Southdowns are my main breed and I expect my ewes to produce and rear good twins until at least 13 years old. One of the problems with sheep of any breed that haven't been kept on commercial lines is that they become pets and are kept and bred from when on a commercial farm they would have been culled and their lambs finished, not kept for breeding. In our flock anything needing more than a pull at lambing, failing to mother up immediately, having too little milk, not keeping her condition through lactation or getting in lamb within the 3 weeks that the ram is in for - GOES. All the ewes still have all their teeth and I haven't seen mastitis for four years. I don't, however, show my sheep or buy show quality rams. Everything here has to be as tough as old boots and, apart from the ewes in late pregnancy, get by without any hard feed.