# Bred ewes



## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Jun 28, 2015)

Last month we picked up 2 Dorset ewes that were bred in late January-early February (the person we bought them from was not sure the exact time they were bred).He said they should be due late June-early July. We think in the next 2 weeks we will have lambs. My sheep, Mabel, looks closer than my sisters sheep Gertie, but what do you think. Do they look earlier or later than 2 weeks? We are new to sheep and your help would be appreciated. This will be their 2nd lambing.

My girl, Mabel. She is very full under but her sides are not noticeable from the front and back. Could the lamb/s be siting under instead of the sides? Her udder has started developing but is still pretty flat. She has also been digging a hole that she often lays in. Is this a sign that she is haviing the lambs soon?
(See post after)


Next is Gertie. She decided to lay the mud before i took the pictures so she is pretty dirty.
Her back is a lot longer than Mabel's so I do not know if she looks smaller because the lambs have more room to move around? She has a medium sized udder but it is not filling up yet. She is definitely bigger at the sides than Mabel but not as deep on the underside.



 

How many weeks do you think until the lambs are born?
                                                                           - Thanks! Maple Lane Lambs


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## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Jun 28, 2015)

I'm not sure Mabel's pictures work. I'll post them again. 
Update on Mabel- her udder is filling up and is sensitive when I touch it.


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## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Jun 30, 2015)

Can any sheep people help me out? I would really like to know so we can have everything ready for when they come.I know it is pretty hard to tell because every ewe is different, but I would like to know a rough timeline.


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## norseofcourse (Jun 30, 2015)

Congrats on your sheep!  I've been through three lambing seasons, and so far I have learned that sheep can drive you nuts!  

With my sheep, when their vulvas looked as puffy as your sheep's do, I would be expecting lambs within a few days to a week.  But - that's my sheep, not necessarily yours.  Mine were also pretty consistent about 'dropping' - a few days before the lambs are born, they shift lower in the ewe's body, and the ewe  gets a hollowed-out look in front of each hipbone.  I don't see that in yours, but it's hard to capture in pictures.

Pawing is one of the things they do when they are starting labor, but they also do it plenty of other times.  In fact, all ewes have read the 'signs of labor' list and will randomly do many of them for weeks, even months, before having their lambs.

Does the person you got them from have a definite start and/or end date of when they were with the ram?  Either date will help a bit, at least to give you a 'not before' or 'not after' timeframe.  If you don't have that, my quite inexperienced guess is you're between one and four weeks away.  What's in your lambing kit so far?


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## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Jun 30, 2015)

Thank you for your reply! The person we got them from had these sheep and the ram with a bunch of other ewes at a friends place in a month time period and he did not tell us the exact date he put him in or took them out. He used a marking harness on his ram and Mabel only took 1 time to take, but Gertie took 2 tries.

Right now in my lambing kit i have bedadine/iodine, clean towels, halters for when we move them into lambing pens/jugs and a  baby aspirator( in case of fluid) Do you think I will need anything else? What do you use?

I am so exited for the lambs. This will be our first animals born on our farm, besides kittens! I'm really hoping the lambs and the ewes will survive and be healthy by the end of lambing!I can't imagine what I would do without my girls!

I will post pics of the lambs and ewes when they are born!


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## purplequeenvt (Jul 1, 2015)

If those were my sheep, I'd say they had at least another month to go.


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## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Jul 1, 2015)

Oh really?! I thought that they looked closer than that. I wish I knew when they were actually bred!

The next time we breed them the person we bought them from offered to bring his purebred dorset show ram to our house. That way we can get the exact date they are bred. We are still deciding wether we are going to bred them for winter lambs or not. We live in Canada and it gets -25 to -30 often and we would hate for the lambs to die.


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## Roving Jacobs (Jul 1, 2015)

Yeah, going by the udders they would have a ways yet to go. Right before lambing the udders really pop and look big and full on my sheep, even the first timers. The vulva also turns a darker pink, almost purple-y color. 

You can drive yourself crazy trying to predict lambs! A marking harness and a few years of experience and you get pretty good about not spending weeks staring at sheep backsides.


