Keeping a ram with the ewes year-round?

[BeccaJoVon]

For those of you who keep the ram in with the ewes year-round, do you worry about the ewe being bred and still nursing the previous lambing? Don't the lambs have to be off the ewes for at least a month in order for the ewe to produce colostrum for the new lambs?

Thanks!

 

[CochinBrahmaLover=)]

This is just my 2 cents, and all it is is me GUESSING

Seems like if a ewe doesnt want to be bred, she wont be bred. So, doesnt seem like the ewe would want to be bred while still nursing, and dont they have to be in heat to be bred? I wouldnt magine them going in heat while still nursing.

Just my guess

 

[kfacres]

The female body cannot regulate if she comes into heat or not-- it's a natural thing-- and when they are ready they come into heat.

After 3 or 4 months- the ewes will naturally wean their lambs- don't worry about them not being weaned by lambing time next year.

When my ewes lamb in the fall- they get turned back in with a ram right away- most will rebreed with one month old lambs on them for a late April/ May lamb.

IMO, it's a poor management decision to not wean your lambs by 3 months of age.

I seperate bucks off during lambing time- have seen too many bucks kill newborn lambs.

 

[Remuda1]

Becca, I see you have hair sheep. A friend of mine has about 50 head of dorper ewes and has always kept the rams in with them year round. I'm not 100% sure about your breeds, but I know that the dorpers breed year round. I've never seen any problems with his lambs as far as your colostrum question. His are always vigorous. He doesn't always sell all of his ewe lambs and does not separate them to wean. I have a small flock and had long been curious as to how soon after lambing they would come back into season so I decided to email Pipestone to see what they thought. Below is the response I received.

"Depends on season of year. Dorpers are generally more fertile than white dorpers. Some of my own have bred under 8 weeks prior to weaning lamb but don't expect it. 10 weeks after birth is a good number.
G F Kennedy, DVM
Sent from my Blackberry"

Hope this helps. The way I try to make myself look at it is that sheep breed, wean and lamb in the wild usually without complications so a lot of the worry that I experience over them is probably unwarranted. And yes, I do know that domestic sheep are different from wild sheep, but the concept is still valid . Are you, by any chance, in Texas?

 

[BeccaJoVon]

I've had people tell me they run their hair sheep together in the pasture and not put much effort into them at all. I just assumed that meant leaving the entire herd together year-round. From what I gather from this thread, it sounds like most run the ram with the ewes, separating the lambs from the ewes at 3 to 4 months. That makes better sense to me.

I have read that sheep can breed back at one month post lambing. Four months nursing would be pushing things if the ewe did breed at one month. I suppose she would wean rather than allow the lambs to continue to nurse till it was four months old.

Remuda1:
I'm almost in Texas. I'm about 30 or so minutes southeast of the Texas/Arkansas state line just outside Texarkana.
Also, what does your friend do about his ewe lambs breeding? Does he let them breed whenever they breed, or does he separate them out until they get older?

Thanks!

 

[BrownSheep]

If nursing I don't think the ewe would breed back immediately. The soonest we had one breed back was three months and she had lost her lamb.

 

[Remuda1]

He lets his ewe lambs be bred. I've posted pictures of his flock before, can't remember the thread title though. He doesn't do any supplement feeding, just pasture and they look awesome.

 

[Cornish Heritage]

I don't know about other breeds but I do know with the St. Croix hair sheep that the ram lambs are able to breed at 100 days old & will breed their mothers if allowed SO it is very important to wean those lambs by 90 days unless you have castrated them.

Liz

 

[promiseacres]

Yes I'm hitchhiking this post.
so if you're allowing the ram with all the time HOW do manage lambing times?

I ask b/c the small herd I'm getting has been kept this way...last year one ewe lambed in Feb, one in May and one in June....:/
Originally she told me to expect lambs in Feb, then changed to Dec/Jan or ???
I'm hoping to be able to seperate and have more controll for the following year, I'd prefer lambing over within a few weeks and to know when to expect them...I also don't like the idea of Feb lambs due to the cold.

They are painted desert, barbados, katahdin mix