[Melias farm]

Im after advice from experience please?

This is my 1st year breeding sheep. Im more anxious than when I had my own kids ha
I’ve attached a photo. When would you say she will lamb please

[shep53]

Some time in the next month MAYBE ? you must have a date when the ram went in as a first date ?

[Melias farm]

[member=9755]shep53[/member]
I was told nov 5th. I bought them in lamb
In the next month would seem right with the dates

[shep53]

IF 5th nov then any time from march 30th onwards 

[PipKelpy]

IF 5th nov then any time from march 30th onwards 

Thats assuming 147 days.

My little cherubs this year (apart from Orla who kept her legs crossed) lambed 142, 143, 144 days.

I asked vet, how viable are the lambs (the one who prolapsed) he said up to 15 days before due date BUT wouldn't be brilliant. Reason why c-section done at 142, to give them a chance. Grace was perky, wandering around the  pen, George was distressed (little darling now, but not then and not for several hours) I'm sooooo tempted to keep him as a pet, but I must'nt I tell myself! I don't need another hanger on! 

[Melias farm]

She had twins yesterday. A ewe and a ram. She’s rejected the ram and tolerating the ewe.
I’m attempting to milk her (I’ve milked goats for years with no issues). She’s on the milking stand then fights every step throwing herself in the floor!
She has a huge bucket of food to distract her. I think her udder is sooo full it’s painful for her. Poor little love. She’s having a rough lambing this year

[harmony]

Have you tried securing her and putting the lambs on to suck? Tip her to milk her off or push her against the wall with your knee and do it with her stood up. When she's tipped it is often easier to get the lambs on. If they want to suck then let them empty her instead of giving yourself the work of milking then feeding.

[shep53]

So ram going in 5th nov was plucked out of mid air ,more like 15th oct . I assume from other posts that you want to milk the ewes , so bottle feeding the lambs , if so then you have to train the ewes to accept the stand before lambing and then to be happy with you touching her udder ,this all takes time . If you wish to suckle the lambs on mother then restrain her with a halter /headstock and teach her to accept both lambs , if this is her first lambs she can be a bit clueless to start but normally settle

[Backinwellies]

not sure why you are trying to milk her .....  but dont put on stand .... sheep do not like human intervention unlike goats who seem to revel in it.

 get help to hold (or restrain by tying head) then put ewe lamb near her head and try to milk .

If tying to get lambs some milk then restrain her and put lambs to the teats (this can be done by turning ewe if standing doesnt work)

If you are just trying to reduce pressure then I would just leave lamb to get on with it as long as lamb sucking OK

[Anke]

not sure why you are trying to milk her ....

I think they are milking sheep. Still what Shep53 said is valid. Very difficult to get her to accept the milking stand AND being milked as a first timer without issues... It is hard enough with my goats, and they are handled daily and used to milking machine rumbling round their shed...

[SallyintNorth]

We train our dairy cows to the parlour, and having their bags washed and handled, every day for weeks before they calve. as does every dairy farmer I know.