# breeding age



## manybirds (Sep 28, 2011)

so i know alot of people breed so they lamb at 1- 1 1/2 years but i was talking to an old breeder and she said she breeds them so they lamb at age 2. when asked why she said something (this was a little while ago can't remember it very well) like because next time you breed them they will take easier. what age do u breed at? give age and why please.


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 28, 2011)

I breed them as yearlings so they lamb as 2 year olds.  I have a very small flock, so I want to make sure they have an easy time lambing.  I don't want the risk of breeding as lambs and then having lambing troubles.  Plus, I don't want to take a chance that the ewe will have stunted growth because of lambing early, and I don't need the monetary gain from lambing early like a commercial operation would.


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## manybirds (Sep 28, 2011)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> I breed them as yearlings so they lamb as 2 year olds.  I have a very small flock, so I want to make sure they have an easy time lambing.  I don't want the risk of breeding as lambs and then having lambing troubles.  Plus, I don't want to take a chance that the ewe will have stunted growth because of lambing early, and I don't need the monetary gain from lambing early like a commercial operation would.


sounds good. though i really really want fuzzy little lambs ASAP i don't want to do anything bad for my ewe. what breeds do you have?


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 28, 2011)

I currently have Southdowns and Romney/Southdown crosses. I've raised Southdowns, Romneys, Hampshires, Suffolks in the past.  

Edited to add:  I've not owned, but worked with Montadales, Katahdins, and Horned Dorsets.


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## manybirds (Sep 28, 2011)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> I currently have Southdowns and Romney/Southdown crosses. I've raised Southdowns, Romneys, Hampshires, Suffolks in the past.
> 
> Edited to add:  I've not owned, but worked with Montadales, Katahdins, and Horned Dorsets.


southdowns r SSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute! (she said professionaly  )


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 28, 2011)

manybirds said:
			
		

> aggieterpkatie said:
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Yes they are...I have the "real" Southdowns, though, not the Babydoll.    I still think they're cute though.


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## SheepGirl (Sep 29, 2011)

We breed so they lamb as yearlings. It's not really a matter of age as it is weight: as long as they are 2/3 to 3/4 of their adult weight you can breed them and not expect a problem.


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## manybirds (Sep 29, 2011)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> We breed so they lamb as yearlings. It's not really a matter of age as it is weight: as long as they are 2/3 to 3/4 of their adult weight you can breed them and not expect a problem.


darn. i guess this is one of those 'personal preferace' things, where u can't get one straight answer. guess i knew that though


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## boykin2010 (Sep 30, 2011)

WEll, it depends on breed i think. Katahdins are better lambers at a younger age. Some slower maturing breeds may take longer though


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 30, 2011)

boykin2010 said:
			
		

> WEll, it depends on breed i think. Katahdins are better lambers at a younger age. Some slower maturing breeds may take longer though


Yes, I would agree.  Hamps are known to be big-headed lambs and my hamp breeder friend says he never breeds ewe lambs because of issues like that.


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## manybirds (Sep 30, 2011)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> boykin2010 said:
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ok hamps r bigger so i'll breed her for 2. thanks!


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## jenn (Oct 11, 2011)

We are breeding suffolk and texel crosses and we usually wait till their about 100 lbs. Our ewe lambs have been doing just fine and definatley are not stunted. Once again it depends on your breed. Just thought I'd throw that one out there.


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## manybirds (Oct 13, 2011)

jenn said:
			
		

> We are breeding suffolk and texel crosses and we usually wait till their about 100 lbs. Our ewe lambs have been doing just fine and definatley are not stunted. Once again it depends on your breed. Just thought I'd throw that one out there.


i think she's 150 at 5 months old..... they where raising her up for meat though so she was a little eeererrrrrrrr fat.........


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## aggieterpkatie (Oct 13, 2011)

I've been giving this some thought.  One of my ewe lambs may be big enough, so I'm debating breeding her.


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## jenn (Oct 15, 2011)

150 lbs at 5 month..  Sounds like there were going to have a great dinner...  My daughter took one to fair at 6 month old and he was 141 lbs and was born the end of January and his sister stayed here and is being bred for more "fair" lambs. So I would do it at that size. Our "fair" ladies are a mixture of ewe lambs that were born January/February and also mature ewe's. By the time they lamb they are a year old. We have had great success so far.


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## dwbonfire (Oct 25, 2011)

not to highjack, but more to keep the thread going and informative!

i have a jacob ewe lamb born in april, shes still pretty small. im very new to jacobs so im not sure what a mature ewes weight would be, and i cant judge how much she weighs right now. i was told not to breed her until next fall. i was hoping to breed her before that, but i wont if i shouldnt. this will be my first time breeding and lambing, though i have raised lambs a few times.

what should i feed her to help her gain weight and how much feed? the breeder told me to feed her real well so she will grow big enough for breeding. i dont want to over feed her though, and im not sure if theres some feed out there better than others.

also, when do most people breed thier jacobs, and how long do they take from breeding to lambing? is it preffered that lambs are born in a certain time-frame?(like calves are timed to be born in the fall)


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## manybirds (Oct 25, 2011)

dwbonfire said:
			
		

> not to highjack, but more to keep the thread going and informative!
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> i have a jacob ewe lamb born in april, shes still pretty small. im very new to jacobs so im not sure what a mature ewes weight would be, and i cant judge how much she weighs right now. i was told not to breed her until next fall. i was hoping to breed her before that, but i wont if i shouldnt. this will be my first time breeding and lambing, though i have raised lambs a few times.
> 
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most people (depending on your area) breed late fall mid winter ish. then they kid/lamb in the spring or summer. around here we have long winters so i breed mid winter. if you live farther south you can breed fall or if you live way down south breed whenever you want (if they're in heat at that time that is)


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