As lambing season approaches, every farmer’s goal is to maximise lamb survival, minimise complications, and ensure healthy lambs from the start. At Huntington Farm, Dougie Runciman and his sons, Ewan and Angus, have developed a successful sheep rearing system that combines effective nutritional management, practical lambing techniques, and sound pasture management.

Central to their success is a balanced approach that integrates getting the most out of silage and targeted supplementation, ensuring consistent results year after year.

Lambing at Huntington Farm

Located in Lauder, in the Scottish Borders, Huntington Farm runs a commercial flock of over 2,000 Texel-cross and Suffolk-cross breeding ewes, along with a 200-head suckler herd and an arable contracting business.

The farm splits lambing into two batches. With 2,100 ewes tupped in October, the first 1,500 are lambed over 21 days in March. The second batch of 500–550 ewes, along with 200 ewe hoggs, lamb in April, following a 10-day break.

While the family traditionally lambs indoors, they are increasingly considering outdoor lambing to accommodate the ewes’ different needs.

Dougie says: “Ewan lambs around 150 outside himself during that second lambing.

“Going forward, he thinks getting help is going to become harder, so he’s starting to look at different breeds to try and lamb outside.”

The farm uses a combination of home-bred and bought-in replacements, including the addition of Cheviot mules, which perform well in their system.

“We’re transitioning away from Suffolks to Cheviot mules. They seem to thrive in our system. The older ewes are still Suffolk and Texel crosses, but the younger flock coming through are mainly Cheviot mules,” he explains.

Huntington Farm will host the International Sheep Dog Society’s 2026 World Sheepdog Trials this September, a four-day event sponsored by Scotmin Nutrition, featuring 240 dogs and attracting competitors and spectators from 34 countries.

With its layout and sheep numbers, Huntington Farm is a natural fit for the competition, For Dougie, it’s a proud moment to showcase the farm’s heritage and that of the Scottish Borders, all while ensuring the farm continues to run smoothly during the world-class event.

Until then, however, lambing season is keeping the Runcimans busy.

Nutritional management

A key element of a successful lambing season on the farm starts well before the ewes are brought inside. The farm’s nutrition strategy focuses on ensuring ewes are in the correct condition pre-lambing, which is crucial to lamb vigour and survival.

The farm spans three sites, each with different soil types and grazing conditions, providing flexibility in pasture management.  The ewes run with lambs at foot on clover/grass mixes until weaning and this adaptability supports their goal of maximising milk production and lamb growth.

“We move sheep around to where grass is growing best,” Dougie says.

“Addinston, which is contract-farmed with the McKerrow family, is a dry farm, while Upper Balinslie is wetter, which suited us during the dry year we’ve just had.”

Supporting lambing success

When it comes to lambing preparation, targeted supplementation is a crucial part of the Runciman’s’ supplementation strategy.

Introduced one month pre-lambing, Megastart Ewe and Lamb has proven to improve lamb vigour, colostrum quality, and overall lamb health.

“We use Pro Plus Complete two-three months pre-lambing, before moving onto the Megastart buckets one month pre-lambing,” explains Dougie.

“This has helped with lamb vigour and increased colostrum quality. Lamb health has improved and reduced the need for vet meds because of the colostrum quality.”

This nutritional approach also reduces the need for powdered colostrum, a critical cost-saving factor for Dougie, who says he needs approximately 85% less than before introducing Megastart.

The buckets have helped ensure that all lambs receive the necessary antibodies through the ewes’ colostrum.

Dougie explains: “Ewes’ colostrum is far superior to powdered colostrum and ensures all lambs receive antibodies, including Heptivac P, which is given to the ewes a month pre-lambing. Getting them up on their feet with the colostrum in them quicker also means they’re in the shed for shorter periods, which helps keep it cleaner”

“We used to buy three tubs of powdered colostrum, but now we don’t even buy half a tub.”

The role of minerals

In addition to supplement buckets, the Runcimans pay close attention to their silage production, regularly testing its nutritional value, protein, energy and mineral content.

By working with Scotmin Nutrition, they adjust mineral packages based on the test results to optimise ewe and lamb health during this crucial period.

Alan Richmond, Technical Manager at Scotmin explains: “You can only balance a diet if you know what you’re working with. At this time of year, farmers should be looking to match available forage to a planned nutritional approach to maximise returns.

“Mineral or trace element deficiencies often manifest around lambing. Energy intake, is especially important to monitor – which usually means introducing concentrates gradually to increase energy density.

“A balanced mineral supplement is essential for colostrum production, with Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS), adequate Vitamin E, by-pass protein, and selenium to ensure good immune function.”

By aligning their supplementation with proper silage analysis and grazing strategies, the Runcimans ensure their ewes are in top condition pre-lambing, resulting in strong, healthy lambs and reduced metabolic issues like twin lamb disease.

“We creep feed around 800-1,000 lambs throughout April, May and June and start selling them from eight weeks old, right through summer,” says Dougie.

“When the silage, minerals, and grazing are right, we don’t face many problems. If we keep the ewes in the right condition, it works.”

The benefits of Megastart Ewe & Lamb

• Megastart Ewe & Lamb is designed to maintain ewe condition and provide the nutritional foundations to produce healthy and lively offspring. It is a high intake, free access feed tub packed with essential energy, rumen bypass protein, and minerals needed during the 4–6 weeks prior to lambing.
• Boosts Colostrum Quality: The inclusion of Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) in the supplement helps improve colostrum quality, ensuring lambs receive necessary antibodies for a strong start in life.
• Tailored Nutrition for Optimal Results: When used with targeted concentrates and forage management, Megastart Ewe & Lamb provides a balanced nutrient profile to support ewe health and lamb vigour. It reduces reliance on powdered colostrum, with key ingredients like Vitamin E to enhance lamb vigour, Vitamin B1 to reduce CCN, and lactose for a readily available carbohydrate source.

To find out more about how supplementing with Megastart could improve your lambing success, visit the Megastart Ewe and Lamb product page