Bred ewes

[Maple_Lane_Lambs]

Well... I know why there is no lambs yet. We got their registered papers and he put the ram in January/February and took him out May 1st. Two days before we went to see them and put a deposit on them. So the latest date will be October 7th!When should I start feeding grain? I don't want to start too early and have giant lambs.
Thanks

 

[secuono]

I start 2mo before lambing and continue for 1mo after.
Slowly upping the grain the first 3-4wks, since they get no supplemental feed the rest of the year.

 

[Ridgetop]

You have a time period for lambing of late July to October. In the June 28 pix they don't look very far along. In fact, the swollen vulva could be showing the ewe recycling. Hopefully not. You said that these are Dorsets and since you have papers, they are registered. You also said it is the second lambing for both. If they have lambed before with no problems, they probably will again. Dorsets are known for easy births and excellent mothering. Even our first timers lamb easily without help.

You have all the right equipment ready, and a pen for them when they lamb. If you don't already put them in the pen at night, you might want to put them both in the pen at night starting in September to get them used to it. Sheep often lamb at night so you might come out to feed in the morning and find lambs! They will be company for each other and when the one goes into labor the other won't bother her. In fact if Mabel (I assume she is the first due since Gertie recycled?) has twins, Gertie will probably help her dry them off. Just be sure Gertie, who will be close to her time doesn't try to steal the lambs. Also, when Gertie's lambs are born you will need to mark them immediately so you can tell them apart from Mabel's lambs. Since these are registered, you will want to know which ewe they are out of. You can use food coloring on the back of the neck, or magic marker in the ear, or a velcro strap around one leg, until you tag them. You can get small colored velcro straps at a computer store, they are used to tie up electronics cords. (I used to use the colored Velcro leg straps dairies use to segregate cows on meds. I cut them lengthwise into strips and used them as collars for the first week for dairy goat kids.)

Since your winters are so cold, you can rebreed the ewes on their second cycle about 6 weeks after the lambs are born. That should give you lambs in spring. As long as you are giving the moms a good diet and grain while they are milking, they can handle rebreeding that soon. My Dorsets lamb every 7 to 8 months since they run with the ram. I segregate the ewes and newborns for the first month or so to give the mom a chance to bond. Then they go out with the ram and the other moms and lambs. I am in California so cold weather is not a problem.

If you are planning on showing these lambs, you will need to find out what the birthdate cut offs are for different classes in your area. Nothing is worse than having a lamb born several weeks outside the cutoff and not being able to show until the next season. It can be a disadvantage in showing a lamb that may be almost a year younger than the competition just because it missed the cutoff date. Cutoff dates will also influence your breeding timetable.

Have have fun with your lambs. Nothing is cuter than baby lambs and their moms. (human or ovine)

 

[Maple_Lane_Lambs]

I started feeding about 1 pound of grain back in early June because he said they would have them June/July and gradually stopped after we got their papers. Will that affect the lambs and how big they are? I have heard if you feed the ewe too much the lamb will be big and have a difficult birth.

I will get updated pictures so we can see how far along they are.

 

[Ridgetop]

Since you have Dorsets (my favorites lol) and they have lambed before, I would not feed any grain until they lamb. Then start them on 1/2 lb sheep grain and increase it every week until they are getting at least a lb. I don't know what else you are feeding them - are they on good pasture or poor forage? Are you feeding hay? since you have long snowy winters I assume you will be feeding hay - what kind?

I would definitely stop the grain for a few weeks since you have been graining since May, and may not have lambs until October. Check the amount of cover on their ribs and if you can't feel any ribs they are chubby and don't need grain until they lamb. If they are bony, keep them on free feed hay and a small amount of grain. You have had them since May and feeding well so they are probably in great condition. Dorsets are easy keepers and that is why they are a favorite of commercial producers. Dorsets will produce lambs every 8 months on pasture and can be fattened to sale size and weight without gain. We usually grain a little bit each night when we bring them into the barn because our sheep eat only forage when there is any (please come El Nino!) but once it's gone we feed alfalfa. The ewes are lambing every 7 - 8 months so are either pregnant or milking. That said, when we were breeding show sheep and Boer goats on a schedule, we would free feed alfalfa and start them on 1/2 lb of grain about a month before lambing or kidding, topping out at a lb. Then you increase the grain while the ewes are milking to nurse their babies depending on how many they have. When it is time to dry off the ewes, it is trickier. We used to withhold all feed and water for 24 hours when removing the lambs. That dried them up quick. I don't do that with the Dorsets because they are already pregnant with the next lambs. Since you have Dorsets and plan to have 3 lambings:2 years you won't be able to do that either.

Don't forget to give them their CDT shots now since that will give the babies immunities. Did the breeder vaccinate before you picked them up? If selenium deficiency is a problem in your area they should also get a Bo-Se now if the breeder didn't give it. It will prevent floppy kid syndrome. Let me know.

Love those Dorsets!

 

[Maple_Lane_Lambs]

The breeder vaccinated the ewes with CDT on May 3rd so should we vaccinate again or will it have reached the lambs back then? They are out on good pastures and at night get a flake of horse quality Timothy hay. I will go out and check about their ribs and get new pictures of them. Thank you for your input.

 

[Maple_Lane_Lambs]

Heres the girls. I couldn't get Gertie to stand up but Mabel would so i got a rear end and udder shot of her.

 

[Maple_Lane_Lambs]

OOPS wasnt done.

i checked there ribs and i could still feel them through the wool so i will keep feeding a bit of grain. Mabel s udder has grown but im not sure how big it is supposed to be. How big do your Dorset's bellies and udders get?

 

[Ridgetop]

Actually you should be able to feel the ribs, if you CAN'T feel them they are too fat! As long as they don't feel bony on their hips and spinal cord, etc. they are probably in good shape and don't need extra grain. I can never tell about udders, because sometimes they don't fill until they lamb. Check the tail head and if you can get all your fingers under it between the tail bones and the hip bones they are close. We bought a new 9 month old eweling the end of April. The breeder thought she might have been bred since she had been in with the new ram lamb we bought at the same time. When we unloaded them I checked her and she had hardly any udder tissue - just a slight thickening, no real udder. 3 weeks later she lambed! She didn't look pregnant at all. You can't always tell especially with long or deep bodied ewes.

I don't think you have to worry about them lambing without you. Unless it is very cold, wet or snowy, the newborns should be fine. Just make sure to iodine the cord stumps and make sure the babies are drinking. Sometimes the ewes teats have a wax plug that prevents the milk from coming out and you might have to milk it out. If the lambs are strong they suck it out with the colostrum. Just check their bellies after ursing and they should feel full. Like I told you, Dorsets are known for easy lambing and good mothering. It is a lot easier for you and your sister if they are confined inside, of course! Our ewes favor the bottom of the gully or lambing which is a major pain for us since we have to hike 250 feet down a very steep slope and then back up carrying the lamb or lambs. I have told the girls it is very inconsiderate but they love the flat sandy bottom. Luckily our Anatolian LGD stays with momma and baby until we find them in the scrub. It looks like you have nice flat grassy pasture so if they lamb there it will be clean and nice for them. Some people prefer to let their ewes lamb on fresh pasture instead of in a barn stall where lots of sheep have been messing. If you breed back right away for March or April lambs, you will know exactly when the lambs will be born and can pen them for that time. You will have lots of fun with your babies! I'm sooo glad you chose Dorsets!

 

[Maple_Lane_Lambs]

About the CDT vaccine, would it have reached the lambs? How many Dorset's do you have?