The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: PPF on March 31, 2013, 08:18:22 am
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Hi All
I bought two Zwartble Ewes which were in Tup. One dropped down dead a few weeks ago, but the other is just fine.
The chap I bought them from says that the one I have is in tup and should have been due on 24th or 26th of this Month.
I feed her Ewe nuts every day and have been keeping her in with all this bad weather. Apart from her peeing lots and a little bag which formed some weeks ago, I'm really not sure.
How long could she hold on for. Are there any other signs I can look for?
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Her udder should be noticeably enlarging if she is inlamb, and should be full by now if she is that much overdue. You could check with the breeder whether its possible she could have taken on a later cycle but otherwise suspect she may not be inlamb which is disappointing.
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Thanks Blacksheep.
The guy I bought them from had written down the dates the tup's raddle had marked her. Once on the 24th and once on the 26th October. He's been and checked on her since and says he's sure he can feel a lamb in there.
Her udder is only very small and started to come up in Feb. It's not huge at all.
Am I right in thinking that the Ewe nuts are the cause of the small udders?
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She's at day 156. When should I start to let her back out in the field and go back to normal?
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This is my experience from this year With My shearlings. I found in Feb(6-7weeks away from lambing) they had an udder, Couldn't see it but can defo feel it. My girls are now 10 days away and my ewes carrying twins have MASSIVE udders and are doing there best john wayne impressions. But my ewes with the singles still only have a very small udder, half the size of the ewes carrying twins. So maybe your ewe is carrying a single hence a smaller bag and maybe the bloke has the wrong dates. It seems odd she was tupped twice over two days as i didn't think they cycled for 2 days....
Maybe the ram lost his colour mark on the raddle one day and he got her then! I'd let her out side in the day if you can and in at night.
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He did say he thought she was carrying a single lamb and I must say he's not the most organised person either!
I do let her out when the weather is nice and leave the stable door open.
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Keep an eye on her, she probably had another cycle.
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The Only way he can be certain of his dates is if he took the ram out after. If it was left in there is every chance he got her later. I had 3 tupped but were 3 weeks late so obviously am was a bit too keen and they weren't cycling. Rams sometimes jump in ewes and therefore mark them but if not in season they'll walk away. Unless colour marker was changed you wouldn't know.
As long as she doesn't look distressed I'd just keep an eye on her. I have one with a small udder and I don't know if she is in lamb or not. She should have lambed on 22nd but same happened last year and she dropped eventually in May.