With one exception, for the last twelve years my first lambs have always come on the 149th day after the bucks go in ( and I am very careful to keep a good fence between the bucks and ewes since I do NOT like surprises!) So I look for the first one to "pop" on February 26. Then begins three weeks of extreme sleep deprivation!
I must be one of the late ones around here. I never let my ram in after Halloween. I know, it makes for a long fall seperation. But we like the bitty lambs at Easter time. Makes great pictures with the kids and for those spring time school field trips out to the farm. Becky
Rory, Mecury and Zeus went in with the girls October 1, looking forward to little ones in about 3 weeks.
This year's first due date is March 20th. That is using a 145 day gestation average. We all know what THAT means, could be sooner, could be later...
We are due to start April 1. Hopefully the sheep know that!!! Can't wait to see how the genetics play out. Karen
My first year with sheep...and she lambed three weeks ago. Two happy lambs, male and female. My goats are due in mid-April...I think maybe I'll aim my ewe for that next year! Lots warmer then! Didn't get the choice this year. -Sarah
starting April 15 here according to the calendar and assuming 146 days. might try for March 21 next year if I get the barn fixed the way I want it. the morning of October 24 I found one of the rams in with the ewes with a big grin on his face tho'
15 ewes now (though if they didn't get bred at the farm where I bought them, they are due March 1), 8 due March 1, and 4 due around April 15. I'll probably breed for some fall lambs as well (the nice thing about these dorsets!). I wish I were lambing in warm weather! Leah
I just got my sheep last fall, 4 ewes, 1 ram. Ram did not come till Dec. I put the marker on him, he only breed 1 ewe. It will be May till she is due.
You know different breeds will breed more or less reliably year round. December is a perfectly good month(if getting a tad late for some) to breed sheep. I'm wondering why a ram would only breed one out of four. I suppose they might not be coming in heat, the ram might have had a problem, or they were already bred. Any signs you might be getting lambs earlier than expected?
Late April, I hope. We're not breeding for the Easter lamb market so why go early. We have less problems when it's warmer.
Had 4 ram lambs born in December. Expecting the next set any minute, I'll post separately about that as she's been having nothing but problems, well, at least according to me.
I got the ewes form an old man that could not take care of them anymore, there was not a ram there. So I know they were not breed already. The Ram is a Feb. ''03'' lamb maybe he is too young?
More a size thing than an age thing but sure that could have been his problem! At least you don't have to worry about early lambs! Those harnesses aren't 100% anyhow he may have bred more than you think
Hah, Ross could be right, maybe the ram took the marking crayon out, so you wouldn't know what he was up to! We only have 9 ewes, but the first lambs should hit the ground during the first week of March. Now, just hope we have decent weather then! Jan in CO
Cold weather can make those crayons stop marking and so can grime. I use them but I don't trust them.
I know what you mean about the marking crayons. I was sent some for warm temperatures, which is NOT what I ordered by the way, and they are very hard in the cold weather. It's some times hard to tell if a ewe was covered or just nudged! Now, with a cold weather crayon it was very clear! The crayon is soft and rubs off on everything!
