The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Hillview Farm on December 31, 2014, 05:44:30 pm
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Got a ewe who when scanned showed up empty. She was sponged and jabbed with the group and covered on the day the ram went in as they all were and didn't repeat. Ram was in for 8 weeks.
He saw no sign of recently loosing the pregnancy. Any ideas? Seems odd she didn't come back in heat. Otherwise a fit healthy ewe.
Likely to come cycling if she goes back in with the rams?
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Plenty of time between the tup and scanning for any number of things to happen---how many were barren out of the bunch?
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Just her and one other who just didn't hold and kept being recovered every 17 days
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so that's 2 barren out of how many?
Get rid of the barreners ----it's all part of getting a fit and productive flock
They are at fault somewhere, they don't fit in and need to go
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I had a Badger Face shearling last year who was tupped but did not produce any lambs. I didn't have the ewes scanned and I assumed she aborted for some reason, but no idea when. The tup was with the ewes until about 6 weeks prior to lambing. She gets one more chance and this year I am getting them scanned.
So does that leave you with the same question about why she aborted and did not cycle again?
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It is possible if they are scanned too soon nothing shows up, if they are due to lamb a lot later than the rest, but it would depend on your dates.
Did she have any trouble lambing last year (if she did)? It can affect their ability to hold the tup if they've had a problem when lambing.
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Many possible reasons - an infection in early pregnancy that showed no outward symptoms, genetic problem with the foetus that caused it to be reabsorbed, poor insemination technique, enzootic abortion ..... If she's exceptionally good it might be worth running her through another tupping season (wouldn't put her with the tup now, unless you want to lamb in June - probably too late anyway, unless she's a Poll Dorset) but otherwise I'd cull.