Why regular weighing matters

Measuring and recording lamb and ewe weights is a practical way to monitor flock performance over time. Regular weighing provides reliable data that can help farmers make better decisions around treatments, nutrition, and breeding.

Rather than relying on visual assessment alone, accurate weight data gives a clearer picture of how animals are performing and where intervention may be needed.

1. Accurate treatments

Knowing the weight of a ewe or lamb is essential for giving the correct dose of wormer or other medication. Accurate dosing helps ensure treatments are effective while avoiding unnecessary waste.

• Helps prevent under-dosing or over-dosing
• Improves treatment accuracy
• Reduces medicine waste and unnecessary cost
• Helps reduce the risk of resistance developing

2. Better nutritional management

Weighing is also important for managing nutrition effectively. Lambs need the right balance of nutrients to support growth and development, while ewes need enough to maintain condition and produce milk.

By monitoring weights regularly, farmers can adjust feed rations to reflect changing needs and avoid both underfeeding and overfeeding.

• Track whether lambs are growing as expected
• Adjust feed levels based on live performance data
• Support ewe condition during key stages
• Reduce the risk of long-term performance setbacks

3. Performance and breeding evaluation

Weight data provides valuable insight into the performance of individual lambs and the flock as a whole. Tracking growth rates can help identify better-performing animals and support breeding decisions.

It can also help farmers compare different groups of lambs, assess the influence of sire lines, and evaluate how well flock management is working.

Weighing ewes at weaning can also give useful insight into ewe performance. As a guide, lambs should ideally weigh around half of the ewe’s body weight at weaning.

Automated Weight Insights by Herdwatch

Herdwatch’s Weight Insight feature makes it easier to monitor flock performance without the hassle of manual record keeping.

Track weights and Average Daily Gain

Herdwatch organises recorded weights by date and automatically calculates Average Daily Gain (ADG), helping farmers monitor performance over time.

Filter by specific groups

Weight Insights can be filtered by breed, age, or other animal groups, making it easier to tailor analysis to your own flock.

See key weight trends instantly

Herdwatch provides detailed data on maximum, minimum, and average weights, giving you a quick overview of how each batch of animals is performing.

Identify underperforming animals early

By highlighting the bottom 25% of animals based on live weight, Herdwatch helps farmers spot potential health or performance issues earlier and act sooner.

Use weight data to make better flock decisions

Regular weighing is one of the simplest ways to build a clearer picture of flock performance. By combining accurate weights with tools like Herdwatch, farmers can improve treatment decisions, fine-tune nutrition, and make more informed breeding choices.