[Jacob-list] breeding lambs

[Paul and Kate Survis]

I breed my ewe lambs, and so far they always take, but are later than the
others to lamb.  We breed Market lambs for 4 H and so we try to lamb in
February, which can be a trial here in the cold NE Oregon mountains.  By the
time everyone has lambed I have had my fill of cold snowy starlit nights.  I
always try to jug the moms and lambs for a couple of days , just to be
certain everything is going OK, and also because they always lamb out on the
ice and snow, not in the straw under cover. It is often 10 degrees or less
when they lamb, and I have found that if I make sure the lamb is really dry,
and bedded on dry straw, and eating, they don't seem to mind the cold at
all.  I have not used coats, although I often think about it.  I know that a
coat too soon could confuse some of my ewes.  They need to be able to smell
and lick those babies.
The Jacobs are 100% better mothers, even the first time ewe lambs. Last year
I had a ewe lamb who had not lambed by the end of April and  we had given up
on her.  We had turned the ewes and lambs out to pasture, and when my son
came home from school he looked out and saw a new lamb up on the hill.  The
1st time mom had lambed in May out in the pasture.  Since he knew she was a
first time mom, my son ran out to get them in the jug.  He scooped up the
new born lamb, and carried it low so the mom could see him. As he started
toward the lambing pen jugs the new mom came running up behind and knocked
my son flat on the ground.  Pretty good for a first time mom!!  Anyway they
both did fine, and my son learned a lesson about Jacob mommas.  The market
lamb ewes on the other hand would gladly let you take their babies away and
never remember they had them.  By the second year they generally have the
hang of it though.
We try to keep everyone on pasture as long as possible.  I grain the market
ewes during breeding and then lay off grain until a couple of weeks before
lambing.  At this point the Jacobs are with the Market ewes and they get
grain as well.  When the grass gives out, and the snow is too deep, I feed a
grass alfalfa mix hay.  I continue to grain for the first 3 weeks after
lambing, and I do creep feed as the Jacobs are with our fast growing Market
lambs. As soon as possible, usually late April, everyone is out on good
grass pasture.  This year all of our February Market lambs were between 130
and 160 pounds by August, and the February Jacobs wethers that I sold in
August averaged 92 pounds.  One late February lamb weighed 17 pounds at
birth, and sold at an early June fair weighing 145.  Pretty amazing how fast
these guys can grow.
Anyway, my thought is if the ewe is ready to lamb her first year she will.
I generally have pretty good sized ewe lambs, and don't worry about them
birthing, especially since those Jacob lambs are so small. Last year the
Jacob lambs only weighed between 3.5lbs for a twin, to  7lbs for a big ram
lamb single.    The Jacob ewes really have fantastic mothering abilities,
and I would think they could probably handle the whole experience without my
help....but I can't help myself, so I watch them like a hawk.
Kate Barrett
Ruby Peak jacobs
Lostine, OR
-----Original Message-----
From: J Thomas <shepherdofspots at yahoo.com>
To: MMATHIOW at aol.com <MMATHIOW at aol.com>; jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
<jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2001 7:27 AM
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] breeding lambs


>Missed out on last week's breeding discussion -- older
>daughter moved from NC to CT. She's safely arrived,
>but freezing!
>
>Anyway, I leave all my ewes in together. Small acreage
>does not allow me to separate into younger and older
>ewe breeding groups. If they conceive in their first
>year, they lamb (and I watch them carefully). If they
>do not and do not conceive their SECOND year, then
>they are sold for pets, fleece, etc.
>
>Since our breeding season started in September this
>year (during a cold spell), I anticipate lambs January
>- March. Last year's lambs were born in February. A
>bit cold and rainy, but I moved them into a horse
>stall (divided into lambing jugs) for a couple of
>days. They also have a pallet and tarp shelter in
>their main pasture.  For this year, I am also making
>some lamb coats (sewn like mini horse or dog blankets)
>just in case I need to keep little ones warm.
>
>This is so interesting hearing about how different
>parts of the country schedule their breeding season so
>lambs don't arrive in nasty winter weather.
>
>Joy
>
>=====
>Joy Thomas, Son-Rise Farm
>Home of Jacob Sheep
>http://home.infospace.com/sonspots1
>
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