SheepGirl's 2013 Lambing Thread - Update - July 2013

[Bridgemoof]

Oh Sheepgirl, I just can't wait to see your little lambs this year! Are you going to let your ewes pasture lamb and then bring them into your shed? Are you going to have any dividers? How long will you keep them in there?

Sorry for all the questions, I just am trying to develop a plan for my ewes

 

[SheepGirl]

Lol, it's fine

But yep, the ewes will lamb in the field...unless I put up a fence around their shelter (which I think I will, to save the grass), then they will be lambing in that pen instead lol. But Ali I will probably pen up for a day or two in a jug. I'm hoping though she has improved and isn't so scatter-brained lol. Ciqala I won't more than likely because she is such a good mother. In fact, she's never needed to be jugged (even with her first lamb) because she's always been real protective & watchful over her babies. I would always just pen her up so I could play with her lambs for a few days before they went back in the pasture where it would be really hard for me to catch them But when Katy Perry lambs (which I'm sure she will since she wasn't remarked) I will probably put her and her lamb in a jug for a day or two.

Right now, I'm not sure how I'm going to make a pen in there. I was thinking of getting some 2x4s and nailing them together to make panels, but I think I'm going to use our XL dog kennel (the one I transport sheep in) and use one of the side panels and then the door to section off a corner in the sheep shack, since they are 4' and 2' long, respectively. Or because the entire shelter is completely solid (with only little air holes where the pieces of plywood didn't completely match up ) I may take off the half wall in the front and give Ali and her lambs half the sheep shack plus a little pen outside.

 

[SheepGirl]

Okay, well I put in the step-in posts. I'm going to wait to put on the fence until I can get some help to make it tight so the sheep won't try to challenge it. Not that it matters, because they will still be contained in their field, but I'd rather not to have to chase them back into their pen

But overall the ewe pen will be 64x24. I did it that big that way I won't have to move the water bucket and the gate to the pen will be right by the gate to the pasture, and also so they have 8' in front of their shelter and 8' behind it.

I have 8 step-in posts left over (the only reason why I'm using the step-in posts instead of the T-posts is because they are easier to put in our frozen ground), so I may put a fence around the deck stairs. I figure it's 3x cheaper to feed Hank hay than to build a shelter for him and leave him on what little pasture is left. But I still thought it would've been cute to have a 4'x4' shelter that's 4' tall with him in it eating hay out of a hay net lol. Ohh well. I could've even used that as a covered creep feeder when lambs arrive. But I'd rather use $10 worth of hay to feed him then spend $50 on a shelter.

But I have to ask my mom first. She took down my pens underneath the deck because she thought they were ugly and she didn't want anymore sheep under the deck. And Hank is a wuss so it's not like I can just build a redneck sheep shack again He would not be happy in it like my ewes were!! lol

43 days until my first ewe is due to lamb!

 

[SheepGirl]

Well I talked to my mom tonight and she seemed somewhat okay with me putting Hank under the deck steps. So I think that's where he's gonna go. But she was also thinking about just building the 4x4 shelter herself so that way he doesn't have to go under the deck So I dunno.

 

[SheepGirl]

Well my mom told me she didn't want Hank under the steps. So we built another little shelter for him. So Thursday (if it's not too cold like it was last week--never above freezing) I will put the wire on the posts and everybody will be where they need to be.

AND I noticed Ciqala had an udder! So I looked back at my photos to see what it looked like before and she's getting big! The pic on the right is most recent, taken 1/10--you think I would've noticed it earlier So she started building an udder about 7.5 weeks before she's due to lamb. Woo-hoo! That's better than last year lol, where her udder was still small a couple weeks before she lambed. Crazy girl udders up at different times every year she lambs.

 

[Bridgemoof]

It's getting close!!!

 

[Southern by choice]

Sheep shapes are just too darn cute!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Southern by choice]

You really have some stocky girls! I love your sheep!

 

[bonbean01]

Can't wait for your teddy bear lambies!!!!

 

[SheepGirl]

Lol, thanks! I can't wait either

30 more days!! But she could probably go as early as Feb 27.

Ali was given a CD/T shot this evening and I started her on a half lb of grain. She will get that until she lambs. Then she will get 3/4 to 1 lb per lamb she is nursing. She may get less (or more)--I have to look at her and her lambs to see how much I think they need. I'm pretty good at gauging grain needs, if I do say so myself