Receptive after lambing

Kimflores

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My ram got loose and in with my white dorper ewes that have 4-5 week old lambs.
How soon after lambing is a ewe fertile/receptive to breeding?

Should I expect summer lambs?
 

Kimflores

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Since Dorpers breed out of season, technically the ewes could have been cycling (they can cycle immediately after lambing), and so you may very well see a couple that lamb in September.
Thanks. I had a feeling that could be true.
Fingers crossed that he missed them.
 

Ridgetop

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My White Dorpers routinely breed back 2-3 months after lambing if exposed to a ram. I usually wean lambs at 10-12 weeks old cold turkey. The rams go to auction and the ewe lambs stay in the creep while the mamas are turned out with the other (pregnant) ewes for a couple weeks before putting them in with the ram. Each ewe is different but if the ewes were cycling when he went in then yes you can expect lambs. If they twinned, then often they will have one lamb if they haven't put any weight back on. However, I have had older ewes that went ahead and twinned again even though they were barely in a 2.5-3 body condition. Too much condition can result in singles just as well as being under conditioned.
 

Ridgetop

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BTW, this is what this breed was developed for so don't worry. They can handle producing lambs this close together. If they look a bit thin, you can make sure they have good nutrition. Just don't feed too heavily because you don't want the unborn lambs to grow too big. You just want to give the ewe enough feed to help her milk for the ones she is still nursing, while allowing her to have enough to develop the new crop.
 
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