[Muttley94]

3 of my girls were due around the start of last week and are all pawing the ground alot. I'm spending an increasing amount of time lying on the ground looking at them but still nothing. My Jacob who is due this week spends most of the time away from the others and has a big udder but, after investigating on advice of vet, nothing. How long after a due date can they go? I'm beginning to think they will wait for my birthday on Thursday then all go at once, to give me a nice present although knowing them I will get covered in every unpleasant thing imaginable just before I go out 

[in the hills]

Well ...... my daughter reckons some of ours are going to pop or float away like hot air balloons!   

[Muttley94]

I'm beginning to think that too especially my favourite ewe maggie! She is huuuge  the rain is coming down in buckets today so this could be what they were waiting for 

[Fleecewife]

Is their due date calculated by scanning or from when the tup went in?

Remember - a watched pot never boils.  Turn your back (or go out for your birthday meal) and they'll pop 

[jaykay]

You need to say loudly, so they can hear ' I think I'll go for a nap' or 'I'll go and get a shower and changed into my smart clothes so I can go out to the shops'...... and then I'm sure they'll lamb 

I'm about to try it on mine, who should be starting again tomorrow <fingers crossed>

[Muttley94]

Fleecewife it was from the tup going in so I'm probably waaay off
That's definitely what I will do, say I'm going to get warm and dry out of the sleet/snow. Hopefully they will listen as they usually don't unless "tea time" is mentioned!

[Fleecewife]

Fleecewife it was from the tup going in so I'm probably waaay off

Yep - the lambs will be spread over however many weeks he was in.  We often have one ewe who lambs on the first possible day, clearly from a 'yippee' moment, then the rest dither and drag it out to the very last possible day.  Our first lamb was on Mar 31st then none til a couple of days ago.  Endless two-hourly checks with the very occasional 'aha - a lamb' just to keep us on our toes.

[Muttley94]

First one lambed 30th March (no joy there, little family died ) and now i'm waiting not quite patiently for the rest. Feeling a bit low after my very first lambing turned out to be a bad start even though the vet said I did what was needed, couldn't do anymore. I know that after the next lot are here they will cheer me up 

[jaykay]

Have you got any more yet?
I am still waiting .......

[Victorian Farmer]

I hope things go well,wev got 15 this week just waiting,

[Anke]

I have started (last year for the first time) to raddle the tups, it helps so much to be able to calculate who is due when and who doesn't need to be watched for another couple of weeks... especially if you only have a few ewes.

Of course this works better on white sheep than on coloured ones...

[in the hills]

Still waiting too ....... three of the ewes that I thought would be first due to their size.

Will raddle next year. How close to their due date do they usually arrive?

[jaykay]

Oh, I raddled mine and wrote down the day they were tupped too. I know exactly when they should be due - yesterday, today...... just that they haven't been taking any notice 

[in the hills]

Ahhhh ...... thats what I feared because these ere soay havent looked closely enough at my picture guide to stages of lambing and wondered whether they would be at all bothered about a bit of raddle and supposed due date.

If they can be a week out or whatever Id still be doing my constant checks and it wouldnt be all that different to now!!

[jaykay]

I think they are usually only a day or so out.

I am going to go and say that very loudly to the ewe who should have lambed yesterday