Dale HWA's 2019 Lambing

[Dale HWA]

So we've had 1 ram lamb already, waiting on 2 more ewes to lamb any day (i think) i didn't have a marker but they are big and slow moving girls now.

Went out tongiht to take a look at Anna, and she was slightly grunting, her udder is developing a little but is definately not big (first birth for her) The small grunts are not common for her is she in labour?!?!?

Here is Anna at Christmas event we had this past year!

Thanks! (and heres to hoping!!!)

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

Anna's pretty!

@Sheepshape @Baymule

 

[Sheepshape]

Pretty little Suffolk! (no doubt much bigger now)

Can you take a pic. of the udder /lady parts? Udder development is very variable and some only seem to get much of an udder when they start to labour, whilst others waddle around with a 'cow udder' for weeks. First timers tend to have smaller and later-developing udders.

Grunting may indicate she is getting 'Braxton-Hicks' (practice)contractions, but any discomfort may cause grunting.

Other signs of impending labour include swollen vulva or vaginal discharge and 'dropping' where she will develop concavity either side of the base of the tail as the lamb(s) enter the pelvis.

She may go off her food.

When labour starts for real, she will try to find a quiet spot and will 'paw' the ground....scratching the ground with her front hooves, probably restless and turning round, looking at her rear and maybe making little bleating sounds.

Good Luck.

 

[Dale HWA]

@Sheepshape she's actually a Dorper and on the smaller side. She has grown some since then but she still s a little 'runty'

Thanks for the info. I've read up a lot on lambing but it's just that much more reassuring when someone actually tells you what to expect.

Thanks!!!

 

[Sheepshape]

she's actually a Dorper and on the smaller side

We don't have Dorpers over here, but lots of Suffolks (and my vision is notoriously poor!). The lambing advice holds good whatever the breed, though.

Good Luck.

 

[Baymule]

She will probably just surprise you. Most of mine do. I used to check them 10:30 at night, back out there at 5AM, but they always chose a time when I wasn’t around. Relax, Lammy Grampy. It will be ok. LOL

 

[Dale HWA]

Well, Still no more lambs yet, Im nervous as Our family is away this weekend, so i spent my saturday building 2 lambing jugs in our "barn" for the 2 pregnant ewes we still have (Anna and Eva)

my kids are hoping for Rams, which means they get paid a bit of the proceeds, but My Wife an I are hoping for Ewes so we can grow the flock... My break even number i believe is about 7 ewes... so im hoping to achieve that within 2 years, im at 4 already, but mother nature has a way of playing games haha.

It has snowed here quite a bit last week, its starting to melt a bit but not fast enough. I'll have to buy more Hay as this year I didnt estimate correctly... should have bought 12 bales per head, instead of 10... oh well, i found some local hay that i'll go pick up and get me through the rest of the winter til the grass is growing enough.

Eva is on the left and is HUGE compared to Anna(2nd picture) other two are Caesar, the proud father, and Elsa (about 7mo old)

 

[Sheepshape]

Oh....I tend to get a different type of huge...

 

[Dale HWA]

Oh....I tend to get a different type of huge...

WOW she is wider than she is tall!!! These are also their first lambs, so there may be only 1 lamb in each.

 

[Sheepshape]

The 'wide ' ewe above had 3 good-sized triplets and was an 'old timer'. Produced 26 lambs in her long and fertile life.

First timers can surprise you by hiding two or three in a fairly small-looking belly. Ours are scanned, so the guess-work is largely taken away. The old girl above was retired, but a neighbour's ram must have paid her a visit. We found her and 2 others (lambs) looking like thy had eaten too many doughnuts in our 'dry ewe' field. We realised in time to supplement them and join them to the lambing group.