A Denbighshire sheep farm has halved its incidence of prolapse at lambing by tackling known risk factors in pregnant ewes.

Prolapse had been one of the biggest challenges in the closed flock of 350 pedigree Lleyns and Suffolk cross Lleyns run by Hugh Jones and his mother, Glenys, at Pentre Farm, Pentrecelyn – in 2020, there were 32 cases.

Through their work as a Farming Connect Demonstration Site, they had been working with veterinary consultant, Fiona Lovatt, to reduce that number.

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Their efforts have paid off. During the 2022 lambing season, cases had reduced to 14 and work is continuing to cut that number further.

At a recent open day at Pentre Farm, Dr Lovatt said there were a number of factors that put ewes at risk of prolapse – including being over-conditioned in early pregnancy, genetics and short tail-docking, which weakens ligaments.

Running pregnant ewes on steep ground can also put them at risk, as can the wrong balance of minerals in the diet in late pregnancy. “No single thing is responsible, which is why we have been through everything with a fine-tooth comb," said Dr Lovatt, of Flock Health.

“Prolapse is very flock-specific and twin- and triplet-bearing ewes are at the biggest risk, because they are carrying a heavy load of lambs."

Ewe body condition score and weights in the flock were monitored and analysed at weaning, pre-tupping, scanning, during vaccination (at the end of February), and at lambing. Also, genetics can be a factor, with some ewe families more likely to prolapse than others, they found.