Preparing for lambs

[Baymule]

Yes, she is beautiful. I love her coloring too.

Ok, now it’s time for a realistic discussion. What are your plans for these 3 lambs? The ram lamb will be fertile at 3 months of age. I wean and separate at 2 1/2 months. I usually take rams to auction unless they are super nice, then I sell them as flock sires. Or I castrate or band at one month and keep them to raise for meat. I name them Dinner. I wean ewe lambs at 3-4 months.

If you haven’t already, be thinking on this. At some point soon, you will have to wean and separate, then what?

I was between rams one time and kept a ram lamb long enough to breed the ewes so I didn’t miss a breeding. This can be done, even breeding back to his mother or sisters. You either take those lambs to auction or slaughter. First generation inbreeding usually doesn’t produce lambs with 2 heads or 5 legs. LOL Second generation inbreeding can be done, not generally recommended. When it is successful it’s called line breeding. When it’s a failure and produces a genetic defect, it’s called inbreeding. That’s a joke, but unfortunately often true.

 

[SageHill]

Thanks.. She seemed to still have a bit of discharge hanging from her this morning. Is that okay? She had a ewe .they all came out different which is kind of cool. I love this ones colors though.

OMG - that is the most gorgeous lamb!! Eye candy x 1000!

 

[halfacrehomesteader]

Yes, she is beautiful. I love her coloring too.

Ok, now it’s time for a realistic discussion. What are your plans for these 3 lambs? The ram lamb will be fertile at 3 months of age. I wean and separate at 2 1/2 months. I usually take rams to auction unless they are super nice, then I sell them as flock sires. Or I castrate or band at one month and keep them to raise for meat. I name them Dinner. I wean ewe lambs at 3-4 months.

If you haven’t already, be thinking on this. At some point soon, you will have to wean and separate, then what?

I was between rams one time and kept a ram lamb long enough to breed the ewes so I didn’t miss a breeding. This can be done, even breeding back to his mother or sisters. You either take those lambs to auction or slaughter. First generation inbreeding usually doesn’t produce lambs with 2 heads or 5 legs. LOL Second generation inbreeding can be done, not generally recommended. When it is successful it’s called line breeding. When it’s a failure and produces a genetic defect, it’s called inbreeding. That’s a joke, but unfortunately often true.

This was helpful. Thanks. We are planning on keeping 1 female and selling the other. I had thought about keeping the ram to breed then sell him after but if we didn't eat them I wasn't sure if it was okay to sell "inbred" lambs. My original intent was to milk the ewes and eat the lambs but my husband can't bring himself to eat so we might decide to just keep 1 female and just have the 3 as pets/lawn mowers.

 

[Baymule]

Well at least you got to have the fun of having lambs before deciding to keep the girls as pets and lawnmowers.

 

[halfacrehomesteader]

Well at least you got to have the fun of having lambs before deciding to keep the girls as pets and lawnmowers.

Yeah I was excited to have this experience. Regarding my ram lamb he is definitely small. Would it be bad to breed him if he is little or could it just be because he is a twin and will eventually catch up in size? If he stays small will I even be able to sell him?