# Questions for second Lambing!



## luvmypets (Jan 3, 2015)

Hi everyone as some of you may know we only have a ewe, a ram, and their daughter.

I see all the people with big herds and Im slightly Jealous  

Anyhow, our ewe Mammy has gotten to spend her days with our ram Reggie for quite some time now. We are almost positive she is pregnant because she has been refusing any advances Reggie has. 

I have lots of questions though! 

To start off Mammy has gotten her wool very dirty from the straw which we change out every other day. Is there a way I can clean it off, cause its seriously bothering me atm  ( A lil OCD there Luv xD)  

Can we worm her or will it hurt the baby?


Alrighty another issue we have is Reggie is in the stall with the girls Which I know is bad, but We have nowhere to put him, because we just got Alpacas and they are currently occupying his stall. 

Should we section him off or something? 

Also Im just curious in general so any tips are greatly appreciated  

We have been through this before, but it was a total surprise, so this time we have planned the breeding. Im still not sure when she is due exactly but we have a general idea (not waiting for three months wondering when she will lamb xD) 


Thanks in advance, Luv


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## luvmypets (Jan 3, 2015)

Here is the family, I apologize for the quality. 


  Reggie
 Mammy and Lily


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## BrownSheep (Jan 3, 2015)

If it was summer I would say hose her off if you want....but it's winter. Her being a little dirty won't hurt her or the lamb. 

It depends on the wormer you use. Do NOT use Valbazen. That can and will cause abortions and birth defects. Just make certain to read the instructions and you should be OK. My biggest issue is not being able to find wormers  labeled for use in sheep. 
Just remember that if you are in doubt just wait. 

For now Reggie is probably o.k. but Mammy will need her own space when she lambs. A stall will likely be too small for her and Lily and the lamb(s). Do you have an outdoor pen Reggie can stay in for the time being? Adult sheep can handle pretty cold temperatures. My flock rarely use their sheds. If you ever notice frost on a sheep it isn't a testament to how cold it is but rather how well insulated the sheep is. 

I would suggest you have milk and colostrum replacement on hand along with electrolytes. 90% of the time you won't need it but it's nice to have on hand in case of emergency. Some people dip the cord in iodine to speed up the drying process but I don't. 

Since Mammy has done this before the likelihood of anything going wrong is slim.


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## luvmypets (Jan 3, 2015)

Thank you for the tips!

I didnt think being dirty would hurt her it just bugs me xD 

As for the stall Actually the stall is quite big as it is a horse stall. 

Will make sure not to give her wormer, because that is the kind we have atm. 

We do have powdered colostrum in our cabinets where we keep all the sheep/lambing stuff.  

You suggested to leave the cord undipped last year and Lily was fine.


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## frustratedearthmother (Jan 3, 2015)

Different folks have many different ideas on how to do these things.  I just want to describe an experience I had with a baby goat.  I dipped the umbilical cord in iodine...mama kept licking it off.  Eh... no biggie right?   A week or so later I'm cuddling this little baby doe who is lethargic and not doing so well.... and noticed something.   She had a very rank smell...and it was coming from her umbilical cord.  She had naval ill!  We ended up doing surgery on her to clean out the infection.  It cost me a whole bunch of money to save her - when a couple cents worth of iodine to the cord, repeated when mom kept licking it off, could have prevented it.

It's a cheap insurance policy....just remember to re-apply if mom keeps cleaning it off.


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