About this episode

Mark Ritchie discusses pasture lambing practices and survival factors at Footflats Farm.

Amherst Island producer, Mark Ritchie talks about Footflats Farm, why he chose pasture lambing and some of the biggest factors influencing survival in their pasture-based lambing system. Mark discusses pre-lambing management, maintaining healthy body condition of the ewes and strategies used to navigate cold, wet and windy weather during lambing. Mark also shares some of the more common causes of lamb loss within the first 48 hours of lambing and how he addresses these issues plus much more! For more information on Footflats Farm, visit their website: https://www.footflats.ca For more OSF content, follow us on Social Media Instagram & Facebook: @OntarioSheepFarmers X : @OntarioSheep and Visit our Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ontariosheep.org⁠⁠⁠⁠

People in this episode

Guest: Mark Ritchie

Topics covered

• pasture lambing
• lamb survival
• pre-lambing management
• ewes health
• weather strategies
• lamb loss causes

Keywords

• pasture lambing
• lamb survival
• ewes health
• cold weather strategies
• lamb loss

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Footflats Farm, Ontario Sheep Farmers, Ontariosheep.org

Places: Amherst Island

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• Managing Issues of Pregnant & Lambing Ewes with Emily Zur Linden · March 4, 2026 · 35 min

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