How can I get a ewe's udders to dry up faster?

[irishdancer]

We were not going to breed this year because hay prices were so high, but unfortunately we had an oops and four of my ewes got pregnant. The first ewe to give birth was a first time Mom, 2 years old and a bum lamb that I bottle raised. She had twins and rejected them both. I am now bottle feeding them both and they are doing great. My problem is that ewe was so traumatized by the birth. I have raised horses, cows and now sheep and I have never seen the look of despair and terror that were in this poor ewes eyes before. You would have thought that her two lambs were monsters from a nightmare and I guess they were to her. I was advised by our vet to either hold her down and let the babies nurse off of her twice a day or milk her myself so that she won't get mastitis. How long do I do this? Is there a quicker way to get her to dry up? When I put the babies on her, she was just terrified. She was so distressed. She seemed much calmer when I milked her by hand but still it is so very stressful to her and she is starting to distrust me and not let me pet her or work with her anymore. I just want her to dry up as quickly as possible so she won't have to deal with the trauma any longer than possible.

And in lieu of the way she handled the first time, am I correct in thinking that I should never breed her again? She is my baby and I don't want to cause her trauma in the future. I have a very small herd that I keep just for wool for spinning and knitting, so she will always be kept because I like her and she gives me beautiful fleeces. I am not into sheep for meat production or anything. We do send some to market, but my core favorites are keepers, no matter what. I just need to know what the best solution is for her. Thanks

 

[BrownSheep]

I see no reason not to breed her again. As a first timer what she did was not unheard of. If she reje ts again then I wouldnt let her.
Feeding her poor quality feed for a couple of days will help slow her down. I would cut down to once a day.

 

[Bridgemoof]

X2

 

[irishdancer]

Thank you! I will try that.

 

[irishdancer]

I wish my Dad were still alive so he could guide me on some of these things. My husband keeps saying, you were raised on a farm, shouldn't you know some of this stuff? First off, we never had sheep growing up, mainly horses and cows and second-it was 20 years ago! There were so many of the problem things that my parents just handled. And I have forgotten so much of what I did know! I am just so thankful for the technology we have today and forums like this that allow for information at the tip of your fingers. Last year, I got a bloat remedy from a sweet elderly lady from Scotland! Thank you all for being here.

 

[BrownSheep]

Technology is very amazing isn't it ?