How soon before birth does milk come in?

[Julia Mary]

I have a ewe that we thought was in labor three weeks ago, but it must have been false labor. Anyways, we have been checking her weekly, checked today, and she still has milk when we squeeze her, but her udder is still fairly small. Do ewes have milk this long before birth (3 weeks already atleast.) We thought maybe she miscarried, but is she still definitely pregnant if she has milk? Thank you!

 

[Alaskan]

Don't know sheep... I know goats...

But in goats they can actually get udder development when NOT pregnant (rare, but happens), and when their udder develops and fills when pregnant is all over the place... at least in my experience it was a highly inaccurate sign of anything.

 

[Baymule]

The answer to how long is anywhere from a month to the day of birth. They like to keep you guessing!