# How Old is Too Old?



## Bridgemoof

I found out one of the Jacob ewes I got recently was born in 1999. Wow! She's pretty old. How old is too old to breed a ewe? She seems to be in good condition.  Will there be pregnancy problems if I try and breed her? Is there such a thing as sheep menopause?   ...and maybe she won't even come into heat anymore?

I'm clueless about older sheep.


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## bonbean01

Wow...that's quite an age and I have no idea how old is too old!  Our oldest ewe is turning 5 or 6 next month...too lazy to get out records, and I was worried about when it was too old for her.

There was a thread a little while ago about a wool breed that was 10 years old with quads and I thought that was pretty amazing.  From sheep sites, I've read that fertility can begin to decrease around 6 years old, but hoping that is not a hard fast thing...will be watching your thread for input!

Hmmm...sheep menopause?  Can you imagine hot flashes with a wool sheep?


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## Bridgemoof

omg Bon that's funny! Being one who experiences hot flashes from time to time, I can't imagine not being able to take that wool coat off! 

Apparently, it's the one we sheared already who is supposed to be the old one (the one in the vest). I don't think the lady who sent me her registration papers was right. This sheep does not look that old!


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## Shelly May

Longface....Magnificent old girl, Bridgemoof see if you can find this post, read the story its hart harming.


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## Bridgemoof

I read that post,, Shelly May a while back and it made me cry!  I can't remember how old she was, though?


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## secuono

My oldest is 8, now 9 and she had triplets. 
I read that as long as the ewe doesn't have delivery issues, has enough milk and doesn't loose body condition, then age doesn't matter.


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## RustyDHart

I had a 12 yr. old Scottish Blackface ewe who still had pretty good teeth and was in great condition produce a beautiful, healthy ewe lamb.   The breeder who helped me get started had ewes lambing older than that...closer to 15 yrs..  It depends on their condition and health.   I love the older (seasoned) moms.....they know the ropes.


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## marlowmanor

There is a way to check sheep age by teeth. Sheepgirl (I think) has posted before how to tell sheep age by teeth. If I find where she posted about it I'll post the link.


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## Four Winds Ranch

I think your ewe will be fine, an should get bred right along with the rest. They would probably have to be VERY old to not get bred! In my experience, ya get rid of the older girls because their lambs production starts dropping (instead of 2-3 lambs ya get 1, or the lambs are smaller), or they have an issue with being thin because of teeth( broken mouth or abcessess). It is easy to keep older girls without a problem if you have the time to make sure they are getting good feed! If you end up with a break out in your herd (pinkeye, orf, or any other disease) the older girls seem to get the worse of it and sometimes need special attention. They do make awesome mothers and because of their experince with people, they are USUALLY easy to handle!
I have a 13 year old Tunis ewe right now, she has triplets every year and raises them herself! She can't eat with the ewe herd or she looses too much weigh because of her teeth, so she lives with the ewe lambs.
Amazingly, my neighbor has a 21 yr old Suffolk cross that just had her first single lamb last spring!!!!! I believe she gets alot of special feed and attention!


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## BrownSheep

Since sheep in good condition I would say go for it. I would say keep a close eye on her during lambing but I get the feeling you'll be watching every one awfully close.


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## Straw Hat Kikos

I'm not sure about sheep but most people retire their does at 10 years old, so they live longer. You can breed them at an older age but it will shorten their life span. Someone around here just ha a 16 year old goat give birth, though it was an accident.

I know someone that has a 14 year old doe I believe. She's 13 or 14 and she has twins or triplets every year and she continues to raise them and not dry up, as most would. She still has good teeth and is still a great mother. Quite amazing really.


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## SheepGirl

Is she a gummer?


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## boykin2010

The old "mama" ewes are the best ones to me! I have some that are about 9 and still in great health to have lambs. They are the ones you do not have to worry about. In fact, one of them had triplets last year. The others had twins. The one that had triplets stole another lamb from a yearling ewe and tried raising four. Needless to say, that was too much for the old gal. I pulled the stolen lamb and put back with the other ewe. All is well. 

I would make sure that the particular ewe you are mentioning has her teeth.  Ewes that old tend to lose their teeth and it makes it difficult to eat and therefore makes the ewe lose body condition.


