The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: sophie_aj on October 30, 2015, 07:01:36 pm
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So it turns out that my two gimmers who were in with a small flock were in with a ram since August. I saw him and assumed he was a teaser. Turns out he's not. Any thoughts on when might be the earliest time they could lamb. Not really sure what strategy they were employing...
My two are a texel/llyen and mule. Just pets. The rest for the flock are scottish blackfaces as was the tup.
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Oh dear, that's annoying.
In theory, if they were with a tup in August they could lamb any time from January - it's 147 days, usually calculated as '5 months forward and 4 days back'.
In practise, in Cumbria, Blackies probably wouldn't get busy before October, which would give March lambs.
I don't know where you are and whether the sheep get active earlier thereabouts.
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Location is scottish Borders.
Wondering whether my two could start cycling before the rest of blackies anyway due to different breed?
Is pretty annoying since the original plan was to move them before tupping but I doubt they'd go through the whole of October without catching?
My only hope is hopefully easier lambing to a blackie tup.
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Our Mules don't come a-tupping until October - but that could be different if they're running with a tup, of course.
We have had Texel types lamb earlier, the very earliest was 4th Jan! But that was a one-off, other 'earliest' dates are generally mid-Feb, we had a Jan 31st once.
(BH used to leave a tup with ewes just to see what happened; now we have Charollais genes in the mix, we daren't do this! :o)
Hasn't whoeever's been looking after them noticed the tup getting busy?
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Oh dear! What breed is your tup? Its a bit backwards but you could leave them with your tup (if he's a small lamb breed) and if he tups them they're not pregnant!!
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Tup is a blackie. Both sheep have now left the field. So guess it's the old wait and see!
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Well, you could get them scanned in a few months, or you could borrow a teaser to see if they come a-tupping. Or keep them next door to a tup provided the fences are good!
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If you can't get them scanned you might want to think about feeding and a booster vaccination coming up to the possible lambing time. If Papa is a Blackie you're unlikely to get lambing problems and the lambs should be up and suckling quickly.