# Ewe lost lambs - milking questions



## Faith Hope (May 6, 2013)

I have 3 Icelandic ewes.  Two of them had lambs last week just fine.  The third girl's babies were born dead   I plan to milk her, but I am not sure how long to wait before it is edible.  How long is it considered "colostrum."  I would like to try drinking it as well as making cheese.  I have heard to wait 2 weeks with goats; is that true for sheep as well?


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## SheepGirl (May 6, 2013)

If she lambed last week and you haven't milked her yet, she might be dried up......


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## Four Winds Ranch (May 6, 2013)

Ya have to milk out all the colostrum out! For myself, I would think it would probably be fine after the 3rd day. Lol, I didn't notice anything different after 3 days anyway! Not sure what the rule is.


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## Faith Hope (May 6, 2013)

Her babies were born early this morning.  We have tried to milk a bit already, but she still has a placenta partially passed that we are waiting on.  We will start milking her right away.  I just didn't know when I could start using it.  Is it the taste that is different/bad?  Is that why people don't drink it?  It won't make us sick or anything, right?


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## bcnewe2 (May 7, 2013)

I'd go ahead and milk her now. You will only get colostrum but you will also help expel the afterbirth.  Nursing helps with contractions.  You will see a change in color and texture when you get to the milk. I agree within 3 days you should have milk. But you do need to be milking or she will not produce anything.

Sorry about your losses and congrats on the twins


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## Four Winds Ranch (May 7, 2013)

Colostrum is very yellow and thick! Were milk looks like milk! It wont hurt you at all ( make you sick or any thing), but it has a kind of saltyish taste. Lol, some people actually really like it!! Growing up we had a neighbor who used to collect it, freeze it, and use it on his porriage every morning!!!


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## CritterZone (May 7, 2013)

And save the colostrum!  Freeze it because you never know when you might need it (if you freeze in in ice cube trays you can thaw out small amounts at a time).  Hopefully you will never need it, but better to have it than want it.  We had a ewe who didn't come into milk until her lambs were about 24 hours old (even though she had a well developed udder).  We were lucky that a neighbor had colostrum saved from one of her ewes.


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## bonbean01 (May 7, 2013)

X 2 !!!!


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## Faith Hope (May 8, 2013)

Thanks guys for all the advise.  This morning when we woke up (48 hours after delivery) she still had a lot of yucky hanging out of her.  I called a vet that had been recommended to me, and he advised me over the phone as to what to do -- amazingly he didn't even charge me!  We were able to remove the placenta following his advice.  I  think we got it all.  We are watching her closely, though, to make sure every thing is okay.


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