[Moleskins]

Two of my Badgerface scanned with twins both due on the 29th one had them on the day the other still shows no sign of giving birth. Checking her teats she has milk showing but they are not overly distended. Have had her penned but let her out
yesterday and she was acting perfectly normally. Penned again last night, this morning still nothing.  A friend asked if I'd put my hand in yet, the answer is no but at what point do I consider that. The thinking being is one of the lambs stuck.

[Freddiesfarm]

Unless her bum is swollen like a badgers arse (as my irish friend says) or she is squatting like she wants to pee, or otherwise behaving oddly leave her alone. 

Sometimes ewes can hold the semen for as full cycle before becoming impregnated, but more likely she is just waiting for the right moment.

[AengusOg]

Sometimes ewes can hold the semen for as full cycle before becoming impregnated,

Do you have evidence for that?

[VSS]

Have to say I have never observed that (although it does happen in ferrets).

However we are talking about sheep!

She is only three days late. Just give her some time. They can go a good 5 -6 days either way of the due date. Certainly don't intervene. Leave her be.

[Moleskins]

Thanks for that,  I'll keep my hands to myself then.

[Freddiesfarm]

Sometimes ewes can hold the semen for as full cycle before becoming impregnated,

Do you have evidence for that?

I've read this in several books and also seen it for myself when we have removed the rams and then had a ewe lamb 3 weeks late.  Your comment sounds a little rude but I will put that down to me being tired and a bad day!

[andywalt]

Dont intrude as you will inroduce infection, once the water bags have burst or are hanging out, then you dont want to leave it too long as she is open to infection, if she is a first timer she will take longer, patience, she will be fine im sure

[jaykay]

once the water bags have burst or are hanging out,

That's it, until you see that then she isn't lambing. Once she is, then you do need to find out what's going on if nothing appears after half an hour or so.

If you do have to 'go in' you just have to imagine that they're supposed to come out two front feet and the head, lined up as though they were diving. If the 'head is back' or one leg, they'll get stuck. You gently (with short finger nails!) push the lamb back in, find the relevant missing bit and line it all up. The lamb will now come out. Usually.

They can be totally backwards of course, in which case you just have to pull them out backwards, but quite quickly. Trace legs back from the head, so you don't mix up one twin's head with the other one's legs! Doesn't happen often, usually one twin is completely behind the other.

Occasionally they're lined up right but they're big and in a first-timer, you might have to pull on the legs and then the head behind the ears, once it appears, to help.

If you have to intervene, always give the ewe an antibiotic jag afterwards.

Sorry if this is egg-sucking advice