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## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Jul 1, 2015)

I have found that Mabel's udder is getting noticeably bigger than it is in the pictures and now she does not want me touching it. From looking at other peoples lambing threads and seeing the pictures of how big the udder and bellies are, I think I still have a while to wait.


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## promiseacres (Jul 1, 2015)

When their teats are so full they are almost horizontal then they are close.


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## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Aug 21, 2015)

Well... I know why there is no lambs yet. We got their registered papers and he put the ram in January/February and took him out May 1st. Two days before we went to see them and put a deposit on them. So the latest date will be October 7th!When should I start feeding grain? I don't want to start too early and have giant lambs. 
Thanks


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## secuono (Aug 21, 2015)

I start 2mo before lambing and continue for 1mo after. 
Slowly upping the grain the first 3-4wks, since they get no supplemental feed the rest of the year.


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## Ridgetop (Aug 21, 2015)

You have a time period for lambing of late July to October.  In the June 28 pix they don't look very far along.  In fact, the swollen vulva could be showing the ewe recycling.  Hopefully not.  You said that these are Dorsets and since you have papers, they are registered.  You also said it is the second lambing for both.  If they have lambed before with no problems, they probably will again.  Dorsets are known for easy births and excellent mothering.  Even our first timers lamb easily without help. 

You have all the right equipment ready, and a pen for them when they lamb.  If you don't already put them in the pen at night, you might want to put them both in the pen at night starting in September to get them used to it.  Sheep often lamb at night so you might come out to feed in the morning and find lambs!  They will be company for each other and when the one goes into labor the other won't bother her.  In fact if Mabel (I assume she is the first due since Gertie recycled?) has twins, Gertie will probably help her dry them off.  Just be sure Gertie, who will be close to her time doesn't try to steal the lambs.  Also, when Gertie's lambs are born you will need to mark them immediately so you can tell them apart from Mabel's lambs.  Since these are registered, you will want to know which ewe they are out of.  You can use food coloring on the back of the neck, or magic marker in the ear, or a velcro strap around one leg, until you tag them.  You can get small colored velcro straps at a computer store, they are used to tie up electronics cords.  (I used to use the colored Velcro leg straps dairies use to segregate cows on meds.  I cut them lengthwise into strips and used them as collars for the first week for dairy goat kids.) 

Since your winters are so cold, you can rebreed the ewes on their second cycle about 6 weeks after the lambs are born.   That should give you lambs in spring.  As long as you are giving the moms a good diet and grain while they are milking, they can handle rebreeding that soon.  My Dorsets lamb every 7 to 8 months since they run with the ram.  I segregate the ewes and newborns for the first month or so to give the mom a chance to bond.  Then they go out with the ram and the other moms and lambs.  I am in California so cold weather is not a problem.

If you are planning on showing these lambs, you will need to find out what the birthdate cut offs are for different classes in your area.  Nothing is worse than having a lamb born several weeks outside the cutoff and not being able to show until the next season.  It can be a disadvantage in showing a lamb that may be almost a year younger than the competition just because it missed the cutoff date.  Cutoff dates will also influence your breeding timetable. 

Have have fun with your lambs.  Nothing is cuter than baby lambs and their moms. (human or ovine)


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## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Aug 22, 2015)

I started feeding about 1 pound of grain back in early June because  he said they would have them June/July and gradually stopped after we got their papers. Will that affect the lambs and how big they are?  I have heard if you feed the ewe too much the lamb will be big and have a difficult birth.

I will get updated pictures so we can see how far along they are.


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## Ridgetop (Aug 22, 2015)

Since you have Dorsets (my favorites lol) and they have lambed before, I would not feed any grain until they lamb.  Then start them on 1/2 lb sheep grain and increase it every week until they are getting at least a lb.  I don't know what else you are feeding them - are they on good pasture or poor forage?  Are you feeding hay?  since you have long snowy winters I assume you will be feeding hay - what kind? 

