Help me determine is my sheep have started “showing” in their pregnancies

[MMGardens]

And tomorrow is a holiday, Veterans day. Not all places close but --

I would think as you are in situation you describe. Lot of extra weight, set her off balance, strain on weak muscle, etc.

Do you have any comfrey or plantain growing there? If so give her a few leaves. If not, some aspirin a couple times a day. Dissolve in water or put into a pocket of bread if she'll eat that. Most of my goats will fight for bread! Just some light pain relief.

That’s true I didn’t think about that,

Will do, thanks!

 

[MMGardens]

Your hay and winter grass sounds ok. My winter grass is finally coming up, it should’ve been big enough to graze on by now, but drought. It finally rained.

You might want to add some white ball clover along with the rye grass. Put out baking soda when they graze it to prevent bloat.

Okay good, the crop cover mixes have clover, it’s like a food plot type mix with radish and collards and vetch plus a few different clovers etc . It’s what the farm where I got my first sheep used for their lactating ewes, so I planted 4 small sections of that to rotate, and then loosely broadcast that and the the seed over 2.5 acres

 

[Baymule]

I have to dry lot my sheep at various times of year to let the grass grow, or for drought, etc. When I let them out on the grass, first I give them hay, some feed and a feed pan of baking soda. Then I let them out. I put my sheep up at night anyway because of coyote pressure. Easier for dogs to protect them.

In the evening, I call them in with some feed, there is a round bale waiting on them, plenty of fresh water and more baking soda.

 

[MMGardens]

I have to dry lot my sheep at various times of year to let the grass grow, or for drought, etc. When I let them out on the grass, first I give them hay, some feed and a feed pan of baking soda. Then I let them out. I put my sheep up at night anyway because of coyote pressure. Easier for dogs to protect them.

In the evening, I call them in with some feed, there is a round bale waiting on them, plenty of fresh water and more baking soda.

When you dry lot them, how many sheep are in how large of a space, and do they try to graze anyway or is it a barn type situation or hard floor? I tried reading so much about how to feed sheep of forage wasn’t available, and I just kept finding “fresh forage” lol not helpful. I’d like to be able to section off my property to do a good pasture rotation to further break the parasite cycle (I haven’t had much trouble so far, but also I want resistant sheep and not to have to deworm them constantly for them to live), but while I’m getting everything going I needed a good option for what to do if I have to fence them off from certain areas for a while.

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

When you dry lot them, how many sheep are in how large of a space, and do they try to graze anyway or is it a barn type situation or hard floor? I tried reading so much about how to feed sheep of forage wasn’t available, and I just kept finding “fresh forage” lol not helpful. I’d like to be able to section off my property to do a good pasture rotation to further break the parasite cycle (I haven’t had much trouble so far, but also I want resistant sheep and not to have to deworm them constantly for them to live), but while I’m getting everything going I needed a good option for what to do if I have to fence them off from certain areas for a while.

Have you considered portable electric fencing? There are a ton of great options out there. That is what we use and have not had any parasite problems at all, even this spring when it was very wet. It was a more cost effective solution for us rather than sectioning off using permanent fence.

 

[MMGardens]

Have you considered portable electric fencing? There are a ton of great options out there. That is what we use and have not had any parasite problems at all, even this spring when it was very wet. It was a more cost effective solution for us rather than sectioning off using permanent fence.

That is what I was wanting to use when we get there, what kind do you use? The mesh netting kind or the single runs?

We planted our back acre last year to be a pasture, but apparently I planted at the wrong time and we don’t have any of the grass we paid for full of native grasses that came up but honestly not a whole lot that the girls like to eat so I have to start over next season. I can’t really section it off until I have that growing strong and established to where I can use it in the rotation

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

That is what I was wanting to use when we get there, what kind do you use? The mesh netting kind or the single runs?

We planted our back acre last year to be a pasture, but apparently I planted at the wrong time and we don’t have any of the grass we paid for full of native grasses that came up but honestly not a whole lot that the girls like to eat so I have to start over next season. I can’t really section it off until I have that growing strong and established to where I can use it in the rotation

I use a mix of both. I trained them to electric with the netting, but now they stay inside 3 strands of poly wire.
That's a bummer the grass you had planted didn't do well for you. Maybe they weren't good grasses for your area?

 

[MMGardens]

I use a mix of both. I trained them to electric with the netting, but now they stay inside 3 strands of poly wire.
That's a bummer the grass you had planted didn't do well for you. Maybe they weren't good grasses for your area?

It was Bahia which is what everybody around here grows and cuts for hay, and actually it’s what my lawn is as well and it grows great, problem was that I’m a gardener and I planted it based on when I’d plant crops or crop cover mixes which was around March/April and when I spoke to my vet about he said the right time to plant pasture here is June / July I never would’ve guessed that because it’s so hot at that time. Apparently it needs high soil temps to germinate. Some of my cover I planted back there did grow, just didn’t get my pasture grass. It’s okay, going to plant again this year at the right time lol

 

[Baymule]

One of my night lots is approximately 32’x48’ and right now 12 pregnant ewes are comfortable there. It has a cow panel hoop shelter, using 3 cow panels plus a small animal Quonset hut.

I bought this place in July 2022. I had to put up fence and built cow panel pens so I could move my sheep. I have 25 acres. In December of last year, I had front field fence line bulldozed of 40 years of growth and hired the fencing done. I have 2 fields fenced. Hope to work on back field fence line this winter with battery chainsaw and machete.

 

[MMGardens]

Oh perfect, I actually have exactly that fence off and planted right now for my pregnant girls after they lamb and it’s where I set up my milking station (3 cattle panels long by 2 cattle panels wide) so I can lock in the mamas and babies and catch them easier when I was ready for the next one


And a few other sections the same size all planted heavily with crop covers just for the lactating ewes


I am wanting to keep one intact ram for next years breeding (obviously not to his own mother) and I was wanting to use this size area to keep him separate with a weathered buddy for company until breeding time and then I planned on letting the ewes I want bred in with him instead of letting him out. I was going to get some of that plastic fabric privacy fencing cover and put it on his fencing so he couldn’t breed anybody through the fence before I was ready, does that sound like it would work? Just an idea