Tag Archives: babies

What happens when most of your ewes get bred in one week?

Care,

Pandemonium. This year I tracked every time Mr. Seven marked the ewes on my Excel spreadsheet.  The idea is to put paint on his chest, and it leaves a mark on the ewe’s rump when they get busy.  The shepherd notes the date and waits for the lamb to arrive 150 days later. I was told that once a ram has bred all the ewes, he sits around acting bored because the ewes won’t let him near them. So I was very disappointed when I saw him mark them once, twice, three times. I resolved to accept whatever I got because it was too late to change rams. Then I noticed ewes bagging up much too early to have late-March or April due dates. I started backing up delivery dates to previous markings. Then last week, the babies started coming. And […]

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It’s 2010 and Lambing Time Again!

Articles,

… and we are getting pretty jittery around here.  It’s that time when I spend an inordinate amount of time sharing at the ewe’s rear ends, as if they were crystal balls or something: “When are you going to deliver? Will there be twins?” Of course I have some idea of their due dates, because we used marking paint. But, we had a very rainy fall and I think there are a couple of cases where I thought ewes were re-marked and perhaps they weren’t, because the girls look way too big to be due that late.  We also ultrasounded, but apparently we did it too early because several of the ewes that were said to not be pregnant are bagging up now. Knowing the due date is important because we vaccinate momma 3 weeks before delivery (5 weeks and […]

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Fun with Bottle Babies

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In 2009 we had a bottle baby, Eve.  We were fortunate in that she was never weak – we got her from a breeder at 2 hours old because she was the smallest triplet. She had a nice long drink from mom, and colostrum from our freezer. She grew into a nice, healthy lamb. We had some scouring with the powdered lamb milk replacer (by the way – always use LAMB milk replacer, not “universal” or calf formulas). I was advised by experienced shepherds to try the following homemade formula: 1 gallon whole cow’s milk from the grocery store, 1 cup whole buttermilk (if you can get it – but at least 1% if you can’t), 1 can evaporated (not condensed) milk. Not only is it much less expensive, we have had about 8 oz. gain per day which is […]

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Taking Home Your New Lamb

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Sheep are flock animals, and separation from the flock is one of the most stressful things imaginable for a sheep. Anything you can do to make the move less stressful for him will keep your lamb healthier. Here are some tips based on my experience, the experiences of others, and research papers I have read. Transportation: If you don’t have a sheep/goat carrier, most young Southdown lambs will fit in a large dog kennel (i.e., Lab/German Shepherd size). I suggest using bungee or rubber cords to reinforce it, because lambs can bash their way out of things (including cable ties, so don’t rely on those unless you use a lot of them). If the weather is warm, add shade but don’t cut off air circulation. Tie a tarp or sheet down well because flapping objects make sheep nervous. Feed: Ask […]

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