Mary
Had a Little Lamb
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Why are most lambs born in the spring? Ewes
are seasonal, short-day breeders. In temperate climates, nature
meant for sheep to mate in the fall, so that lambs would be
born in the spring when the weather is mild and the grass is
plentiful, thus enhancing the lambs' chances for survival. Through
selection and management, the sheep's natural breeding patterns
have been altered. |
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Mating
During their fertile period, ewes will come into estrus
(heat) every 17 days until they are bred or their fertile period
is over. Only during estrus will a ewe allow a ram to mate with
her. The duration of estrus is 24 to 36 hours. A ewe in heat will
seek out a ram. During the peak of estrus, the ewe may sniff,
lick, or nuzzle the ram. She may fan her tail. The classic behavioral
response of the ram when it detects a ewe in heat is to lift his
nose into air and curl his upper lip. This is called the Flehmen
response. A fit mature ram can easily mate 100 ewes, though
a ratio of 1 ram per 30 ewes is more common. Rams can be racist,
showing a preference to mate ewes of their own breed. |
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Pregnant Katahdin Ewe |
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Pregnancy Though it depends on breed and management, ewes can become mothers before they reach their first birthday. For some producers, it is common to breed ewes for the first time when they are 7 to 9 months old, whereas other producers delay breeding until the ewes are approximately 1 1/2 years old. A ewe is pregnant for 142 to 152 days (about five months). Pregnancy is also called gestation.Since ewes are only preganant for five months, it is possible for ewes to give birth to lambs at an interval of every six to eight months. Annual lambing (every 12 months) is most common.
During her last month of pregnancy, the ewe needs extra nutrition because her lambs are growing rapidly inside of her (70 percent during the last six weeks), and she needs to start producing milk for them. If she eats too much extra feed, she may have trouble delivering her lambs, because they may get too big and she may get too fat. If she doesn't eat enough, she may get sick because the growing lambs are taking all of her food intake. It is common to vaccinate ewes (for various clostridial diseases) during the last month of pregnancy. This is a method of passing immunity onto newborn lambs. It is also common to deworm ewes prior to lambing. This is because a ewe's immunity to internal parasites is compromised when she lambs. |
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![]() Katahdin Ewe and Lambs |
![]() Southdown Ewe and Lambs |
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Singles, Twins, and Triplets Ewes usually give birth to 1 to 3 lambs at each birth. Twin births (two babies) is most common in well-managed flocks, though first time mothers are more likely to have single lambs. Ewes produce their largest litters of lambs when they are between 3 and 6 years of age. There are some breeds of sheep that can produce "litters" of lambs -- four, five or six lambs at one time! The most "prolific" sheep breeds are the Barbados Blackbelly, Finn Sheep, and Romanov. Ewes need a lot more food to take of three or four lambs. Sometimes, the "extra" lambs need to be raised artificially. Because sheep are often raised in harsh environments, sometimes it is more desirable for a ewe to have just one lamb. This is because there may not be enough food for the ewe to carry two lambs or produce milk for two lambs. Or if the flock has to travel far for food and water, it is better to have one big strong lamb, than two or three smaller lambs that may struggle to keep up and eventually die.
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![]() Barbdos Blackbelly Ewe with Lambs |
![]() Merino Ewe with Lamb |
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The weight of newborn lambs varies by breed, sex (ram or ewe), birth type (single, twin, or triplet), and ewe nutrition. Lambs from medium to small breeds are similar in size to human babies, usually between 6 and 10 pounds. When birth weights get too heavy (relative to the size of the breed), difficult births can be encountered. |
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Last updated 15-Feb-2005 by Susan Schoenian.
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