SheepGirl's 2012 Lambing Thread

[Waterfall]

Ok, after reading this, do Sheep really need their hooves trimmed? If so, how often and how much?

 

[SheepGirl]

Normally we trim their hooves once a year around shearing time. But this year, shearing will be later than usual, so I went ahead and checked everybody. But if you check their feet once a year (or whenever they start walking funny) for trimming needs, you should be good.

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Just got back from the barn about an hour ago. I got pictures of her feet and her vulva, but they came out really super blurry 'cause she wouldn't stop moving and my camera died on me. So this weekend when we go grocery shopping, I'll pick up some batteries ('cause we don't have anymore) and I'll drag my mom down to the barn with me so I can get some good pictures...either she holds the sheep and I take the pics or vice versa lol

This is the first time I was really able to look at her vulva. I've never really, like, LOOKED there before...mainly because it is hidden beneath her tail and she doesn't go flaunting it around to everyone in town. I know what an open ewe's vulva is supposed to look like, and I know what a ewe within 24 hours of lambing's vulva is supposed to look like. It's just the in between thing that's getting me lol.

I never caught her to take a picture of her vulva back in January when she was bred by my escaped ram (and I know she was bred because I saw her in heat the previous day and when I went down the day my ram escaped, he was by her side). But like I said earlier in this thread, she never came back into heat so either she was bred or she stopped cycling for the season. So I have nothing to compare her vulva 2.5 weeks away from lambing to other than some open ewes.

But I was only able to catch Ali, who has had one lamb...so the comparison of a mother of five to a mother of one isn't really a fair one. But Ali is definitely open...(warning: graphic descriptions of lady parts ahead )...her vulva is pinkish-blue, small, has peach fuzz, and is tight...as in it's not flexible and the pointy part of it (sorry don't know the technical name for it ) doesn't hang down; it just sticks out like an open ewe's vulva should. But Ciqala's vulva is larger than Ali's, and is pink, soft/flexible (and doesn't have any hair/furr/peach fuzz on it), and the pointy part of it is big and does hang down. So her vulva doesn't fit the description of an open ewe, but I'm not sure if her vulva looks like that because she's delivered five lambs or if it's because she's bred.

This is an open ewe...you can see what I mean by a 'tight' vulva. The black lamb looking at the camera is Paulie. The white ewe facing towards the right is Ciqala.

As for her udder, it fits in my hand and it's squishy. So this year, I guess she could just be bagging up late. When she was pregnant with Paulie, her udder hung down below her hocks three weeks before lambing, and when she was pregnant with Billy & Ali, her udder hung halfway down to her hocks two weeks before lambing. So who knows...going by an udder is never a sure fire way to tell if a ewe is bred.

 

[Southdown]

The one in the photo doesn't look bred to me. But I have noticed that different breeds look different back there. My babydolls have different looking vulvas than my suffolk. This year, my ewes didn't bag up as early as last year. But they had plenty when the time came. Share pictures of the lambs when they come.

 

[SheepGirl]

The one in the photo is an open ewe, so you're right But yah. My ewe still hasn't bagged up and she should be lambing in a week if she's bred. I'm starting to think she isn't, even though she looks like it. Ohh well. Less sheep I have to worry about when I move them to my house in 2-3 weeks lol

But, here are some updates...
May 15 - the 2008 Babydoll ewe died. She was my favorite ewe's paternal half sister. In the pic below, she is the one facing the camera. We don't know why she died, but she was put in the compost pile.

May 17 - one of the neighbor's holstein cows found her way into the sheep pasture and started harassing them...I saw the cow as I was leaving to go to FFA officer interviews (I'm a senior officer, so I got to interview the younger members wanting to be officers) so I called my grandfather and he went over to the farm to tell them they had a cow missing. Well they got her back.

Buttt....

May 18 - the darn cow brings the whole herd over! so it was about 50 cows in there. My poor sheep were hiding in the barn. But apparently they made their way through the fence up near the gate connecting the two farms. My neighbor's in Texas looking for homes to buy so the neighbor with the dairy was there fixing the fence.

crazzzyyy week.

 

[autumnprairie]

for all of it hope your days get better

 

[Southdown]

Gosh, sorry for the loss of your ewe. I'm sure the cows stressed out the sheep, but I have no experience in that. At least no one got hurt. Are you expecting any other lambs or just one ewe? Hopefully she's pregnant and you will get a nice surprise. Your babydolls look cute. They have more wool on their faces compared to mine. I'm trying to breed for that trait. I have a lot of variation in looks in my flock so far. Wonderful breed.

 

[SheepGirl]

She had twins this morning...both girls My mom actually came and picked me up from school lol. And then I went to Harper's Ferry with my family...I will have pics up soon

 

[bonbean01]

Congrats on the twins!!!! Can't wait for the photos...such a cute looking breed

So sorry about the ewe you lost.

 

[SheepGirl]

She had QUADS! I will give a full update on Mon or Tues after my family leaves.

 

[Queen Mum]

QUADS