[maddy]

I know this probably sounds a pretty basic question but I am new to sheep and want to get it vaguely right.

My 3 ryelands are due to lamb mid March.

I have a small shed completely separate which I can use for lambing - it has a small turnout paddock beside it or I can use a larger, lighter shed which is in the same barn as my very noisy boer goats.  The minute the goats see me they come running and shouting!

Would this upset the sheep, bearing in mind I will be checking on them often when they are due to lamb.

Many thanks

[ZaktheLad]

How small is small for the separate shed - could you fit 3 x lambing pens inside if all 3 lambed within a day or so of each other?  If the ewes have a week or so either side of each other for lambing dates, then you could probably easily put the one in to lamb and the others out and then swap around.   A small paddock attached to the shed sounds ideal.

I lamb my girls in a large barn where my horse is stabled overnight.  He bangs on the stable door for attention but the ewes are not bothered by the noise.  I check on them last thing at night and then again circa 2am and then again at 5am when I get up for work.    Could you pen your goats off in some way from the sheep if using the larger barn - just in case one lambs in your absence and any resulting lambs get trodden in the rush to you!  I had a lamb suffer a broken leg when a stamped resulted in me going in the barn, but this may have just been bad luck!   

Sounds like you are thinking well along the right lines though and being well prepared for your March lambing which is great.  Have you got your lambing kit ready?   It's an exciting time - good luck with your ewes.

[Yeoman]

Using the 'indoor' pens for bonding time for a couple of days sounds like a good idea.
 
Mind you a 'proper shepherd' friend of mine warned me to allow plenty of room if you do provide a shelter in the field.  He had problems with squashed lambs when the weather turned and all the ewes sqeezed in.  Might have been a one off but worth bearing in mind.

[smithycraft]

I have one large shed with adjoining paddock where the goats live in one half.  At lambing time I bring my ewes inside and keep them in the other half.  They don't take any notice of the goats.