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## Alice Acres

I would do as others have mentioned - make sure she has teeth. 
Our older ewes make the BEST moms...it's the young ones we sweat over at lambing time.
If she looks good in the tooth dept, then she should be good to go. From the picture, it looks like she is in real good shape


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## Roving Jacobs

There was something in a recent JSBA newsletter about a ewe that lived to be 21 and kept on producing right up to the end. Maybe they're related. Personally I retire my old girls after 10 but if she's in good condition and you can make sure she stays that way through pregnancy and nursing she should be fine to breed with everyone else.


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## Straw Hat Kikos

Roving Jacobs said:
			
		

> There was something in a recent JSBA newsletter about a ewe that lived to be 21 and kept on producing right up to the end. Maybe they're related. Personally I retire my old girls after 10 but if she's in good condition and you can make sure she stays that way through pregnancy and nursing she should be fine to breed with everyone else.


21? That's hard to imagine. That's some sheep.


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## Roving Jacobs

Straw Hat Kikos said:
			
		

> 21? That's hard to imagine. That's some sheep.


I was wrong, she was actually around 23  I can't find the article I read originally but she was at Perfect Spot Jacobs in NC.


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## Straw Hat Kikos

Roving Jacobs said:
			
		

> Straw Hat Kikos said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 21? That's hard to imagine. That's some sheep.
> 
> 
> 
> I was wrong, she was actually around 23  I can't find the article I read originally but she was at Perfect Spot Jacobs in NC.
Click to expand...

NC? That's awesome. Might have to look them up.


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## Bridgemoof

Whew, Roving, 23! I'd love to see her pedigree. Apparently mine come from the Craft line, she was bred and born at Unzickers and then transferred to St. Mountain where I got my other Jacobs.

Here's a link to her pedigree. She threw a lot of twins.  h, I haven't been able to check her teeth yet!
http://jsba.netfirms.com/cgi-bin/geneal.pl?op=tree&index=13660&gens=5&db=jsba.dbw


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## Roving Jacobs

I love looking through sheep pedigrees! 

Your old girl's great grandma Spahrfarm Anabell is the great great great grandmother of my 2010 ewes, through Oaks Edge Maid Marion. It's a small sheep world.


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## Straw Hat Kikos

Roving Jacobs said:
			
		

> I love looking through sheep pedigrees!
> 
> Your old girl's great grandma Spahrfarm Anabell is the great great great grandmother of my 2010 ewes, through Oaks Edge Maid Marion. It's a small sheep world.


That's like me and Kiko pedigrees. I love looking thru them and finding the people, farms and the goats I know.


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## Southern by choice

Roving Jacobs said:
			
		

> I love looking through sheep pedigrees!
> 
> Your old girl's great grandma Spahrfarm Anabell is the great great great grandmother of my 2010 ewes, through Oaks Edge Maid Marion. It's a small sheep world.


I wanted to name the pair we just got  Maid Marion and Robin of the Wood Everyone said NO


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## pinoak_ridge

Not sure how old our original ewes were, but we had two to die last summer when it was so hot.   They had to be at least 17 years old & were probably older, as they lived here for almost 16 years and they were "older" adult ewes when we bought them.   Have one of their daughters here and she will be coming 13 years old.


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## Sheepshape

Just found this thread.

My Longface is 10 (I think!). She was bought as an 'old ewe' aged 6-7 some 4 years ago. She has had 10 lambs with me, 3 year 1, 3 year 2 and 4 last year. She is expecting triplets this year. Longface was 'marked for slaughter' by the farmer  who sold her to us 3 years ago on account of the fact that she doesn't have the best of teeth and was aged 7. She is an excellent mother, fit and quite fat, and can eat VERY well.

It sounds as though there are some lovely old ladies still going.Jacobs are a very old breed of sheep, and clearly were built to last!


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## alsea1

I'm still giggling over seeing that sheep in a vest. 
I think that because animal care has improved so much in the last ten years that it has enabled animals to live longer more productive lives.


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## BHOBCFarms

I agree with the others, if her condition is good, you can try to breed her, but if she has problems, don't breed her again.  If it were me, if I had a chance, I would have her overall health evaluated the next time I called a vet out for whatever reason, just to verify her health, etc., just because you don't know her past health history/lambing history.


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