[Slimjim]

In my small flock of  five ewes (3 breeds) served by my Jacob tup, I have never had more than twins. However this year, one of the Jacob ewes and the Lleyn ewe look huge with two weeks to go, so I'm just wondering......
Is it routine to always remove a triplet ( if so largest/smallest?) for fostering or hand rearing, or is it best to leave alone and see if mum can cope?

[Ladygrey]

On all the sheep farms I have worked on and on mine etc

They usually remove the biggest or strongest triplet, this is because he might not grow so well or do so well on the bottle and if he was the smallest then well he might end up being teeny tiny.

I

[chonty]

Hmmmm. If i had a ewe available to foster I would take the brightest who will be able to be opportunistic and quick! No point putting a dopey lamb on a foster ewe. If no graft available i generally leave them all with the ewe and top up whoever needs it (more work catching the little blighters!) if i had to take one away to bottle completely ill be honest i would take the smallest as they dont grow so well on the bottle thereby giving the best 2 the best opportunity to grow off the teat. Perhaps that is a bit nazi of me though? (I dont mean that to offend btw).

Its horses for courses though.

Most imp with triplets is to make sure each gets an equal share of colostrum. I strip the ewe before any can suckle and give equal portions by hand.

Good luck

[ZaktheLad]

A lot depends on the ewe.  I have had ewes successfully rear triplets, but in saying that, there is always an obvious smaller one that misses out on the milk bar as they get a little bit older and out in the field, rather than at close range to Mum in the lambing pens.  I usually end up just giving the smaller lamb a top up and although it stays with Mum and siblings, it will run up for a bottle when in the open field until weaning.   

Some ewes however just do not have enough milk or are not in the best of condition to raise triplets and so taking one away is probably the best option.  Fostering on to another ewe can be difficult unless you are very lucky and can catch another ewe in the birth process and that you are certain is carrying a single.  It is far easier to foster when the ewe is actually giving birth to her own lamb and you can use the birth fluid to smear over the foster. 

Doesn't really matter which triplet you take away - some people take the smallest, some the larger of the 3.  A lamb kept on it's own is not a good way to go either though, so remember that if you do intend taking one away, it will benefit from another lamb to keep it company if you are going to keep it away from the other sheep you have whilst bottle feeding it etc.  Bottle feeding is also a very time-consuming job when the lambs are very young and the powdered milk can be expensive to buy.

Good luck with your lambing.

[Fleecewife]

In addition to all the above - a Jacob ewe can definitely count up to three, so worth giving her and all three lambs a go, and top up the smallest whilst keeping it with the family.  I don't know about Lleyns at all.
I have had ewes which were so wide and heavy I was sure they would burst before lambing, but they just carried the usual twins, but it's as well to be prepared.

[Anke]

I don't scan my ewes, so when I have triplets I will take the most odd-one (sizewise) out after about 4 days. All three get topped up with colostrum (either form the ewe or frozen from my goats) for the first day, then also still with milk. I then rear the "spare" - could be smallest or biggest, I just make sure that the two left on are of equal size, and preferentially take away a male, to be castrated - on goats milk (which I have tons off). So the cost of bottle feeding comes into the equation, also time available etc etc.

But unless you scan, fostering on is not really possible, as you never know if the ewe will have twins or not.

[shygirl]

when we bought "orphan " lambs, they were the spare triplet taken off the ewe.
is selling them as bottle fed an option for you if they sell for a good price?

[SallyintNorth]

All stay with mum for 48 hours to get colostrum.  If I have any doubt at all about them all getting sufficient colostrum then they get topped up.  If they're indoors I'd Orajet all three - triplets are more susceptible to infections etc.

If the ewe is in very good condition and has loads of milk, I leave them on.  (Unless she's a first-timer, I think it always spoils them for later on if they have to work too hard the first time.)  But of course keep an eye and be ready to intervene if needed.  The ewe would get the very best grass and extra cake.

Depending on whether I have a setup where I can top up in the field, next option is to top up any that need it. 

If I think I'll get a lamb fostered then I take the wiliest (not always the biggest, but the cheekiest! or bravest) as that will do the best as an adoptee.

Then if any is an odd one out, I'd take that one off.

If all three the same, I'd take the one whose growth and future performance matters least.  Could be a ewe lamb if they're not suitable for breeding, or a tup lamb if the ewe lambs look like good candidates for keeping.