[Foobar]

So, this year I sponged all my ewes and ewe lambs, in the hope that I would have to take less days off work.  Here are the results: 

[sponging without PMSG injection, as I just wanted to compact them not bring them forward, ram went in 48 hours after sponge removal and each female was mated one at a time, with a rest for the ram in between each, ram then remained in with the females throughout winter]

1st group (9 ewes) sponged then tupped on 19 October, so due around 15th March.
results: 8 ewes lambed between 13th and 18th March (perfect!). 9th ewe lambed 18 days later.  5 sets of twins and 4 singles - rather disappointing as usually all my adult ewes twin .

2nd group (6 ewe lambs) sponged then tupped on 8th Nov (ram in 48 hours after sponge removal), so due around 4th April (aka Easter).
results: 3 lambed between 5th & 7th April (perfect), 2 lambed totally randomly after that (one yesterday) ... and one that doesn't even look pregnant at all.  Ug.  All that did lamb had singles which is perfect.

Would I bother sponging again?  Hmm....dunno.  All the ewes were flushed as usual, so I was disappointed with the number of singles - is that common when sponging?  I tried to time the mating of the ewe-lambs around the date that they have conceived in previous years to ensure that they are cycling, but it appears not to have worked so well, now I have lambs only just born that won't finish before winter .  I think maybe next year I will sponge the ewes and just leave the ewe lambs to do their own thing (as I very rarely have to assist them anyway).

[Me]

No it shouldn't affect litter size in those circumstances. I agree, don't sponge ewe lambs its a pain. A teaser might be a good idea though with them (with or without sponges)

[Foobar]

I thought about a teaser, but I have limited space so the teaser would reduce my number of breeding ewes by one, plus the risk of my ram and the teaser fighting.

[Me]

Yes, when the starving donkey looking teaser KO's your best ram its not funny! 

[Anke]

I sponged and will do it again.

2 groups of coloured ( and white (6) Shetlands to be tupped by different tups - total 14 ewes

Coloured tup introduced to his group on Nov 22nd - all ewes tupped within 24 hours, white tup went to his group on 23rd Nov, again all tupped within 24 hours - due date to start lambing 17/18th April. No repeat tuppings 17 days or so later.

One lambed a bit early on 14th, then 12 lambed between April 16th and 19th, and I am still waiting on one ewe (she has an udder so could be anytime now).

Lambing % 169%, with one ewe remaining.

VERY PLEASED!

[beagh-suffolks]

i sponged all my ewes , first thing when the sponges came out and the teaser ram went in after 1 day the teaser ram came out an real ram went in ,an we had a result of all twins with the hogs and the older ewes no pmsg was used with them (had 6 peds AI ed they got pmsg)  and all lambed within 3 days of each other and we sponge every year an hardly ever get singles...i would definitely sponge again

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Ewe lambs usually only give singles anyway, most of my ewe lambs gave singles and only a few doubles. Triplets and quads are very rare in  ewe lambs.

[Foobar]

Ewe lambs usually only give singles anyway, most of my ewe lambs gave singles and only a few doubles. Triplets and quads are very rare in  ewe lambs.

Indeed. I wasn't complaining about ewe lambs with singles.