We had the same questions ourselves when we were putting together our first lambing kit. So as we were doing some (really late) cleanup from lambing season, we thought we’d make a post. Here are the things that we use, and have on hand in case of emergencies.
Our Lambing Kit Items
Our lambing kit stays in the black tote 24/7. I think it’s a tool caddy as it’s made by Stanley. We leave it at the house since the barn is unheated, and we grab it almost every time we head out the door to check on our sheep during lambing season. We also bring it when we’re going out to release the new families back to pasture. Don’t mind the dirt and grime on all of it, it was a hardworking kit this year. Everyone does things differently. We will never claim that the things that we like to use are the best, or that we are experts because that’s certainly not the case. This is simply to show what works for us currently. Every lambing season when we learn something new, we add something else to the kit. So here’s a look at what we have in our kit and medications and why it’s in there. If you’re looking for the list of medications we like to have, you can find that here.
Items In Our Lambing Kit
*TOWEL (usually 2): Great for helping to dry off a newborn lamb if needed or for drying your own hands.
*BULB SYRINGE: For helping to clear the airway of a lamb if mom didn’t clean it up fast enough.
*SHEEP MARKING SPRAY:This comes in handy when we have twins or triplets born of the same sex that look alike. We use this to make a mark or number on them so that we know who is who when we weigh them until they get their ear tags. This helps us be accurate in our recordkeeping.
*CHLORHEXIDINE SOAP (or HIBICLENS): This is actually more for us then the sheep. It’s not a necessity for this kit but is defiently something we like to have. We often use it to wash our hands after handling wet newborns without gloves. It’s also nice for those emergency assists without gloves. It’s a great antiseptic to keep on hand for cleaning wounds on sheep as well.
*RECTAL THERMOMETER: For taking temperature. We usually don’t have to use this during lambing but it’s a must have. It’s in our kit in case we have a lamb who seems weak, just in case.
*EAR TAGGER AND EAR TAGS: seemsWe jug our ewes after they deliver but don’t tag them until 1 to 3 days later when the family is being turned back out on pasture.
*GENTLE IODINE 1% SPRAY (NOT PICTURED): We use it to spray on ears at tagging time. It’s a no-sting formula and more gentle for the lambs than other iodines.
*TRIODINE 7 and GLASS JAR WITH LID: This is for dipping navels. This is a stronger iodine more likely to prevent navel infections. We fill the jar about halfway with iodine and place it over the lamb’s navel up against the belly to make a seal. Then give the lamb a quick tip back to totally coat the cord.
*SURGICAL SCISSORS: For cutting the lamb’s umbilical cord.
*DENTAL FLOSS: We’ve only had to use it once to tie off an umbilical cord that was filling with fluid.
*LAMB SLING: For holding the lamb while being weighed. A fabric shopping bag works well too.
*SCALE: We weigh our lambs at birth and when they leave their jugs. If we have a lamb who isn’t as active as normal, we weigh daily to make sure that they’re eating properly.
*STETHOSCOPE: Sadly we’ve only used this to verify the lack of heartbeat in lambs.
*LUBRICATION JELLY and GLOVES: In case we need to assist a ewe in delivering a stuck or mispositioned lamb.
*NUTRIDRENCH: A vitamin and energy boost, we give 2 squirts to any lamb who seems to need an extra boost.
*BANDER and RINGS: These honestly don’t even need to be here. We planned to band one this year so we had a wether, but didn’t get around to it in time. After we band one next year, these will be removed from our kit. CATRON IV SPRAY (not pictured) was in there also to use when banding, but somehow got set to the side for the picture.
*HOOF TRIMMERS (NOT PICTURED): Before turning the ewes and her lambs back to pasture, we check the mom’s hooves and trim if needed. We find it to be an easy time for a quick check as they’re already contained.
Other Items not Carried Everywhere
***We also have other lambing items on hand in case of emergencies, but they are not added to our kit. If these items are needed, we make a run back to get them.
*COLOSTURM REPLACER, BOTTLE & STOMACH FEEDING TUBE WITH SYRINGE: This isn’t our usual brand of replacer but we’re not too picky as long as it’s replacer and not supplement. We usually have frozen cow colostrum on hand to use as well.
*PROLASE HARNESS AND SPOON: Never had to use them thankfully, but it’s a peace of mind knowing that we have them if necessary.
Do I Really Need All Of That For A Lambing Kit?
You absolutely don’t need all of these items for a lambing kit. We have built this kit up over a few years to include the items that make us feel at more at ease to have on hand. We hope to never have to use many of the items, but it makes us feel better to know that we have them ready just in case. This is just to give you an idea of what someone else uses, so that you have that much more knowledge to build your own.
We really hope this helps new, or soon to be, shepherds out! If you don’t see your favorite item in our kit, feel free to let us know what it is! We’re always growing our kit. Let us know in the comments if there are other topics that we could write about to help further, and as always, please feel free to message us with questions anytime!
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