[Jacob-list] big/small lambs?

[Melanie Boxall]

We do weigh, simply because all our less than perfect lambs get sold to a Greek restauranteur and we need a guide to how big they'll be for the Greek Orthodox Easter (24th April this year), and I've never had a single below 6lbs or a twin below 4lbs. I would tentatively suggest that anything smaller is premature? Biggest was 11lbs, a single ram, and he went in OUR freezer for bad markings. Plug ugly. Massive head.

Melanie
In medio stat virtus

http://ministats.free.fr/world_redirection.php?ville=obsville




  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: paintedrockfarm at aol.com 
  To: patchworkfibers at alltel.net ; jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 8:51 PM
  Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] big/small lambs?


  HI Linda,

  Our lambs tend to remain on the large side right from birth but seem to be smaller as yearlings than others I've compared too....hmmmm

  Our flock matriarch, Barking Rock Brie, routinley popped 10 lb twins with ease for many years - last 2 times we bred her at 10 & 11 yrs., she singled each time with 12 lb. lambs.  Most of our lambs average 7-8 lbs. even for twins, triplets generally 6-7 lbs. each.  Single births hover around the 9 lb. mark most years.

  Exceptions, yes....Sweetgrass Tegwen always has tiny babies! 4-5 lbs. tops, all ewe lambs thus far too.  Birch, Layleigh's dam, singled for us one year and delivered a 13 lb. lamb with very little trouble.  She is a bigger Culloden (Fieldwood) ewe and a good thing or she might not have had him.  

  One of our triplet mom's, Brighton Pansy, averages close to 7-8 lbs. even with triplets -- WOW!

  B-T-W we normally feed hay only until after lambing so not sure why the big babies.  We grain our l acting ewes and/or any ewe who seems to not have wintered well for the last 2 weeks of gestation.  Those we grain and those we don't still have 7-8 lb. lambs, mostly twins.  We found more triplet births in years we did a flushing program and more singles in damp summer/fall.  just some observances over the years.

  It has been like that since our first lambing year and we weigh each lamb at birth, then 2 days (tagging & docking) where we see most have already gained at least a pound, sometimes more. Weighing again at a week or two, then 30 days and monthly as best we can.

  Certainly seems interesting!

  Cheryl in WV


  -----Original Message-----
  From: Linda <patchworkfibers at alltel.net>
  To: Jacob-list <Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
  Sent: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 6:36 pm
  Subject: [Jacob-list] big/small lambs?


  What's the biggest and smallest lambs (at birth) you've ever had? I admit that I don't usually weigh lambs anymore unless they are really big or really small. As long as they are healthy and vigorous, I'm happy. 
  My smallest lamb was barely 3 lbs and born last year. He's not a huge yearling now, but doesn't look out of place with the other yearling rams.  My biggest lamb was 11 lbs. He was a difficult birth for his dam (who was somewhat overweight).  Most of my lambs are 5 to 6 lbs.

  Linda
   
  www.patchworkfibers.com
  Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun Yarn
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