Duckfarmerpa1
Herd Master
They say with goats, ones that are not friendly, will become that way. I have one, she’s a bit skittish. Not that day!! She was a cuddle bug! In fact, she still is...but she was moody for a day before she went.
Pregnant ewes driving me bonkers!
- Thread starter Fluffy_Flock
- Start date
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Our dairy does were raised with our LGDs and usually loved them. Just before they went into labor they would charge at them in an attempt to drive them away from their kidding pen. Hormones!!!
- Thread starter
- #23
Fluffy_Flock
Overrun with beasties
Daisy launched the 1 month old ram lamb because he got in the way of her food today. He didn't get hurt thankfully but man! Don't get between a prego ewe and her food lol
- Thread starter
- #24
Fluffy_Flock
Overrun with beasties
I really hope they become friendly. They came from a commercial operation with something like 400 sheep so they were definitely skittish when they first came here. Daisy is the most outgoing with bunny a close second. Mama and dreadlocks want nothing to do with me.
Duckfarmerpa1
Herd Master
My first two goats came from a bad farmer that gave them no human contact. It was tough at first. They were not tame at all. Since yours are pregnant, it’s not an easy time to work with them. But, I just worked with my girls, used a harness. Maybe once they lamb, they will be more relaxed. ?? Hopefully! For sure..they now have a better home on your farm than at a big commercial place!
- Thread starter
- #26
Fluffy_Flock
Overrun with beasties
Still no lamb but...
Daisy says "leave me alone "
Daisy says "leave me alone "
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- #27
Fluffy_Flock
Overrun with beasties
Hahaha! I am here because waiting to hatch first eggs is driving me nuts!!I recently got a small flock of 6 dorpers who I was told are all expecting. One surprised the heck out of us with a lamb the morning after arriving but it's been almost a month and no other lambs yet. 3 look like they are going to pop any day but not real signs of impending labor.
I guess I will pass the time by reading all the posts here lol
Enjoy some random pictures of my flock over the last month.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
No. The ewe will make as much milk as the lamb(s) take. If 2 lambs are drinking from only one side, she will increase her milk production to feed them both.
Did you get her fully grown and had she lambed previously? She looks like she had a case of mastitis resulting in the loss of one half her udder. We were given an older Suffolk ewe one year that freshened only half her udder due to mastitis. She raised twins on one half of her udder. In spite of treatment for mastitis our ewe never regained any use of that side. Since she looks like she has quite a ways to go before lambing, you could treat her now for mastitis with a dry cow formula. You can either buy it at your local dairy store if you have one or order the infusions from any dairy catalog.
She won't like being treated at all, since even dairy animals that are used to being handled and milked daily hate it. The infusion tubes come in plastic tubes that look like mini horse worming tubes. They have a plunger applicator and have a very thin plastic tip to put on the tube. You have to insert the tip of the mastitis infusion tube into the teat end and squirt the contents into the teat and udder. Then massage it around and leave it there until she freshens. Probably not comfortable for her. You will have to restrain her well to get it done.
If she freshens with a case of mastitis you will have to treat her with a lactating cow formula and will not be able to use her milk for the lambs for whatever the withdrawal period says. If she has already lost half her u dder to mastitis she will probably freshen without mastitis in the remaining side.
If you decide to let her freshen without any treatment - which is fine too - then just make sure that if she has twins that each of them get colostrum. With 2 udder halves each twin gets their share easily, but with only one working teat they will have to take turns. This will be ok later but right after lambing you might need to help the second twin get its share of colostrum. If necessary you will have to put her in a small pen so you can catch her easily when she lambs. then halter her and tie her to the pen while you switch off the twins to make sure they each get a share of the colostrum. You will not need to supplement them, unless you notice that she is pushing one of the lambs away and refusing to let it nurse at all. If you do have to bottle feed one, make sure it has colostrum for the first couple of days I suggest you put the ewe lamb on a bottle That way the keeper ewe will be tame which will make it easier to work with her in your flock.
Hope this helps.
Baymule
Herd Master
From that picture, it looks like she has already lost half her udder. I have not had any of my ewes experience that, but due to pictures posted during a goat's mastitis episode, half the udder turned black and fell off. If that is the case, she should be ok. Proceed with lamb/lambs as instructed by @Ridgetop.
Don't feel weird about back end pictures. I was posting on a thread about fertility of rams being directly tied to the size of their balls. We were all outside, taking pictures of our rams balls so we could post them. Yup, we are a little strange!
Don't feel weird about back end pictures. I was posting on a thread about fertility of rams being directly tied to the size of their balls. We were all outside, taking pictures of our rams balls so we could post them. Yup, we are a little strange!
