIRPO - Sm@RT Platform
CIIRPO Le Mourier – Digifarm France
Estonia Innovative Farm: Murese OÜ
Estonia Innovative Farm: Wasala OÜ
Estonia Innovative Farm: Rehekivi OÜ
Norway Innovative Farm: Elgvasslien, Folldal