Rate her condition

[mystang89]

My favorite ewe was off mom duty this year so she could recover from lambing last year. I still see indentations in both her sides that make her "look" malnurished but it's been over a year and she is eating fine. I had her checked for parasites and she was negative. Thoughts.

 

[animalmom]

I'm a goat person, but she looks pretty good to me. I'm sure some of the sheep people will be on shortly and give you a much better opinion.

 

[AmberLops]

I used to raise sheep...
She looks just fine to me! But i'll tag some sheep people for their thoughts...
@Sheepshape @secuono @Ridgetop

 

[Baymule]

She looks good to me too. I have two ewes that always look thin on top, have wide spread ribs, pot bellies--and have and raise twins every year. They sure wouldn't ever win any beauty contest and I'll bet that nobody would buy them, but to me they are priceless.

 

[Mini Horses]

You realize, with age, they do have some body shape changes. You may want to consider that. Often toplines cannot be held and belly looks pouched. It all comes with use and age. Doesn't mean she isn't healthy if she Is still getting good nutrition. Always good to keep watch and monitor.

 

[Sheepshape]

She looks in very good shape to me. Not too fat, not too thin.

The comments of my 'predecessors' are spot on......older ladies don't have the same taut and pert shape of young ones! If my old girls had been sheared (still waiting) I'd take a pic. Prominent hip bones and sunken areas with big bellies and floppy udders. Some of these girls are 10-11 and have had lambs for most of those years and everything has gone south, but they are fit and fine.

Take a feel across the back just below where the ribs end. I'm sure that you'll feel that there is a good covering of meat either side of the central vertebral spine, which itself is not too prominent. You should be able to just about feel the transverse processes of the vertebrae, but there's a good longitudinal band of muscle filling the 'gutter' between the central spine and the transverse process.

If she's in this condition at 'tupping' time, she'll be in ideal shape.(for an older girl).

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day,i would have no problems putting her to the ram,like others have stated as you get older "gravity takes over"...T.O.R.

 

[mystang89]

Thanks very much. I didn't think that at 2 years old she'd start getting all "floppy" on me already lol but it's great to hear everyone say that. I did run my hands over her back and she's plenty of meat there. Really goes to show that even after 3 years of shepherding I'm still a beginner and have plenty left to learn, which I'm good with. Thanks for the tips and info as always.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

No worries, you might consider using "body scoring"as a way of determining readiness for joining,look for a BS of about 3.5 as a start and try to keep them below 4.0 as they come up to lambing...T.O.R.

 

[secuono]

Both look unusual, a bit roach backed?
Are they a fattail breed? Possibly they fill out differently than other breeds.
At two, I wouldn't be happy to see an ewe looking like an old maid. How many did she have?
Have you run a fecal & checked eye lids?
Are they on pasture or hay? Full belly, mine don't have sunken loins, is she eating enough in a day of hay/grass?