Hot Water In Lambing Shed

Have you ever thought of installing hot water in the lambing shed as part of your pre-lambing preparations?

This can be installed using a simple hand wash unit which are wall mounted and relatively cheap. They are connected to a cold water supply and the mains electricity and provide instant hot water. They are often simple with only an on/off button and a temperature control. It has been estimated to purchase the unit and connect (with water close at hand and appropriate pipe work in place) in the region of £400.

Benefits

The benefits this can bring to the lambing shed include somewhere close to wash and disinfect hands, overalls and equipment/tools. Immediately accessible warm water in the event of vaginal or uterine prolapse or caesareans which require strict hygiene and disinfection. If the vet visits at any time during lambing, hot water is often the first thing that is asked for. Having the supply in the shed means the vets time is used more appropriately and there is no need to wait for a run to the house or a kettle to boil.

Warm water on demand at the temperature you require can be especially useful when warming/thawing colostrum. If colostrum is heated with extreme heat, it can denature the protein based immunoglobulins which can be detrimental to the quality of the colostrum. As a guide if the water is too hot for your hand then it is too hot for colostrum.

Kirsten Williams,  kirsten.williams@sac.co.uk.