Sheep or domestic sheep are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term sheep can apply to other species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated sheep. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates.
Most ewes will lamb unaided, and about 95% of lambs are born in the normal presentation, forefeet first. A normal delivery usually takes 5 hours from the start of cervical dilation to the delivery of the lamb, 4 hours for the dilation of the cervix and 1 hour for the actual delivery.
This scenario is not uncommon in multiple births especially with later born lambs. In ewes with multiple litters the interval between birth of the lambs varies from 10 to 60 minutes; intervention should be considered if the interval is more than one hour.
Since ewes gestate for only five months, it is possible for them to lamb more often than once per year. While annual lambing is most common, lambing intervals of 8 months are also realistic, especially in the tropics and with breeds that are less seasonal in their breeding habits.
As labor progresses, the ewe will spend more time lying down on her side with her head turned in the air. Eventually, a large "bubble" or water bag will appear, break, and expel the water. At this time, the tip of the nose and front feet of the lamb can be felt. The lamb is expelled.
'How can you tell when a sheep is in labour?'
Restless standing up and lying down. Pawing at the ground – scratching up a soft 'nest' for the lamb to be born into. Visible straining at regular intervals. Visible mucus, water bag or a pair of feet protruding from the ewe's back end!
Newborn lambs are susceptible to hypothermia due to their large body surface area in relation to body weight, and relatively low energy reserves. Lamb should receive adequate intakes of colostrum within 30-60 minutes after birth.
First things first, lambs will be born when they are ready and that means it could be any time of the day or night. While most of our lambs are born between 4:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., there are always a few born during the night.
A mucus discharge — clear or slightly bloody — will be apparent, sometimes up to two days before lambing, and up to a week after giving birth. The ewe will lie down, sometimes “sit” down with only her back end down, and her nose pointed up.
Lambing Kit
Most ewes will lamb within an hour of their water breaking, therefore ewes must be checked at least once per hour.
If a ewe presents with a dead or rotten lamb and a caesarean section is not appropriate then your vet may carry out an embryotomy, where the dead lamb is removed vaginally following surgical dissection.
The ewe will paw and move around after the birth like she's still giving birth, but that's here clearing the rest of the afterbirth out of her body.
Dystocia (difficulty in lambing)
Difficult birth can be caused by the lamb being too large for the ewe's birth canal. This can be avoided by ensuring ewes are correct size and body condition, as well as selecting rams with an ASBV for smaller lambs, especially for maiden ewe flocks.
Pregnant women who come into close contact with sheep during lambing, or other farm animals that are giving birth, may put themselves and their unborn child at risk of contracting an infectious disease sometimes carried by these pregnant farm animals. Some of these diseases can cause an abortion in people.
AN AMBITIOUS young farmer thought he was seeing double when a sheep gave birth to a second lamb – six weeks after she delivered her first. A double birth separated by several weeks is a relatively rare occurrence in the sheep world and nine-year-old Joshua Thompson said he was delighted with the unexpected arrival.
Ewes often deliver standing up, however ewes may lay down on their sides. While on her side, a ewe may hold her legs straight out or off the ground. Ewes should still be able to keep their heads upright during this time. A ewe unable to lift her head may be in distress.
It is normal for new babies to sleep a lot – newborn lambs will sleep for 12–16 hours a day. We will probably keep or sell most of the female lambs as pedigree breeding stock, most of the males will go for meat with a few of the best sold as breeding rams.
Colostrum the fuel for life
The feeding of sufficient good quality colostrum immediately after birth will reduce losses from both hypothermia and disease. Careful feeding of the in-lamb ewe is critical to stimulate the production of quality colostrum and ensures that lambs get the best start in life.
Some ewes will eat the afterbirth, but this should be prevented as it can lead to digestive disturbance. as the colostrum contains antibodies to give the lamb immediate protection against infectious agents common to the flock. All lambs should nurse or be tube fed colostrum within 6 - 8 hours of birth.
The lower critical temperature for freshly shorn sheep is 50 degrees. Sheep with 2.5 inches of fleece have a LCT of 28 degrees. Goats are generally considered to have a LCT of 32 degrees.
Good quality pastures often meet the nutritional needs of a pregnant ewe, but she may need supplemented with concentrates as she enters late gestation. Pasture should be maintained at four inches in height or taller to help prevent sheep from consuming parasite larva.
Nutrition During Late Gestation
To meet the increased energy needs during this period, it is often necessary to feed concentrates (grain), especially if the ewe is pregnant with multiple fetuses. In addition, if forage quality is low, it may be necessary to provide a supplemental source of protein and calcium.
Ewes may reject their lambs for numerous reasons, including the mother being injured or sick, a difficult or traumatic birth, sickness in the lamb, the lamb having an inability to nurse or the mother lacking enough or any milk, too many lambs being born, or the lamb being unable to keep up with the flock while in the ...