SheepGirl's 2014 Lambing Thread

[SheepGirl]

Check out lambing journals from past years: 2012 2013

COMPLETE RE-CAP OF THE LAMBING SEASON: http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/sheepgirls-2014-lambing-thread.27030/page-13#post-359693

FLOCK SIRE

Introducing my ram for his second year in a row, SFF HANK. Born February 2011.

MATURE EWES

#44 - Ciqala, born May 2006
1/2 Montadale x 1/2 Babydoll Southdown
Lambing Record: 1-2-2-2-3 ~ Lambs Expected: 1-2
DATE BRED: 9/22/13 DATE DUE: 2/13/14
TRIPLETS - 2/15/14 - Ram (7.0 lbs), Ewe (8.2 lbs), Ram (7.6 lbs)

#73 - Ali, born March 2009
1/4 Montadale x 3/4 Babydoll Southdown
Lambing Record: 1-2-1 ~ Lambs Expected: 2
DATE BRED: 10/19/13 DATE DUE: 3/12/14
TWINS - 3/13/14 - Ram (8.8 lbs), Ewe (8.8 lbs)

YEARLING EWES

#9 - Lady Gaga, born May 2012
1/4 Montadale x 3/4 Babydoll Southdown
Lambing Record: x ~ Lambs Expected: 1
DATE BRED: 10/15/13 DATE DUE: 3/8/14
SINGLE - 3/9/14 - Ram (10.2 lbs)

#10 - Katy Perry, born May 2012
1/4 Montadale x 3/4 Babydoll Southdown
Lambing Record: 1 ~ Lambs Expected: 1-2
DATE BRED: 10/23/13 DATE DUE: 3/16/14
TWINS - 3/15/14 - Ram (7.6 lbs), Ewe (5.0 lbs)

EWE LAMBS

#13 - Rosie, born March 2013
1/2 Texel x 1/8 Montadale x 3/8 Babydoll Southdown
Lambing Record: x ~ Lambs Expected: 1
DATE BRED: 10/8/13 DATE DUE: 3/1/14
SINGLE - 3/4/14 - Ram (10.0 lbs)

#15 - Bella, born March 2013
1/2 Texel x 1/4 Montadale x 1/4 Babydoll Southdown
Lambing Record: x ~ Lambs Expected: 1
DATE BRED: 10/16/13 DATE DUE: 3/9/14
SINGLE - 3/9/14 - Ram (8.4 lbs)

 

[SheepGirl]

Sept 21 - Ewes were started on 1/4 lb of grain per head.
Sept 22 - Hank went under his fence, was chasing around #44 (Ciqala). Problem fixed, he's been in his pen since then. #17 (Emmett) was moved back in the ram pen.
Sept 23 - Grain for the ewe flock was increased to 1/2 lb of grain per head.
Sept 30 - All ewes were given a health check (by me) to determine their weight and BCS. Eyes, teeth, and hooves were looked at.

Oct 5 - Hank was turned out with the ewes and fitted with a marking harness with a blue crayon.
Oct 8 - Rosie was bred.
Oct 15 - Lady Gaga was bred.
Oct 16 - Bella was bred.
Oct 19 - Ali was bred.
Oct 23 - Katy Perry was bred. Marking crayon color changed to red. Ram lambs moved out into the field.

Nov 15 - All sheep were weighed and body condition scored.

DUE DATES
Feb 13 - Ciqala (bred 9/22 - presumably) - Lamb(s) will be 1/2 Texel x 1/4 Babydoll Southdown x 1/4 Montadale
Mar 1 - Rosie - Lamb(s) will be 3/4 Texel x 3/16 Babydoll Southdown x 1/16 Montadale
Mar 8 - Lady Gaga - Lamb(s) will be 1/2 Texel x 3/8 Babydoll Southdown x 1/8 Montadale
Mar 9 - Bella - Lamb(s) will be 3/4 Texel x 1/8 Babydoll Southdown x 1/8 Montadale
Mar 12 - Ali - Lamb(s) will be 1/2 Texel x 3/8 Babydoll Southdown x 1/8 Montadale
Mar 16 - Katy Perry - Lamb(s) will be 1/2 Texel x 3/8 Babydoll Southdown x 1/8 Montadale

 

[EllieMay]

I wish you an awesome breeding season!

Can't wait to see the lambs next year!!!

 

[SheepGirl]

Thanks EllieMay When are you breeding your ewes?

 

[EllieMay]

I just put my ram in with the older girls on Saturday.
There were four girls immediately lined up in front of his face! LOL
I am not breeding any of my ewe lambs this year since I'm thinking of saving them for Spring breeding/Fall lambing.

I enjoy looking at all the pics you post!!!

 

[SheepGirl]

Thank you

-----

At 221 days old, Rosie was bred (Tuesday). That means we have our first due date of March 1 (144 days)! We will see if she gets remarked in about 2 weeks.

 

[SheepGirl]

Hank has been in with the ewes for 10 days and has only marked one ewe. Needless to say I am a little frustrated, lol. Ciqala was being chased by Hank on Sept 22 when he escaped from his pen so she should have been marked by now so we may have Feb babies by now IF she was in heat then. I never saw him breed her but he was following her around a lot. Then again when I introduced him to the flock 10 days ago he was chasing after everybody just because he was excited. I hope no one was bred in August when he was escaping before I fixed his pen with the cattle panel...that would mean Jan babies and my feeding schedule would be wayyy off.

 

[BrownSheep]

Welcome to my world! No marking harnesses here!

Our breeder this year has been in and out since august ....Don't ask me why but he'll go from the ewes pasture, back to the ram pasture, just to jump the two fences to get back into the ewe pasture.

We have ram lambs in there who I know are breeding since I've seen it, too!

If they start cycling like they usually do we'll have two or three go the end of Jan. The rest will start going the end of February till April. ....All the while we really didn't want lambs till May!.

 

[SheepGirl]

Oh my goodness BrownSheep!

I think I spoke too soon though. Got home Tuesday night and Lady Gaga was bred (508 days old) and Wednesday morning Bella was bred (223 days old).

So far the only ewes marked are first timers! I hope Ciqala was bred earlier so I can steal some of her colostrum in case I need it. I never got any this past year even though I meant to.

~~~~~

So the average age of first heat for my 2012 ewe lambs is: 359.5 days
* Katy Perry ~ 211 days (6 months, 27 days)
* Lady Gaga ~ 508 days (1 year, 4 months, 20 days)

So the average age of first heat for my 2013 ewe lambs is: 222 days
* Rosalie ~ 221 days (7 months, 7 days)
* Bella ~ 223 days (7 months, 9 days)

Collectively the average age of first heat is 290.75 days
The average age of first heat for those bred under 1 year is 218.33 days

 

[SheepGirl]

Woke up this morning to a mark on Ali's butt.