Margali's Griffin Wood Ranch

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Margali

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I just checked my notes again on when the ladies went to Snip.I pulled Snip from ladies on November 4th. So...
Aria: Exposed May 27 Lambed Dec 8 so caught around July 14th
Dash: Exposed June 27 Due Nov 21 - March 31
Mocha: Exposed Sept 10 Due Feb 5 - March 31

I need to do better ram management next year. :ep I'm not sure if Dash is pregnant. She's getting rotund but I'm CAN'T TELL!! Mocha on the other hand still looks slim but I had a + preg test, I thought. :he
 
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Ridgetop

Ridgetop

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Some ewes show right away, some are naturally rounded ("deep barrelled") and always look pregnant, others don't look pregnant even with triplets!!! And don't get me started in udder development! And have I mentioned that I can never locate the ligaments that are supposed to be on either side of the tail?! :gig

I find the easiest way to keep track is with a mating harness. We use a Matingmark breeding harness. I think it is made by an Australian company, but several livestock companies carry it and I think so does Amazon. It is the best one out there. Unlike some harnesses with 1" webbing, the Matingmark has 2+" webbing that doesn't slip, even on hair sheep. The buckles are sturdy, and when one of the straps got chewed, I just overlapped the webbing and sewed it back together. The whole harness is completely adjustable. The crayons are cheap and easily available. Instead of being held in with a pin, the crayon slides into the holder and clips in. We buy several colors so we can change the crayon color every 2 weeks. That way we can identify any new marks made in repeat heats. We have used a lot of mating harnesses in the past 25 years, but this Matingmark is the best we have ever used. We have 3 of these harnesses and I love them.

We leave it on the ram the entire time he is in the pen. They are so sturdy that DA1 can actually catch a running ram and control him with it. Our rams are pretty calm, and DS usually has me get him the crayon and then puts the harness and crayon on the ram himself. Same with changing the crayon. Best colors are red, orange, blue and green. The crayons also come in cold, medium, and hot weather crayons. We use mainly the hot weather crayons. Some people say the cold weather ones don't work as well. Using a marking harness with a crayon is the best way to absolutely catch when the ewe is bred. Put the date bred and ram used on your calendar and then count 155 days forward and you have the birthdate. I just go ahead and mark the birthdate on my calendar at that time. Then I don't miss it. Most of mine actually lamb on that date. We also have a big whiteboard in the office with all the ewes listed when they go into the breeding pen and the ram we are using. We write the dates they are marked on the whiteboard. Once a ewe is marked and doesn't remark, I write the expected lambing date on the board opposite her ear # and the breeding date. I think this is the easiest way to keep track of the actual breeding date. We don't erase the whiteboard until the registration certificates come back. (I also enter all breeding dates and lambing dates into a separate notebook.) I like the written word. :caf

You can leave the ram in with the ewes for a month or so and as long as you change out the crayon for another color every two weeks you will know if she recycles. If I use a different ram as a "catch up" ram, I will change out the crayon color and wait 2 weeks before turning him in with the ewes. That way I know who the sire is for registration purposes. No need for expensive DNA testing.

After the ram is pulled out of the pen, I pick off any loose wool, then rinse off the harness with my kitchen spray on hot. That takes a lot of the dirt off. Next I fill a 1 gallon plastic ice cream bucket with hot water and dish soap. Dish soap cuts the lanolin. Soak it for a couple hours then rinse and repeat. I usually wash the harness through 3 cycles to make sure the water runs clear then I buckle it around the top of my fence and let it dry. I store all the harnesses and marking crayons in a plastic bin in my laundry room between uses. I always like to have a backup harness since we sometimes breed pens of ewes back-to-back with a different ram.
 
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Margali

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Today was weaning day for the twins. They are 42 and 43lbs at 52 days old. Aria is rough looking even with pouring extra feed into her.
20230129_133507.jpg

I think it's because my pasture is so poor. The hay I got is okay not super great. So the twins are in with Panda and Aria trotted off to the pond without a care. The twins are LOUD.

20230129_134057.jpg20230129_133643.jpg
 
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