[Jacob-list] Ewe rejecting second twin

[shmee1 at mail.com]

Last year we had a ewe reject one of her twins, I know it was hers because she was the only one that had lambed that day.  We tried and tried to convince her that it was her lamb but eventually it became a bottle lamb.

This year she only had one lamb when I went out to check on her, so I put her in a pen and hung out in the barn to keep an eye on her.  After a half hour of waiting I figured only one lamb and had to get back into the house.  Now this lamb was already standing and nursing, so at least 10 min old.  About 2 hours later my husband went out and found a second lamb which she was rejecting.

Could she be rejecting this lamb because she had it so long after the first?  My husband says she's should be going to the freezer but I'm not so sure. She did clean off the lamb after it was born.  Do you think it has anything to do with the fact that she had let the first one nurse before the second was born? I find normally they don't let the first nurse until the second is born.

Any thoughts?

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