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Author Topic: Do Triplets run 'in the family?'  (Read 3624 times)

toaster

  • Joined Apr 2012
Do Triplets run 'in the family?'
« on: May 03, 2012, 01:25:51 pm »
One of our current ewes was a triplet, will this increase her liklihood of having a multiple birth? she looks fit to explode now and cant be far off lambing

Also one of our ewes was a single, had a single last year and also this year so does this mean she is more likely to always have just one lamb

We only have four ewes so have not had them scanned

I'm curious!


Pedwardine

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • South Lincolnshire
Re: Do Triplets run 'in the family?'
« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2012, 01:29:11 pm »
It often does. They're always full of surprises to throw you off guard though so beware!

in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Do Triplets run 'in the family?'
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2012, 02:56:24 pm »
Three out of seven of my Soay ewes had twins. Two of these ewes were twins themselves.

I asked an experienced local sheep farmer the same question that you are asking. He said that in his experience a ewe that was herself a twin, was more likely to go on to produce twins herself and my ewes that had produced twins this year were likely to produce twins again next year. He found that some ewes only ever produced singles.

He always kept ewe lambs that were from sets of twins for this reason.

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Do Triplets run 'in the family?'
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2012, 04:28:48 pm »
To my knowledge, prolificacy is heritable through the ewe, so ewes that are twins, triplets are more likely to have multiple births themselves.

I know one shepherd who sells on any ewes that don't have twins.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Do Triplets run 'in the family?'
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2012, 09:24:16 am »
There's certainly a heritable component - some breeds are very likely to have multiple births (eg., Leicesters, Mules, Lleyns) and some very unlikely (eg., Herdwicks) - although nurture is a very important component too.  (We don't flush our ewes as we like to have plenty of good strong singles; in years when the climate flushes them for us  ::) we get loads of twins...)

The multiplicity complex must come down the male line too - the Mule is fathered by the Leicester; she doesn't get her tendency to triplets from her Blackfaced / Swaledale mother.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

humphreymctush

  • Joined Jul 2010
  • orkney
Re: Do Triplets run 'in the family?'
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2012, 11:45:10 am »
The Cambridge breed of sheep was developed in the 1960s by selecting ewes from a variety of native breeds who had each produced at least 3 sets of triplets. The breed is now very prolific and they think this can be attributed to a single gene which affects ovulation rate.
Pure bred they claim a lambing percentage of 280. The purpose of the breed is to cross with hill sheep to achieve 200% from the cross bred ewes.

VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: Do Triplets run 'in the family?'
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2012, 04:38:07 pm »
To my knowledge, prolificacy is heritable through the ewe

And via the male line as well. Daughter of tups that were one of twins (or more) are more likely to bear twins themselves.
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Available from the Good Life Press

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toaster

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Do Triplets run 'in the family?'
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2012, 10:55:33 pm »
Thank you all, there is lots of interesting information there

Just a waiting game on my little lady then, she is only small so I do hope she doesnt have triplets!

kanisha

  • Joined Dec 2007
    • Spered Breizh Ouessants
    • Facebook
Re: Do Triplets run 'in the family?'
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2012, 12:20:43 pm »
To my knowledge, prolificacy is heritable through the ewe

And via the male line as well. Daughter of tups that were one of twins (or more) are more likely to bear twins themselves.

would agree with that Ouessants are know for single births  ( even mentioned in the breed standard ) Had one ewe who only ever produced singles ( her daughter as wel) until one year with one ram they both twinned and never afterwards.
Ravelry Group: - Ouessants & Company

 

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