[Jacob-list] Ewe rejecting second twin

[Cheryl Gordon]

I had a couple of ewes do that last year. I think that they were so focused on the first lamb and literally dropped the second lamb so easily that they didn't even realize they had birthed the second one. So, the mental switch didn't flip and they couldn't count to two. (I know Jacobs are smarter, but they are still sheep...) Mine also cleaned the second lamb, but evidently thought they were still licking the first one. I spent two days or so, physically holding the ewe every couple hours so that the rejected lamb could nurse. Once her milk started to get thru its system and the lamb started to smell like her the ewe came around in both cases. It did take a bunch of time, but just for those two days. Everyone is different, but for me it was worth it to not have to bottle feed.

Ways to help the "smell equation" included rubbing the other lamb's poo on the rejected lambs bottom. For the one ewe I also used some Vicks on the ewes nose and on both lambs, so that she couldn't tell them apart. I did watch them carefully to be sure that the ewes didn't hurt the lambs, in my case they just ignored them and weren't butting the lambs or anything.

Both ewes twinned again this year and accepted both lambs with no problems this time around.  My lambs also usually nurse within 10-15 minutes of birth. Second lamb coming doesn't really seem to be part of the nursing equation for my ewes, I think the first lamb usually does nurse before the second one is born. 

Good luck,
Cheryl Gordon

-----Original Message-----
From: shmee1 at mail.com [mailto:shmee1 at mail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2012 11:07 AM
To: 
Subject: [Jacob-list] Ewe rejecting second twin

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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