# I got my first sheep! I think one ewe is about to lamb!!!  help!



## boykin2010 (Jan 22, 2011)

I got my first sheep today.  I got 5 ewes they are mostly katahdin and i think that a couple may have a little st croix or barbados in them. They guy i got them from said i may need to watch one of the ewes because he noticed her seperating herself from the others in the pasture.  This will be her first lambing.  He is almost sure that 4 of the 5 is bred. The 5th one is only 9 months old and i have her mother. 

So i guess what i am asking is how am i going to know when this lamb is about to come? The ewe doesnt even have a big udder yet but i do notice her seperating from the others but eventually she rejoins them. 
I told the guy it may be a while because her utter isnt very big but he said that isnt a very good way to tell. He just had 2 ewes he didnt even know were pregnant have lambs last night. Both of them didnt have big udders they were about the same size as normal. 

I looked at her vulva but i dont know what i am looking for.  All the ewes vulvas look fleshy and somewhat swollen. I am a newbie and like i said i just got these sheep today but i want to be prepared when the baby comes especially if there is any complications. 

Thanks in advance!


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## Beekissed (Jan 22, 2011)

I tried penning my preggers gal separately before she had the lamb and she went bonkers, even though she could see the others through the fence.  She didn't like being separated from the flock and I was afraid the anxiety would affect her birthing, so I let her back out with the flock.

My dogs came and got me when she started her labor and I was able to pen her then with no problem, she was too involved in her labor to care about separation from the flock then.  If the dogs hadn't come and got me, she would have done just fine out on pasture.

The farmer where I bought my Kats just lets them lamb and then puts the pair into lambing jugs.  He says it's much to difficult to judge by outward appearances how soon a ewe will lamb...they all look differently.  Some bag out, some don't, some look swollen, some don't, etc.


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## boykin2010 (Jan 23, 2011)

ok thank you for the reply. I actually dont have a lambing jug i just have barn they can go in whenever they want.  I looked at her this morning and her utters still looked normal.


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## aggieterpkatie (Jan 23, 2011)

Yep, all ewes can look different before lambing. Just keep looking at her udder and vulva every day, so you can tell if there is a change.  Looks for sunken sides prior to lambing, as the lambs move into position.  Look for her nesting (pawing at the ground), separating herself, not eating, etc.


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## boykin2010 (Jan 23, 2011)

Ok i looked at her udder again. It is slightly bigger than the other ewe her same size.  Her vulva may be a little bit redder and swollen but not much to make a difference.  She is seperating herself from the flock for a minute or two but then she rejoins.  I havent seen her pawing at the ground but i have noticed her not eating as much as the other ewes. I brought them some supplemental feed in a bucket which they will just about kill each other over trying to stick their whole head in the bucket. They LOVE that stuff.  Anyway, she didnt seem very interested in it but she seemed more interested in hay and the mineral lick.


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## theawesomefowl (Jan 23, 2011)

Yay you got your sheepies!  
How are they doing with the jennet? Hope the lambings goes  not


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## boykin2010 (Jan 23, 2011)

The jenny is very sweet and she desperately wants to be friends with the ewes. The ewes try to avoid her and whenever she gets to close they walk off. 

I put some supplemental feed in a bucket and set it down for the ewes to eat and they all rushed over and fought over the food except for the ewe i think is about to lamb...  She just stood there a distance away and was not interested in eating at all.  I came out once and she was laying down and walked to her and she got up but i noticed her grunting.  I also have noticed her laying down a lot more than the other ewes. 

Does the grunting mean anything?


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## boykin2010 (Jan 23, 2011)

anybody?


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## elevan (Jan 23, 2011)

giving this post a bump closer to the top...


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## aggieterpkatie (Jan 23, 2011)

The grunting probably doesn't mean anything other than she has a big belly and she's having a hard time getting comfy.  Usually you'll hear them kinda moan when they exhale.  Poor preggos.  

Although if she normally comes over to eat and didn't, it could mean she's close.  It's really hard to guess over the net.


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## boykin2010 (Jan 23, 2011)

Well see the problem is i dont know what is normal is for her because i just got her yesterday.  I do know what the other ewes wouldnt miss a chance to get to that feed but she just stood aside.  I have noticed also that she eats more hay than the others. 

I am a newbie who is extremely worried about his sheep!  I want to do what is best for them and i have a feeling that if i know when the lamb will be born it will give me peace of mind.  This ewe is a first time mom ( i dont know if i already mentioned that ) She isnt fat compared to moms i have seen that had quads.  She barely has a large tummy.

Maybe i could post pics of her.


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## aggieterpkatie (Jan 23, 2011)

Sure, you can post pics and that might help us guess when she's going to go.  Or you could just check on her every couple hours.


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## boykin2010 (Jan 23, 2011)

This is her. She isnt very big. i will post a pic of her udder below.








This is her udder. It is a very very bad pic she wouldnt hold still. The blurry thing is her leg moving.  You can barely make out her udder.  It isnt huge either.


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## boykin2010 (Jan 23, 2011)

can anybody tell anything by the pictures?


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## aggieterpkatie (Jan 24, 2011)

boykin2010 said:
			
		

> can anybody tell anything by the pictures?


:/  Not really. Her tail is covering her vulva in the first pic, and the second pic is pretty blurry.  Can you have someone hold her? Her stomach isn't very big, but that doesn't mean she's not hiding a lamb pretty well, especially if she's a first timer.  

If she were mine, I would just check her a few times a day and keep looking for any differences in her vulva, udder, and sides.  Don't panic, odds are if she does lamb everything will be fine.


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## boykin2010 (Jan 24, 2011)

ok well thank you!  i will keep yall updated whenever something else happens


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## theawesomefowl (Jan 24, 2011)

How is she doing? Can I see some photos of your sheep(s)?


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## abooth (Jan 24, 2011)

Do you think she might be sick?  Going off her feed and separating herself from the flock could mean something besides lambing.


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## boykin2010 (Jan 24, 2011)

I thought that she may have had worms but i looked at her eyes and they were white with like mucus. They looked normal. I also looked at her poop and there was no worms in it either.  So idk what is wrong.  
And yes theawesomefowl i will post a pic


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## boykin2010 (Jan 24, 2011)

ok so here is the pic of my 5 ewes.

the 2 year old katahdin is cut out of the pic. 
the one with the spot on her back is her 10 month old daughter. The one closest to the front is the one i have been talking about this whole time.


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## theawesomefowl (Jan 24, 2011)

Oh they are so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## boykin2010 (Jan 25, 2011)

Thank you.  I can feed most of them out of my hand and sometimes i can pet them when they are eating. They are still getting used to being here.


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