Lambing: 5 tips for you and your business
Lambing is one of the busiest and most demanding times of the year for farmers. Below, FUW Insurance Services Ltd highlights some key steps to help protect your flock and your farm during this important period.
- Ensure staff are covered
Bringing in extra hands is common during lambing, but don’t assume temporary or volunteer workers are automatically covered. Even if someone is short-term or unpaid, you’re legally required to have Employers’ Liability insurance in place. Making sure your staff are properly insured protects both you and those helping on your farm.
- Check your flock cover
Flock numbers can increase rapidly during lambing, and newly born lambs aren’t always included in standard policies. If your cover isn’t updated, you risk being underinsured – meaning a claim may not pay out in full. Make sure your insurance policy explicitly includes lambs to protect your income and avoid costly gaps.
- Prevent fire risks
Keeping lambs safe and warm is essential. Lamb-warming lamps are useful but must be positioned safely, well away from straw and hay. It’s also wise to have a qualified electrician inspect your shed’s wiring and issue an Electrical Inspection Certificate (EIC), valid for five years. Simple steps like these help prevent accidents and keep both your flock and your farm secure.
- Maintain good hygiene
Lambing can bring risks from zoonotic diseases such as Orf, Campylobacteriosis, Cryptosporidiosis, and Ringworm. Provide hand-washing facilities and enforce good hygiene practices. Pregnant women should avoid animals that are giving birth, have recently lambed, or have aborted. If you expect visitors, take extra care and check that your Public Liability Insurance covers them.
- Consider additional cover
Standard farm insurance may not cover theft or attacks on livestock by dogs. Adding this as an optional extra could save you significant worry if the unexpected happens.
Contact FUW Insurance Services today to make sure you have the right cover in place: 0344 800 3110.