[Tempest_25]

Our Balwen ewes have full udders and are in lamb but have yet to let down there milk.
Does anyone know roughly how long before parturition the milk let down occurs?
thanks

[Fleecewife]

I thought let down was when the ewe lets the milk from the udder into the teats for the lambs to suck and results from the hungry crying of a lamb, the butting on the udder and sucking on the teats by the lambs     Probably different terminology in different areas again.

[Tempest_25]

I'll try and be a bit more clear!
Milk let down is started by oxytocin circulating which also enables parturition to take place as it loosens the cervix and causes uterine contraction. However oxytocin is released before lambing occurs, I just can't find out how long before.
But from experience milk gets let down at least a day before parturition, I was wondering if it is let down before that as I have previously never checked.

[SteveHants]

Academically, its interesting to know but I wouldn't be getting heavily pregnant ewes in and poking their udders. That can only be extremely stressful for the sheep.

[Tempest_25]

I realise that, just as a vet student I find the academics of the whole process interesting, especially the bits which are not well documented!

[Marches Farmer]

We usually find that by the time we've iodined navels and got everything shipshape after lambing the ewe's milk is in.  This year, however, some of the ewes' milk hasn't come in until next day, particularly with first-timers.  Another thing we're putting down to the weather and poor grazing.  We've been milking off the old ewes with lots of colostrum and storing it ready for such eventualities.

[wellies]

it's an interesting question. As others have stated you don't really want to squeeze the teat before the lambs arrive as it 'unplugs' it. We have found our girls have a very full udder well before lambing but obviously that is mainly mammary development and not necessarily milk production in the early stages. Development is usually obvious about three weeks before and size will increase as the time approaches. We check the ewes after lambing to make sure they are producing colostrum and so far all ours have at the time of parturition. Hope this helps but I do think it depends on the ewe and the conditions as there will be individual variations 

[wellies]

just found this for you... a 2006 article so a little out of date but I'm sure some relevant points regarding the endocrine control of pregnancy for you to read. 

[Cosmo]

I find my Balwen experienced singles only display a isual udder 2-3 days before they lamb.