I would definitely stop the grain for a few weeks since you have been graining since May, and may not have lambs until October.  Check the amount of cover on their ribs and if you can't feel any ribs they are chubby and don't need grain until they lamb.  If they are bony, keep them on free feed hay and a small amount of grain.  You have had them since May and feeding well so they are probably in great condition.  Dorsets are easy keepers and that is why they are a favorite of commercial producers.  Dorsets will produce lambs every 8 months on pasture and can be fattened to sale size and weight without gain.  We usually grain a little bit each night when we bring them into the barn because our sheep eat only forage when there is any (please come El Nino!) but once it's gone we feed alfalfa.  The ewes are lambing every 7 - 8 months so are either pregnant or milking.  That said, when we were breeding show sheep and Boer goats on a schedule, we would free feed alfalfa and start them on 1/2 lb of grain about a month before lambing or kidding, topping out at a lb.  Then you increase the grain while the ewes are milking to nurse their babies depending on how many they have.  When it is time to dry off the ewes, it is trickier.  We used to withhold all feed and water for 24 hours when removing the lambs.  That dried them up quick.  I don't do that with the Dorsets because they are already pregnant with the next lambs. Since you have Dorsets and plan to have 3 lambings:2 years you won't be able to do that either.

Don't forget to give them their CDT shots now since that will give the babies immunities.  Did the breeder vaccinate before you picked them up?  If selenium deficiency is a problem in your area they should also get a Bo-Se now if the breeder didn't give it. It will prevent floppy kid syndrome.  Let me know.

Love those Dorsets!


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## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Aug 22, 2015)

The breeder vaccinated the ewes with CDT on May 3rd so should we vaccinate again or will it have reached the lambs back then? They are out on good pastures and at night get a flake of horse quality Timothy hay. I will go out and check about their ribs and get new pictures of them. Thank you for your input.


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## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Aug 22, 2015)

Heres the girls. I couldn't get Gertie to stand up but Mabel would so i got  a rear end and udder shot of her.


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## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Aug 22, 2015)

OOPS wasnt done.

i checked there ribs and i could still feel them through the wool so i will keep feeding a bit of grain. Mabel s udder has grown but im not sure how big  it is supposed to be. How big do your Dorset's bellies and udders get?


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## Ridgetop (Aug 23, 2015)

Actually you should be able to feel the ribs, if you CAN'T feel them they are too fat!  As long as they don't feel bony on their hips and spinal cord, etc. they are probably in good shape and don't need extra grain.  I can never tell about udders, because sometimes they don't fill until they lamb.  Check the tail head and if you can get all your fingers under it between the tail bones and the hip bones they are close.  We bought a new 9 month old eweling the end of April.  The breeder thought she might have been bred since she had been in with the new ram lamb we bought at the same time.  When we unloaded them I checked her and she had hardly any udder tissue - just a slight thickening, no real udder.  3 weeks later she lambed!  She didn't look pregnant at all.  You can't always tell especially with long or deep bodied ewes.

I don't think you have to worry about them lambing without you.  Unless it is very cold, wet or snowy, the newborns should be fine.  Just make sure to iodine the cord stumps and make sure the babies are drinking.  Sometimes the ewes teats have a wax plug that prevents the milk from coming out and you might have to milk it out.  If the lambs are strong they suck it out with the colostrum.  Just check their bellies after ursing and they should feel full.  Like I told you, Dorsets are known for easy lambing and good mothering.  It is a lot easier for you and your sister if they are confined inside, of course!  Our ewes favor the bottom of the gully or lambing which is a major pain for us since we have to hike 250 feet down a very steep slope and then back up carrying the lamb or lambs.   I have told the girls it is very inconsiderate but they love the flat sandy bottom.  Luckily our Anatolian LGD stays with momma and baby until we find them in the scrub.  It looks like you have nice flat grassy pasture so if they lamb there it will be clean and nice for them. Some people prefer to let their ewes lamb on fresh pasture instead of in a barn stall where lots of sheep have been messing.   If you breed back right away for March or April lambs, you will know exactly when the lambs will be born and can pen them for that time.  You will have lots of fun with your babies!  I'm sooo glad you chose Dorsets!


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## Maple_Lane_Lambs (Aug 23, 2015)

About the CDT vaccine, would it have reached the lambs? How many Dorset's do you have?


