[Jacob-list] Jacob-list Digest, Vol 29, Issue 19

[Lynette Frick]

>

>

> I'm not sure how to tell when they are going to lamb by looking at the

> colostrum, in fact my best advice would be to not milk them at all before

> lambing. When you milk them you remove the protective plugs from the teats

> that keep out bacteria and debris, substancially increasing the risk of

> mastitis infection. It's good to strip the teats as soon as the lamb is born

> because the lamb will nurse and continually "clean" the teat and it helps

> the lamb get colostrum withought a struggle and possible starvation. In a

> dairying situation the teat is resealed every time with teat dip after being

> taken off the milking machine and the milker's hands and the udder are both

> sanitized very very well before milking.

>

You can get a general idea when they are going to lamb by looking at how

> full the ewes udder is for her body type, behavior, and her vulva although

> it's not a definate meathod. Their udders will be full to the teats and fill

> up the back to the attachment.Their vulvas will be extra dropped and

> puffy. They will act more nervous, usually quit eating (anywhere from a

> couple hours away to just ten min. before) and stay away from the rest of

> the flock, and their bellies tend to really drop the day they are going to

> lamb giving them a hollow appearance below their loin.

>

Udder size doesn't seem to matter in how close a ewe is to lambing other

> than it generally gets fuller, one of our first timers (2yr. old) had an

> udder a fourth the size of the others when the lamb was born and it is now

> more normal sized though still small compaired to my other ewes. We

> thought we missed a second breeding date possibly. Udder morphology and size

> are all dependant on genetics, although they can be slightly changed by age.

> If you can just try to keep a close eye on them they should be ok. If they

> are under weight start slowly on a grain regimine or they will be weak

> during lambing and get "sucked down" very fast. None of our ewes where

> skinny before but as most of them are super milkers with twins they loose

> weight fast.

>

We too lamb ours out in horse stalls(11'x17') that we converted to a lambing

> barn with a row of jugs down one side, althought the sheep are allowed

> outside freechoice. The barn doesn't have a breezeway but opens directly to

> the drop pen. We shut the top half of the dutch doors so that the sheep

> can come in but it cuts the breeze. The 6' isle way within the stall next to

> the jugs is also kept bedded for the ewes and when they want to lamb they go

> inside. If someone is there, then we preferably move them into the jug

> before they get into heavy labor, or directly after the lamb is born, and we

> always use 7% iodine on the navles. I sheared all of our ewes in

> late December because they have access to the barn at that time and I don't

> want their fleeces ruined, and as an added bonus when lambing comes they

> still have short enough fleeces to be temperature sensative and easily

> monitered. Our climate is rather mild, no snow.



 As for the feeders we use the large flat metal troughs you can purchase

> from the feed store. It really does keep most the feed off them except what

> they share with each other. I don't toss feed but drag the feeder next to

> the fence then drag it back, it takes a little time but it's worth it. I

> plan on fixing them up with a peice of plywood standing erect in the middle

> to keep the sheep from sleeping/ pooping in them. For an absolutely premium

> fleece you could coat your sheep. I would coat mine but I just can't afford

> the coats yet. Their is a Jacob  breeder that makes and sells custome sheep

> coats set up for jacob sheep with opening fronts

> http://www.schafewaldsheepfarm.com/main_page.html . I'm not sure exactly

> what the Premier pannel feeder looks like but if it has anywhere horns can

> get hung up it could be a bit of a worry. I took pictures of some of our

> ewes udders before and after lambing as references for next year. If you

> would like I could email you some pictures of the udders and our

> facility.



I hope this helps

Lynette Frick
IDEAL FARM
Jacob Sheep, Club lambs
www.idealjacobsheep.com


.............................................................................................................................................

> Subject: [Jacob-list] Newbie Lambing Questions

>

>

> Well, kinda Newbies.. Rusty at least, as it has been 10 yrs since my last

> lamb crop hit the ground, and this is the first crop of Jacobs.

>

> I have a few aged ewes that are bagging, and looking more  "ready'.   One

> ewe

> has sticky yellow syrupy clostrum.  Another  ewe has very little liquid

> but

> it is turning yellow, and another older ewe with  not much udder mass, and

> a

> tiny bit of clear liquid. I'm guessing the ewe with  the bigger bag should

> lamb

> in the next couple days.. Good assumption?

>

> I am awaiting the breeding dates of these girls, but know it should be

> soon

> as one of the ewes has a 10 day old lamb ( I've only owned this flock for

> 8

> days!)

>

> Anything out of the ordinary I should expect with Jacobs?  I am  lambing

> the

> ewes in my Horse foaling stalls.. I have 4 ewes per 16 x 14 stall  and

> have

> jugs available.  I had planned on letting the ewes lamb in the  stall and

> them

> move them to a jug once the lamb(s) are born.Is this a good  theory?  This

> is

> what we did with my Border Cheviots.

>

> I've been reading thru the archives, and see many different feedings

> practices, and am still working out the quirks of mine, but am curious if

> anyone  has

> successfully used any type of hay feeder?  I had the Premier panel  feeder

> made with wood for my sheep in the past.... I'm curious if this will

> work  if I

> change the angle of the "V" for the hay feeder and make it more of an

> acute

> triangle.. More  like 20 degrees instead of the 45 degree angle?

>

> My fleeces are in poor shape this year, as the ewes really broke

> wool..  They

> are out of Oklahoma, so I'm guessing the drought stressed them.  So  I'm

> not

> too worried about keeping the fleece clean for now, but would like

> to  keep

> them in better shape for next year.

>

> Any input you would like to give would be greatly appreciated!

>

>

>

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