puredelite
Exploring the pasture
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2010
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Yesterday was a very busy day as my ewes starting lambing. Had put my ram with them the first of Nov. as I thought to try for warmer temps for birthing( April) Anyway I woke to about 3 in. of new snow( wouldn't you know it!) and went out to the barn to find 3 ewes had already given birth. Two singles and one twin birth. Later that afternoon had another ewe give me triplets. Now the weird part. The ewe that had the twins that mornin' I had put in a stall with her babies and went to check on her later that afternoon. Noticed she was straining and in the dim light thought that she was prolapsing so went back to the house to get my vet stuff to deal with it. Got back to the barn and she had birthed THREE more lambs. Two were stillborn but the other was very much alive. Never before have I had a ewe that produced a litter of five! In fact this was this ewes third or fourth lambing and all previous were single births. My sheep are pb Katahdins, pb Dorpers and crosses of the two. My ram was a K/D cross and unfortunately I lost him this past winter when he ventured out on the ice on my pond and hit a thin spot and drowned. Apparently he had a great gene for multiple births. I will pick out one of his sons for this falls breeding. I still have approx. 15 more ewes to lamb so maybe more litters... I really just prefer twins!! BTW, all babies are so far doing great.