[pikilily]

My question - pretty much as it says on the tin!

I have four ewes tupped 5th, 9th, 15th,16th November (Tup was raddled).  The two earliest have huuuge udders, and the first one (Dolly) has a very 'ripe' looking rear end, with her sister (Prissy) coming in a close second!! Lots of panting going on and Dolly seems to be seperating herself from the others and lying down a lot........but by dates its too early by over a week.

So what influence can all this recent warm weather have?
Emma T x

[robert waddell]

talking to a man today his ewes were put to the tup on 5th november and lambed already

[pikilily]

woooooah!! Okay!! better get out and finish the pens PDQ!!

I did get most of it set up this evening - something in my gut tells me i should be ready well in advance! 
LOL i will probably be still waiting ina a month! 
Maybe i am just looking forward to living in the cabin for the lambing period.....

Thanks for that info..
Emma T x

[kanisha]

talking to a man today his ewes were put to the tup on 5th november and lambed already

uh oh don't tell my girls they haven't started yet!!

[bazzais]

Wish I had a cabin - my backs killing me after being on the leather sofa in my clothes for weeks - but only three  left to go now! yippee!!

If I were you, Id get the blankets out and start the 3 hourly checks tonight, ot far to walk with a cabin

Good luck hope they drop soon, your there to see them and it all goes well.

Baz

[bazzais]

Its also a new moon tonight - though mine normally choose a full, I'll be keeping an eye on my last few tonight for the new moon.

I've also to told by locals to watch for the tides as they influence what time at night or day they seem to spring out?

[Hermit]

My OH swears the weather has a lot to do with it, he says its air pressure as ours never lamb on a good day , always on a cold day.

[VSS]

talking to a man today his ewes were put to the tup on 5th november and lambed already

Has he got his dates correct?

Generally 5th Novemeber would give a due date of 1st April. Most lambs more than 5 days premature are viable.

[robert waddell]

that was the first thing i said    but no tup in with them before the 5Th Nov
they can go over there time as well we had a heifer that had a gestation of 11 months and that was with AI

[Moleskins]

Something must effect them, most of mine are not on date even though I made a special effort last 'back end' to check and note dates of the marks on their 'back ends' so that I wouldn't be run ragged for weeks at a time. Even so I can see it's same this year, back and forth for checks and sleepless night thinking they might have them when I turn my back.

[SallyintNorth]

I think that sheep, cattle, flowering plants, bees, weather forecasters and me all don't understand the climate / weather any more.

All our cattle are late this year - and all AI, so we have exact dates.  Most of our sheep are running late (in terms of when the tups were in and how green are their bottoms.)  We're in t'North of England - whereabouts are these folks whose sheep are popping early?

And yes, our sheep love to lamb in cold wet / windy weather when the lambs have the maximum chance of meeting their maker within hours    At the moment we are blessed with sunny skies, balmy temperatures and a light, warm, drying breeze - and they are all enjoying themselves far too much to get on and lamb 

[Muttley94]

I'm having the same trouble trying to decide if mine are lambing or having me on. Too much panting and lying down on their own. I reckon they are one week early but I could be wrong  we have been having the most lovely weather, similar to Sally's so maybe mine are too comfortable to get on with the work? The ewe I think will lamb first had a prolapse last week and the vet pushed it back in, but will this happen again when she comes to lamb? First timer stressing  , sorry if you all get bored with my constant questioning over the next few days

[hexhammeasure]

hot dry weather is hanging weather... more lambs come head only and get stuck... seen this year after year on the hot dry days

[jaykay]

Interesting, my dad had one hanging at the weekend and it's been seriously nice and sunny here.

Muttley, she might prolapse again. Here is what I do: get some lambing lubricant and put some onto the prolapse, push it right back in (at which point she'll probably pee all down your arm!). Fit a prolapse spoon or harness. The spoon is less stressful in that they can lamb past it, but it's less effective. I've found harnesses to be very good but you have to keep a very close eye on them and remove it as soon as they begin lambing. Jag with antibiotic.

[Brijjy]

All my girls are hanging on until the weather turns colder. One of the Wilts ewes looks like she is going to have a litter! They were all tupped between 19th october and 9th november.