# Kathadin lambing signs



## RuralFarmGirl (Feb 15, 2017)

Hello all, I'm new to BYH and I am hoping for some feedback! 

I purchased Kathadin sheep last year and I am eagerly awaiting birth of the lambs. One ewe is swelling and her udder is swelling. I keep searching and searching but I'm having a hell of a time finding pictures of other first time momma Kathadins before they gave birth. I'm wondering what some experienced Kathadin owners thoughts are and hoping that I could see pictures of others ewes! 

Including a picture of her udder now and then one when I first started tracking a few weeks ago. 

Thoughts?!!!


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## mysunwolf (Feb 15, 2017)

First off, welcome to BYH!

Second, I think she looks like she still has at least a few weeks to go! But first time moms can be deceiving, and each individual ewe is different in how fast she bags up. How old is she?


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## RuralFarmGirl (Feb 15, 2017)

First year, born last spring. Don't have exact birth date. So younger! I have another ewe pregnant too(I believe) but she isn't bagging at all yet. Guessing she'll be an April momma.


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## Latestarter (Feb 15, 2017)

Greetings and welcome to BYH. Glad you joined us. Please make yourself at home and browse around the threads. If you have more questions, just post away. Most times someone will be back to you pretty quick. Good luck with your first lambing! Hope all goes well and you get a good ratio of ewe to ram lambs.


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## Sheepshape (Feb 16, 2017)

Welcome to the woolly world (and BYH).

No Kathadins over here, but first-timers (as mysunwulf says) are unpredictable. I'd say she has a while to go, but how many days that may be is difficult to tell. In a ewe who is very close the udder is hot. Colostrum can also be expresses, but don't try unless you absolutely NEED to know (going away etc) as infection can be introduced leading to mastitis.

look for other signs. Is her belly 'hanging low' and her spine more prominent than usual? In particular can you feel a 'hollow' either side of her tail bed which indicates her body is getting ready to deliver. Look out for a mucus plug (from the cervix as it starts to dilate) and for her to stop feeding for a few seconds as she starts getting 'Braxton Hicks' contractions.

Most ewes go off their food and seem restless just before they are going into labour (though I've got a couple who eat all the way through labour). 

When labour starts she will often try to find a quiet spot and start scratching the ground with her front hooves....

Whatever,,,,good luck (and lamb pics. please)


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## RuralFarmGirl (Feb 16, 2017)

Latestarter said:


> Greetings and welcome to BYH. Glad you joined us. Please make yourself at home and browse around the threads. If you have more questions, just post away. Most times someone will be back to you pretty quick. Good luck with your first lambing! Hope all goes well and you get a good ratio of ewe to ram lambs.



Haha. Thanks. I'm kinda hoping for ewes. But since we also want to start raising registered lambs for selling breeding stock I guess rams can always be meat(not the funnest thought as I look forward to those adorable lambs!)


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## RuralFarmGirl (Feb 16, 2017)

Sheepshape said:


> Welcome to the woolly world (and BYH).
> 
> No Kathadins over here, but first-timers (as mysunwulf says) are unpredictable. I'd say she has a while to go, but how many days that may be is difficult to tell. In a ewe who is very close the udder is hot. Colostrum can also be expresses, but don't try unless you absolutely NEED to know (going away etc) as infection can be introduced leading to mastitis.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the tips. Her udder had been slot warmer for about a week but is growing slowly. I guess she's a ewe that will develop signs slowly, at least this year. I'm going to keep taking pictures and notes so I have a little bit of a reference point. 
It's going to be mid 50*-60* for the next week. Thinking about putting them out on pasture for at least the dry days. Who knows, maybe she'll drop her lamb on pasture. 

I'll post pictures and updates as they happen!


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## RuralFarmGirl (Feb 16, 2017)

Thought I'd share a few pics of my small starter flock. The black is my ram, and the rest of course are my ewes.


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## purplequeenvt (Feb 16, 2017)

Katahdins aren't going to be any different developmentally when it comes to lambing then other breeds of sheepand the signs and symptoms of impending birth depends on the animal. 

We have ewes (first-timers and season ewes alike) that have little udder development until shortly before lambing. Others get a decent sized udder several weeks in advance, but it fills out a day or two before birth. I even had one ewe this year who had the giant "I'm ready to lamb any second" udder for *3 WEEKS *before she finally lambed.


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## RuralFarmGirl (Feb 16, 2017)

purplequeenvt said:


> Katahdins aren't going to be any different developmentally when it comes to lambing then other breeds of sheepand the signs and symptoms of impending birth depends on the animal.
> 
> We have ewes (first-timers and season ewes alike) that have little udder development until shortly before lambing. Others get a decent sized udder several weeks in advance, but it fills out a day or two before birth. I even had one ewe this year who had the giant "I'm ready to lamb any second" udder for *3 WEEKS *before she finally lambed.


 Ugh!!! This keeps bringing me back to trying to predict when my daughter would be born. Every mom and every baby can be different!! They come at their own time, perfectly healthy and happy most times! 
Her vulva is pretty swollen I feel like. I keep trying to feel her tail to see if things have loosened but having a hard time through her thick hair....sigh. Waiting is long I'm trying to not drive my husband crazy with my excitement though


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## purplequeenvt (Feb 18, 2017)

Based on that picture, if she were my sheep, I wouldn't expect lambs for at least a month if not 2 or 3. I have a ewe due in April with a bigger udder. 

When did you put the ram in and when did you take him out?


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## RuralFarmGirl (Feb 20, 2017)

purplequeenvt said:


> Based on that picture, if she were my sheep, I wouldn't expect lambs for at least a month if not 2 or 3. I have a ewe due in April with a bigger udder.
> 
> When did you put the ram in and when did you take him out?


I've had the ram in with them. They were all born last year, (the ram actually in December of 15, so I guess technically he was born a year ahead of them) so they are all younger.  
Update from today with pics. I know this doesn't mean they're going to come this week but she's definitely making progress. And who knows, as I've heard first time ewes are unpredictable I could have them soon!


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## RuralFarmGirl (Mar 19, 2017)

Sooo. I wanted to update you all. My first ewe had her lamb Friday night, the 17th. So almost a month since my last update. 
Everything went really well. I didn't know that she was ready. Though her udders were really hard on Thursday.  Anyhow we noticed extra activity late Friday and went out to find a clean and active little baby! The pictures are posted in order taken. You can see in the last pic her udders with a newborn. Which is how they looked before she gave birth too!


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## norseofcourse (Mar 19, 2017)

Congrats on the lamb!


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## Latestarter (Mar 19, 2017)

Grats!


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## Gorman Farm (Mar 24, 2017)

Aww she's really cute...I have Katahdins too, I love em.


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## Mike CHS (Mar 24, 2017)

You can never get tired of that sight.  Congratulations!!


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