[shotblastuk]

I'm having a problem with a ewes aggressive behavior towards her lambs.
She lambed yesterday mornng and all was fine for a few hours. She then started to butt both of them aggressively when ever they were in front of her to the point where she would have caused damage. I decided to pen them off so she can see them and get them out to feed from her. Apart from the butting everything else is normal  she lets them feed with no problems, reacts when they call and 'talks' back. In fact she is a good Mother in all respects beside the butting.
Anyone had any similar situations and any successfull solutions? She is a first timer and had a normal lambing and is doing well with plenty of milk. Generally a dozy ewe but something just doesn't seem to be clicking.

[Jamie12]

I had one to had to halter, she was fine afterwards.

[Hellybee]

These rookies can be awkward, she sounds a little spun out by it all.  If she is with others, if she were here we would give her own quarters, maybe give the lambs a good rub in her face.  Is she feeding them nicely?

[Hellybee]

Sorry as I see now, she's penned ( sorry I can't scroll down and post with the iPad) then I would try Jamies  approach

[Buffy the eggs layer]

It takes a ewe around 6 hours to recognise her lambs using a combination of apearance, smell and sound. When they but them they usually also refuse them food and yet call to them ( or some other imaginary lambs)


When they suckle their heads get anointed with the oils that secrete from the ewes groin area and start to take on a recognisable smell. Laying with her in a small bonding pen also helps this familiarity and intimacy develop along with the combined scent.


I use a leather half check dog collar on mine and tie them up with a training lead. When they go to head butt the collar tightens but only a short way so its a negative association but it dosent choke them or make them panic. As they get more interested in the lambs the lead is extended so they can turn to nudge and lick them. When I feel that they have got used to the idea of motherhood the collar is removed. It takes about 4 hours for mine but my neighbour ties his suffolks with baler band for 24 hours.


I always make sure that the ewe has hay and water at her head.

[SallyintNorth]

You say she is a normal mother in other respects, and does let them feed.  So I would say it is that they are hungrier than her milk supply; she lets them feed till it's all gone, they're still hungry so keep trying, she pushes them off.  Normal, necessary behaviour - they have to learn that they can't keep pulling on her empty teats; if she let them do that she would soon be down with mastitis.

Either top them up so they don't remain hungry after feeding time, and/or get her out onto your very best grass and give her plenty of good cake too.  Outside on grass she should make more milk, so they may get sated or more nearly so, plus there won't be hard lambing pen sides for her to crush them against.

I'm not saying there's never a ewe doesn't attack her lambs and harm them, even outdoors, but to me the key fact here is that she lets them feed but then starts butting them away.

I have long pondered that keeping sheep indoors to lamb, and penned when lambed, creates different problems to the ones it solves... 

[shep53]

Restrain her and give it time ,   the worst iv'e ever seen was a neighbours heifer the calf was tossed 2ft up and 4ft forward with her bellowing and running behind to do it again , 2 days later great mother after tying up

[Bramblecot]

I have 3 young ewes in a corral in the garden before they go out to the field (too many foxes here). 

One is fine with her own lambs but very aggressive to any others.  Last night she took great exception to a blackbird that had the temerity to perch on the water bucket.  She ran over, butted it furiously and managed to kill it before I could get to her .  I have no doubt she would kill another ewe's lamb if confined to a small space - but hopefully will protect her own.  The strange thing is the  all mooch about the garden and she leaves them alone, even the bantams

[Fleecewife]

I agree with Sally that the lambs are still hungry after their sooks.  She needs her milk to come in more, but this happens in response to sucking, so don't top them up too much.

[shotblastuk]

Thanks for all the replies, really helpful. She has now decided to chill out and has accepted them. There now all together and doing well, in fact she's calling to the new lambs in the next pen! You live and learn.This was a new scenario for me never had it before maybe I've just been lucky. Thanks again

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Bramble,


  thats a quick ewe to kill the black bird but protecting lambs from corvids is very important to a ewe so I guess the blackbird got treated as a crow.


my ewes tollerate the chickens normally but a sign that they are in early labour is that they head flick the hens out of the lambing shed. I was once watching a a ewe that was about to lamb on the lambing camera and my stomach churned as I saw her flick this little black bundle up in the air and send it sailing out of the lambing pen like a killer whale toying with a seal pup. I thought I had witnessed something similar to Shep 53 but suddenly realised it was a chicken that she had evicted not her newborn lamb!