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Lambs must be born on or after 1st of July, hand reared and cared fro by the child entering Ag Day.
Ideally the lamb should be chosen between 3 - 5 days after birth. This allows the lamb to have its mother’s colostrum, which gives protection against diseases and is high in both vitamins and minerals. On occasions, lambs have been rejected by its mother, are orphaned or are one of triplets (and one is removed from its mother), in these cases, the lamb may not have received colostrum. Colostrum can be purchased from a vet and can be kept frozen or a small bag of Jumpstart Colostrum powder from farm supplies.
Lambs need to be kept warm, with a clean dry bed to sleep in. New lambs sleep most of the time between feeds. You can put your lamb outside when it is warm and sunny, but otherwise keep it inside out of the cold wind and rain as it has no mother to snuggle up to, to keep warm. You may wish to use a cover when it is small, as it will grow better if it is not using energy to keep warm. Your lamb will see you as family, so spend lots of time playing with them. A healthy lamb should have a dry small navel, lively movements and clear bright eyes. There is no judging on breed or type of lambs.
Your lamb will need to have its tail docked (a rubber ring paced around the tail). This can be done from a week old, the sooner the better, before the tail gets too big.
If a ram lamb is chosen, he can be wethered with a rubber ring from 1 week old; otherwise he may become aggressive as he reaches maturity. Ensure both testicles are down before releasing the ring. Ram lambs are not permitted for Ag Day.
Take note of your lamb’s date of birth as it is required for the entry form.
Supplies and Gear required
2 X 10 kg bags of milk powder, per lamb.
2 X lamb teats (it pays to have a spare as they perish).
2 X bottles (a “V bottle” is ideal, glass is more hygienic than plastic)
Pellets or meal (from approx. 3-4 weeks).
Collar and lead.
Drench.
Vaccine.
Cover (optional)
Vaccination and Drenching
Your lamb must be vaccinated for you to bring it to Ag Day.
If the mother of your lamb was not vaccinated with a 5-in-1 one month prior to lambing, or if you do not know if she was vaccinated, the lamb should be vaccinated with a lamb vaccine or PK/Antitet from 1 week old. Your local Vets can make up an individual dose if you want to do it yourself.
If the lamb has come from a vaccinated mother and has had adequate colostrum in the first day of its life, it will have protection for about 3 months.
Your lamb should be vaccinated with a 5-in-1 vaccine at weaning (3 months) and then given a booster shot 1 month later and thereafter, once a year. This vaccine prevents Pulpy lambney disease, tetanus, black disease, malignant oedema and blackleg.
Drench at about 4-6 weeks old and again at 10 weeks. Vets recommend an oral drench for young animals.
Lice Control
Lice are a common problem. Lice treatments includes Permoxin and Cypercare and is available
from a vet clinic. If your lamb gets lice, you will need to isolate it from other livestock.
Feeding
Lamb milk powders will meet the needs of your lamb. Lamb teats that can be screwed onto a bottle or lamb feeding bottles are available from vets and farming outlet stores.
You can source your milk powder and equipment from Maungatapere Transport, Farmland or Farm Source.
Mixing and feeding instructions are clearly written on the bag. Avoid sudden changes in the type (brand), quantity or temperature of milk or milk powder. For best results, feed your lamb milk until Ag Day.
When feeding your lamb in the first 5 days, watch that its tummy doesn’t get overly distended. As a guide, feed 20% of bodyweight daily, split into 5 small feeds. E.g. a 3 kg lamb needs 600 mls per day fed at 120 mls per feed. Thoroughly clean bottles and teats after each feed.
Once old enough you can supplement the milk with a lamb or multi-feed pellet and keep moving your lamb so that it has access to fresh grass every day.
Amounts to Feed
This is a guide only - please check the bag of milk powder for mixing instructions and feeding amounts.
Age Lambs Frequency
1-2 days 100ml 6 x per day
3-7 days 250ml 4 x per day
1-3 weeks 300ml 3 x per day
3-6 weeks 500ml 2-3 x per day
>6 weeks 1000ml 1-2 x per day
Important Notice – Poisonous plants
Important Notes - Poisonous Plants
Lambs have a love of garden plants; however they are unable to determine which are Poisonous.
Some examples of poisonous plants include:
Buxus (box hedging), many plants in the Forget-me-not family, Bracken/rarauhe, erica or rhododendron, camellia, daphne, azalea, daffodil, delphiniums, snowflake, snowdrops, hyacinths, hemlock, cress, red maple, oak, oleander, arum lily, ivy, five finger, swan plant, heathers, lilies, poppies, clematis, cyclamen, poinsettia, titoki, fox-gloves, snapdragons and rhubarb leaves.
Housing Requirements
Lambs need to be kept warm, with a clean dry bed to sleep in.
You can put your lamb outside when it is warm and sunny, but otherwise keep it inside out of the cold wind and rain as it has no mother to snuggle up to, to keep warm.
You may wish to use a cover when it is small, as it will grow better if it is not using energy to keep warm.
Daily Care
Regular feeding
Wash its face to remove any milk residue
Walk it on a lead and play with it
Practice calling your lamb before each feed
Points to Remember
Lambs should NOT be brushed and it is prohibited for Ag Day
NEVER use soap/shampoo as it will remove the natural oils from the lambs wool. If the lamb is very dirty you can wash excess dirt off with warm water.
Hooves should be clean and trimmed
Light dagging is permitted to tidy up around the lambs rear end but no trimming
Hair around the hooves should be clipped
Make sure the lambs face and ears are clean.
Judging
Generally ribbons are allocated in two age groups - Junior and Senior; then overall winner in the following categories.
Rearing - and condition of the lamb. This is judged on the lamb's size for its age, so you need to know its date of birth. The lamb is also judged for excellent health.
Leading - lambs need to walk through the course without dragging or pushing. Your lamb must walk beside you; stop when you stop and wait 5 seconds then start off again when you walk off.
Calling - the steward will hold your lamb while you walk a few metres away. Using your usual voice call the lamb - loudly and clearly. You must be able to hook its lead back on. It is best to only give the lamb half its milk on Ag Day morning, the lambs lead and call better. When you have finished, give the lamb the rest of its bottle.
Rearing
The judge wants to know how much you know about rearing your lamb. Think about the following points.
What age is it?
What breed is it
What have you done to keep it warm and safe?
What vaccinations has it had and why?
How often have you fed it?
What have you done to look after it?
Have you had any issues? How did you deal with this?
Calling
The steward will hold your lamb while you walk a few metres away. Using your usual voice call the lamb - loudly and clearly. You must be able to hook its lead back on. It is best to only give the lamb half its milk on Ag Day morning, the lambs lead and call better. When you have finished, give the lamb the rest of its bottle.
Watch an example of calling here: https://youtu.be/HfNY9_CuDh0
Leading
Newborn lambs have poor eyesight and will follow your voice - so talk to it often so it gets used to your voice. Call your lamb at feed times. They enjoy being patted and your company, after a while it will follow you everywhere. Before feeding put a collar on and lead your lamb, walking it on your right side with its shoulder by your leg.
The lead is held firmly in the right hand and passes across the front of your body and the excess is coiled in your left hand. Adjust your pace to suit your lamb, never drag or pull your lamb or allow dogs to chase it.
Be patient and only practice for a short time. Then give the bottle of milk as a reward - even if it didn’t lead well. Lambs learn quickly to walk alongside you and will start and stop when told.
Below is the course your lamb will do at ag day. Set one up in your backyard and practice.
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