What to do about the maternity ward?

[peteyfoozer]

I have some 2 yr old Dorper x but they were bred when I got them and I have NO idea what month! One is quite wide, her vulva has been 'plating' her udder is swollen and actually waxing. So...she could go anytime between now, and I guess months from now..
DH has not put a roof on the lambing shed yet...so it will be soaking wet in there. There IS a 12x8 cattle panel shelter she shares with 5 others in a VERY large corral. What is your suggestions that I do about lambing her? (I am tempted to drag her into our bedroom as an incentive for him to get the gol-derned roof on!)

 

[peteyfoozer]

I guess what I am asking is...is she SAFE if she lambs around the other sheep?

 

[BeccaJoVon]

I am in the same situation as you in that I was given a couple of bred ewes and even the original owner had no idea when they were bred. There are people who have sheep thrown out in the pasture and let them be and they reproduce and do fine overall. If I had 50 or so, I probably would not worry too much about it. We are still in the fencing process, so I only have a little pen for the other four, who are less than a year old and still like to run, bounce, and kick up their heels, so I separated the two pregnant ewes away from the rest because I don't want to take any chances. I'm also trying to befriend the ewes before they lamb. They have actually started rubbing against my leg to get to the feed, so we have made progress. Maybe I'll be able to get my hands on the babies!

At the least, I would have a separate place for them to lamb and maybe stay separated long enough for the mother to bond with the babies so you're sure the babies are nursing--even if it's just a panel pen. I'll be interested to see what you do.

Good luck!

 

[Beekissed]

The farmer from whom I purchase sheep keeps all his sheep in a very large barn area...when it's lambing time he just constructs lambing "jugs" by placing pallets into small cubicles and ties them together with baling twine. He keeps each ewe and her offspring in the jug for a couple of days to see if they are bonding, then he lets them out into the herd in the larger areas.

This seems to be the way of all the sheep farmers I have visited....if you have a large shelter that is covered, you could just construct a small jug in one corner and place her there for observation. As long as she doesn't lose sight of the rest of the sheep, she shouldn't be bothered by this separation at all.

 

[peteyfoozer]

Is this before or after they lamb? My bigger problem is that I have no idea when she is due...although that is not a bad idea, if i can get food and water to her.
Thanks for the input!

 

[Beekissed]

Some before if they look like they are near...as long as they have water and hay they seem quite content. If they don't catch them before they lamb, they just jug them when they first notice they have lambed. They also tightly jug a sheep that is trying to reject a lamb so she can't keep moving away from him and he can take a nip now and again, or they can hold her and let him nurse.

 

[peteyfoozer]

Great. It's probably doable then. I hope I can catch her BEFORE she lambs as I am worried about navel ill. The corral isn't the most sanitary place right now!

 

[Beekissed]

Petey, I just LOVE your avatar!!!! What an adorable pic! That poor dog looks like she'd like to be anywhere but under a ton of lambs.... She has a very, "Thank you kindly for the kisses...but no thanks." look on her/his face.

Mine didn't stay jugged too long....after the lambing, the nursing and a little down time, I let them out with the others on pasture and all was well.

 

[ShadyAcres]

PF

I raise Dorper (White) and do not jug them. I have 1 big lambing per year mid to late winter - of older ewes, and 1st time ewes lamb a little later. Our lambing will start late Feb this year, later than usual.

All ewes are together until about 1 month before lambing starts when I begin to give grain to preg ewes 3-4 weeks before lambing. When lamb is born I wait until dry and bonded with mom then move them to a different pasture. Moms get more food and have creep area available for babies. Would like to separate single and twins, established and new moms, but just dont have enough area separated out for that.

Lambing field has access to a small 3 sided barn and a large brush pile they use as wind block. Maternity field has a hay barn with a few stalls. If I expect a lamb during extreme weather I will try to encourage them to stay under cover but dont pen them up. I have moved moms with small lambs to big barn during ice storms, but they rarely stay. If weather is bad and a ewe is looking close, I will check several times a night / early morning. My LGSs are good at letting me know when one is here or on the way as they are right there at the birth.

Problems that I have had: First ewe that lambed 2 yrs ago, another ewe stole 1 of the twins. The thieving mom was not due for another week so I bottle fed the baby as original mom didnt want it back. Did not want it to nurse the preg ewe as its lambs would not have the needed colostrum. I later grafted him onto a different ewe that had a single. I had 2 ewes a mother and daughter lamb at same time in close to the same spot. Fortunately I saw what lamb belonged to what mom as the 2 ewes raised the 4 lambs together. Sometimes all 4 babies would try to nurse one mom!

Most hair sheep breeders that I know lamb outside. Of course, we are farther south than you are (Tennessee) and winters are much milder, but the extreme changes of temps can cause problems as well (yesterday near 60 deg, today with wind chill in single digits).

Cold weather is typically not big a concern but wind and wet weather is. Constructing something simple such as pallets on their sides with a tarp over top is better than nothing. I have also used flexible stock panels (like hoop coops for chickens) for portable shelters.

 

[peteyfoozer]

I will separate the 2 girls that are getting close. Thanks for the input!