# New to sheep.... what do I need to have ready for birthing babies?



## Whispering Hope Farm (Jan 27, 2012)

In October I bought a bred southdown baby doll sheep. She is supposed to have babies March 15. 1. How do I know if she is pregnant or not?  2. I purposely bought her because she was older - 2005- and has had no problems having babies every year BUT what do I need to have on hand to prepare for her to have babies? I have been trying to tame her up. She is just used to being a field sheep. She will come close and let me pet her when i have food. When it comes close to the time I was going to put her in the barn so I could watch her more. We are in NC so it doens't get really cold.

Thanks


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## secuono (Jan 27, 2012)

How big is she and did you crutch her yet?
Here are mine, wide sheep! I'm not sure of their date, late February to March. 






Can't help with the other Q's, I'm also new to them.


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## Whispering Hope Farm (Jan 27, 2012)

yes you can see how the white sheep closest is fat in the tummy. I know with my 8 breeds of bunnies I can palpitate and feel the babies. I will have to look up crutching? don't know what that means. I just think that the babydolls are the cutest sheep ever and I can't wait to tame the baby up! I bet you are excited to have little lambs.  I so hope mine is pregnant because I am beside myself wanting a little lamb!


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## secuono (Jan 27, 2012)

You can see where the ewe's butts and stomachs were shaved. Usually they are shaved like in the picture below. You need to shave 5+ inches of the tummy wool around the teats, too.


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## SheepGirl (Jan 27, 2012)

> 1. How do I know if she is pregnant or not?


Well since she is about month and a half out from lambing, you should start noticing her belly getting deeper and rounder, her vulva getting rosy pink and larger, and her udder getting larger. This won't happen overnight, though...it will be a steady (but fast change) until she lambs. However, each ewe develops her bag at her own pace and it may even be different year to year.

Here's my 1/2 Babydoll 1/2 Montadale ewe as a three year old. She had twins about two weeks after this picture was taken.





Here's the same ewe the next year. She had twins about one month after this picture was taken. Notice how she bagged up earlier and heavier than the previous year.







> 2. I purposely bought her because she was older - 2005- and has had no problems having babies every year BUT what do I need to have on hand to prepare for her to have babies? I have been trying to tame her up. She is just used to being a field sheep. She will come close and let me pet her when i have food. When it comes close to the time I was going to put her in the barn so I could watch her more. We are in NC so it doens't get really cold.


A mature ewe with no history of lambing issues should have no issues unless she was fed improperly. Now that she's in the last two months of pregnancy, you need to be stepping up her feed (moreso in he last month) because most of the fetal growth is occurring right now. (But don't under or overfeed her--that could cause problems such as pregnancy toxemia.)

But for the lambs, I would recommend getting iodine, a castrator and tail docker (such as an elastrator), and tags if you want to identify your lambs.

If you want to put the ewe in your barn, put her in there about 3 days before you expect her to lamb. However, we have had success just letting the ewes lamb on pasture and then bringing them into a jug if needed.


BTW, do you have another sheep, or is it just this one ewe?


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## Whispering Hope Farm (Jan 27, 2012)

secuono - love the picture of all the sheep looking the opposite way! Too funny! I probably should shave her since her fur is really long and thick around those areas. 

I just have the one sheep - Lulabell but she isn't alone as she is with my 2 mini silky fainting goats and 2 small baby calves. They all get along real well together and enjoy each others company. 

I am feeding her lots of hay and around 1 1/2 cups of her pellets which look like sweet feed once a day. Do you think I should feed her more than that? I know you shouldn't over feed them and she looks like she has stayed the same since I got her in September but not sure if I should feed her more.
http://whisperinghopefarm.com/index.htm  on this page you can see a picture of her but you can't really see her tummy. I need to take a picture of her tummy.

I sure do hope she is pregnant because I am sooo excited. Thanks for your help. Tomorrow I am going to hold her down and get a good feel of her tummy. May even try to take some scissors and cut around her back end.


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## bonbean01 (Jan 27, 2012)

Isn't this forum just the greatest???  Now I'll add my bit of experience with birthing in the "just in case" catagory.  Expect normal births, but be prepared in case a ewe needs help.  Last year we had a ewe with her first lamb and the after a long labour, only the nose presented...no hooves.  Our "just in case" things are always kept in a small cooler with an easy to carry handle (also good for sitting on) and I needed the gloves and lubricant to gently push the nose back in, then gently reach in to find the shoulders, travel down to the legs and I could only get one up...was told that one foot is good, two is better.  So, with one leg and the nose I was able to help her on her next contraction to get the lamb out safely...whew...had we needed to run into the house and start searching for gloves and lubricant it would have not been good.  We have a bottle of antibiotic and needle with syringe in case a difficult birth might cause the ewe infection.  We also keep a towel for rubbing down a wet lamb if it's freezing (after the ewe has had a chance to do all that licking and the lamb has been up for nursing already)...that is the only time we've had to help with a birth.  The cooler is by the door and ready to grab (bottle of antibiotic is kept in the fridge however).

We have supplies also in case any lamb needs to be bottle fed, but so far that hasn't been necessary...still..nice to have on hand should it be needed in the middle of the night.

A site I found good to brush up every year as lambing time nears is:

http://www.sheepscreek.com/rural/lamb.html

Hope this helps a bit.  I find I'm calmer the more informed I am.  

Good luck and enjoy this time...lambing time is so great!!!


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