How Old is Too Old?

[Straw Hat Kikos]

I love looking through sheep pedigrees!

Your old girl's great grandma Spahrfarm Anabell is the great great great grandmother of my 2010 ewes, through Oaks Edge Maid Marion. It's a small sheep world.

That's like me and Kiko pedigrees. I love looking thru them and finding the people, farms and the goats I know.

 

[Southern by choice]

I love looking through sheep pedigrees!

Your old girl's great grandma Spahrfarm Anabell is the great great great grandmother of my 2010 ewes, through Oaks Edge Maid Marion. It's a small sheep world.

I wanted to name the pair we just got Maid Marion and Robin of the Wood Everyone said NO

 

[pinoak_ridge]

Not sure how old our original ewes were, but we had two to die last summer when it was so hot. They had to be at least 17 years old & were probably older, as they lived here for almost 16 years and they were "older" adult ewes when we bought them. Have one of their daughters here and she will be coming 13 years old.

 

[Sheepshape]

Just found this thread.

My Longface is 10 (I think!). She was bought as an 'old ewe' aged 6-7 some 4 years ago. She has had 10 lambs with me, 3 year 1, 3 year 2 and 4 last year. She is expecting triplets this year. Longface was 'marked for slaughter' by the farmer who sold her to us 3 years ago on account of the fact that she doesn't have the best of teeth and was aged 7. She is an excellent mother, fit and quite fat, and can eat VERY well.

It sounds as though there are some lovely old ladies still going.Jacobs are a very old breed of sheep, and clearly were built to last!

 

[alsea1]

I'm still giggling over seeing that sheep in a vest.
I think that because animal care has improved so much in the last ten years that it has enabled animals to live longer more productive lives.

 

[BHOBCFarms]

I agree with the others, if her condition is good, you can try to breed her, but if she has problems, don't breed her again. If it were me, if I had a chance, I would have her overall health evaluated the next time I called a vet out for whatever reason, just to verify her health, etc., just because you don't know her past health history/lambing history.