Bruce
Herd Master
That may work on a phone but on my computer all 3 pictures were in a line. Good thing I don't have a weak stomach
Glad the 3 of them are doing well.
Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal
- Thread starter Mike CHS
- Start date
Glad the 3 of them are doing well.
- Thread starter
- #9,522
Mike CHS
Herd Master
This lambing cycle is spread out more than ever before for some reason. Our #8 ewe had twins this afternoon and we moved her in with the other 9 that had lambed. There are three ewes that look like they should lamb literally tonight and then there will be 7 more to go. #54 has an udder that looks like a goat and her lambs are visibly moving. We had cut way back on the number of breeders planning on a short cycle but it isn't working that way. Our ewes name tags are based on when they were born so number 8 was among our first lambing season. It's nice to be able to walk out and pick up one of her lambs and she will follow bringing the other. She was at the most distant point from where I wanted to take her but she acted like it was no big deal. This next season will add the 11 yearlings or maybe less depending on who winds up on the cull list.
It is getting to be a pain getting in and out of gates at the barn since all of the tame lambs want to follow wherever I go. Little Bit is taking 16 ounces at a feeding and his Momma is watching his every move although she has no milk. Our 26 ewe that had the C Section is doing great and is enjoying fresh cut grass being brought to her plus she has feed available. She isn't making a lot of milk so we are augmenting by feeding her twins.
It is getting to be a pain getting in and out of gates at the barn since all of the tame lambs want to follow wherever I go. Little Bit is taking 16 ounces at a feeding and his Momma is watching his every move although she has no milk. Our 26 ewe that had the C Section is doing great and is enjoying fresh cut grass being brought to her plus she has feed available. She isn't making a lot of milk so we are augmenting by feeding her twins.
Larsen Poultry Ranch
Herd Master
Congrats on the new twins! Do we get to see pics?
Mini Horses
Herd Master
Any new lambs last night?? 
farmerjan
Herd Master
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
- Messages
- 11,581
- Reaction score
- 45,815
- Points
- 758
- Location
- Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Wed post #9516 has pics.
- Thread starter
- #9,526
Mike CHS
Herd Master
No new lambs yet but one ewe looks like her lambs are running a race inside her. Teresa took some pictures this morning while we were feeding that I'll post shortly.
Baymule
Herd Master
The joys of shepherding, there is nothing that can beat new born lambs!
farmerjan
Herd Master
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
- Messages
- 11,581
- Reaction score
- 45,815
- Points
- 758
- Location
- Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Yeah, gates are fun with the whole Pied Piper's group following along
Not.
Funny how when we want to shorten up the calving season, something just doesn't work... and when I put the bull in and he gets left in there for 3 months because we get too busy with other stuff to get him out, it seems they all calve in less than 30 days. The weather seems to really affect our breeding more lately though. The springs have been short or non-existent and it gets hot quick so the cows either get bred right away when the bull goes in if they are at least 30 days fresh... but more often they don't get bred til we get a little cool off like in July.... so the spring calvings the next year get strung out all over the place. Fall calvings seem to be more uniform for us with the bulls normally going in around 3rd week of Nov.... and calving by early Sept.... we have carried over some cows lately to the "next calving" season and then they normally calve early in that season because their calves are over 90 days old so their repro system is well back to cycling normally.
Different with the sheep and getting them to cycle "off season" , so you get lambs now for spring sales is harder to do.. nature says they are supposed to lamb in the spring.....cattle also tend to calve more often in the spring if left to PURELY natural cycling/breeding.... but not as much. Then there are all the hormones and such that you can really manipulate them... it does help to get a tighter calving window though if they are synchronized to come in heat at the same time and then bred AI and then use a clean up bull. Sometimes with synching them, they will recycle in 14 days if not bred and then will usually catch....
Not. Funny how when we want to shorten up the calving season, something just doesn't work... and when I put the bull in and he gets left in there for 3 months because we get too busy with other stuff to get him out, it seems they all calve in less than 30 days. The weather seems to really affect our breeding more lately though. The springs have been short or non-existent and it gets hot quick so the cows either get bred right away when the bull goes in if they are at least 30 days fresh... but more often they don't get bred til we get a little cool off like in July.... so the spring calvings the next year get strung out all over the place. Fall calvings seem to be more uniform for us with the bulls normally going in around 3rd week of Nov.... and calving by early Sept.... we have carried over some cows lately to the "next calving" season and then they normally calve early in that season because their calves are over 90 days old so their repro system is well back to cycling normally.
Different with the sheep and getting them to cycle "off season" , so you get lambs now for spring sales is harder to do.. nature says they are supposed to lamb in the spring.....cattle also tend to calve more often in the spring if left to PURELY natural cycling/breeding.... but not as much. Then there are all the hormones and such that you can really manipulate them... it does help to get a tighter calving window though if they are synchronized to come in heat at the same time and then bred AI and then use a clean up bull. Sometimes with synching them, they will recycle in 14 days if not bred and then will usually catch....
- Thread starter
- #9,529
Mike CHS
Herd Master
We plan on having the ram with them for 4 cycles and it has worked well since we started. So far they have all gotten bred but we have less twins/trips. The trade off still works as we are selling lambs when most are just starting to lamb. I'm not sure how long that will continue since I know of several other sheep farms that have started breeding when we do.
I actually have enjoyed having fewer multiple births since the singles grow out faster and they have brought a selling price that was still higher than the multiples.
The first picture are the ram lamb on the left and the brown faced ewe lamb. On the bottle is Babs on the bottle and Toby waiting his turn. Little Bit gets his bottles through the fence since he stays with his Mom.
I actually have enjoyed having fewer multiple births since the singles grow out faster and they have brought a selling price that was still higher than the multiples.
The first picture are the ram lamb on the left and the brown faced ewe lamb. On the bottle is Babs on the bottle and Toby waiting his turn. Little Bit gets his bottles through the fence since he stays with his Mom.
Attachments
- Thread starter
- #9,530
