Do we breed a spring 2012 lamb?

[NachoFarm]

Well that's good to know that I can leave her until next year without any ill consequence. The vet I spoke to said we needed to breed them so "they didn't sit fat and empty"... Since she's 56% Gotland we want to find the highest percentage ram that we can for her and finances aren't really allowing for that this year.

 

[SheepGirl]

If you breed her:
- You get a lamb (or maybe more) from a ewe lamb by the time she is about a year old
- You can, for the most part, feed the ewes together
- If you are spending money on a ram, you might as well breed him to as many ewes as you can to get your money's worth
- She may have trouble lambing if you don't feed her right (for growth and gestation)

If you don't:
- You feed an open ewe for another year
- You will have to separate her when feeding so she doesn't get fat when the other ewes get their gestation rations
- She will be more physically mature by her second fall to breed

---

If you can't find a high percentage Gotland ram could you find a ram that is the breed that is the other 44% of her? Because if you could find a purebred ram, then the lambs will be 72% other breed 28% Gotland...which would still make you a high percentage lamb (even if it's not mostly Gotland).

 

[Alice Acres]

We have bred our spring lambs, but it usually is by accident rather than on purpose.

They just don't do as well, and also don't last as long in the flock breeding program.

We see weight loss (or lack of gain), ewes that don't reach their own growth potential (the lambs are basically parasitic and take what they need from mom), lambing difficulties and maternal losses higher than normal.
We also get low birth weights and lambs that stay smaller than what the older ewes produce.

I'm not familiar with your breed and specifics for breeding, but we have had purebred and grade sheep - Suffolk, Hamp, Ramboullet, Cheviot and now predominantly Dorper - for over 40 years.

Yes, you are feeding them an extra year (or part of a year), but the payoff is worth it for us.
We have a flock that lambs unassisted and zero mortality most lambing seasons. It's worth it.

 

[Cornish Heritage]

Well that's good to know that I can leave her until next year without any ill consequence.

There are two fields of thoughts on this so you have to decide what you want to do. Some folks say that if you wait longer to breed a ewe lamb you lessen her fertility, others say you don't. I don't see a problem with breeding them young as long as they are in good condition. It could also vary from breed to breed especially if you have a wool breed that only breeds once a year. The St.Croix breed all year round so that means you do not have to wait a whole year if the ewe is not ready in Fall.

Liz

 

[BrownSheep]

Some wool breeds also breed year round....Dorset for example.....our fella certainly would.