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## Ridgetop (Aug 24, 2015)

Yes, if they were vaccinated in May they should be ok.  Most breeders vaccinate about a month or so before the lambs are born, and depending on the selenium content of your feed, give a Bo-Se shot then.  This flock of Dorset are pasture sheep, not real tame, so are harder to catch except right after lambing.  We give our annual shots when we shear since they are "naked" lol and already confined.  You can ask other sheep and goat breeders in your area if you need to give Bo-Se which is an injectable selenium injection.  If your state has plenty of selenium, don't give selenium since too much is toxic.  Here in California, much of our land is selenium deficient.  Bo-Se stands for Bovine Selenium, it is a cattle drug, and is controlled.  You will have to get it from your vet.  Large flock owners usually have a prescription from a vet and can buy it from a supplier.  If your soil is deficient, and if it is recommended to give it, the vet should know the dose.  The breeder you got the ewes from should know if they need a Bo-Se shot before lambing. 

We currently have 11 Dorset sheep.  1 ram, 7 ewes, 1ewe lamb, and 3 wethers that will be heading to the butcher in 2 months.  Our butcher is a 3rd generation butcher and said that his father would only eat Dorset lamb!  He said it was the best. Our butcher loves our cascasses.  I have raised several breeds of sheep over a long 4-H history with my kids.  My oldest son had a small flock of show Hampshires, we had some Suffolks, and also a cross bred flock of club lamb producers.  My middle son got his first Dorsets when he was 8.  Our first Dorsets were registered stock.  They came from Laura Nowles whose foundation stock was obtained from a professor of sheep science at Cal Poly Pomona.  He had original pure Dorsets, both horned and polled.  They were small, docile, heavy milkers and excellent mothers.  They were all halter broke and my son showed them.  Laura Nowles is a herding dog judge and raises her Dorsets for meat and wool now on the east coast.  You can find her on line under Glenrose Dorsets.  When my younger boys decided to concentrate on dairy goats 5 years later, Carl sold his Dorsets back to Laura who wanted to keep all the base foundation stock she could since they were no longer available.

This Dorset flock took me a year to find.  I did not want show stock since they are larger and do not always breed 3 times in 2 years.  They are not papered but are commercial stock.  Commercial Dorset breeders are usually under contract to slaughterhouses who buy all they produce.  They don't sell anything privately.  I finally found HH Dorsets which is a small family run commercial flock who were willing to sell me 3 ewes lambs and a ram lamb.  I had to wait for them because I wanted October born ewes to guarantee out of season breeding.  Our ewes run with the ram and deliver healthy lambs every 7-8 months.  We have had lambs born every month except December and June!  This year we purchased another ram from Eileen and sold our old ram.  We really liked him but had his granddaughters.  You can only inbreed 3 generations before getting defects.  One thing about the old ram was we mostly got ram lambs and wanted to build our flock.  Now that we have the amount of ewes we want, and have buyers for the wethers as freezer lambs, we will probably only get ewe lambs!  LOL

We really love our Dorsets for the ease of lambing, good mothering, lots of milk, and ease of putting muscle on the lambs without creep feeding them.  When my son was showing his Dorsets and raising them for club lambs for sale to other 4-Hers, we used a creep.  Now they just run with the ewes until they go to slaughter.  The ewes will wean them when they get far enough along in their pregnancies that they are not making as much milk.  We don't separate them except for a month after the ewe lambs when she is in a separate pen to bond with her new lamb.  The whole flock goes out and comes in together.  The ram doesn't bother the lambs. 

Here is a funny story.  We have a mule who was ostracized by the horses when she came here, so she and the old ram became buddies.  When we kept the ewes locked up with their lambs because of predator problems (before we got another Livestock Guardian Dog) we would still turn him onto the field.  The ram was very large for a Dorset and because he hung with the mule all the time he was safe.  Anyway, we got our our LGD and turned the ewes out with their little lambs.  They were younger than the age we usually put them on the field.  The mule tried to investigate them.  They ran away (she is 16h3) so she chased them.  The were yelling and the ram came running.  The old ram got in her way and wouldn't let her past him.  Finally he butted her!  She was shocked but tried to get past again and this time he butted her harder.  She kept trying to get to the lambs so he backed up about 6 feet and really rammed her!  She turned around and kicked at him but he avoided her and stood his ground between the ewe and her lambs and Josie.  By then my son and I had come out to rescue the lambs and put the mama and lambs back in the barn for another 2 weeks.  I had never seen him protect his flock and especially against his big buddy!  Animals always can surprise me!  They are so much fun!


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