[Bionic]

There have been some very sad tales on here of dead lambs, prolapses, twin lamb disease, ewes lying on their lambs etc, etc,
I suppose its the nature of a forum like this that we post when we have a problem, asking for advice or just sympathy but, having had problems myself and hearing the tales of others it also makes me paranoid that my others yet to lamb will have problems.
Any idea of the problem ratio to success stories?
I would love to see a few more posts/pics of success stories to give those of us with problems a boost.

[Foobar]

I wouldn't dare to jinx myself as I still have one ewe lamb left to lamb.....

[ZaktheLad]

Well mine have yet to start this year - due date from Friday....

It does seem as if there are a lot of problems/sad tales around this year.  Maybe we need more pics of those lambs born from natural interference free births so far this year to balance it out?   For instance FiB has had a hugely successful year with her ewes - all lambing without help etc.  I think it's just that those who have had a successful time are keeping quiet as they feel bad posting amongst those that are going through a tough time.  We need more success stories!

[bloomer]

its cyclical I can predict month on month what the forums will be discussing...


it follows the farming year...



we always get the problems for lambing first as thats what people need advice on NOW!!!


then as lambing slows and people take a breather we get the reports in of lambing finished and wow what a good year i got xxx% which for my breed is awesome... these usually tie in with more photos of happy lambs frolicing...

[in the hills]

Bionic, we're not lambing this year. I suppose people do talk about the bad times rather than good so that gives the wrong impression maybe.

We lambed 2 years. Lost our first lamb but then no problems at all. All delivered on their own, all mothered without any help. Last year we intervened even less than the first year eg. didn't pen ewe and lamb for 24 hrs after birth. They just seemed to cope.

Local farmers have been telling me about their lambing so far. Pretty sad tales as well I'm afraid. They seem to think that more than normal are 'spilling their beds', have infections and they say more dead lambs than they'd expect.

OH and I were wondering only the other day why there seem to be so many problems. Is it because sheep have been bred away from what they would have naturally been. Much bigger maybe. Compared to our Soay some seem huge! Could this be the reason for birthing problems? In general humans have more difficulty giving birth to big babies so.......

[Clarebelle]

could it be a knock on effect of the weather the last couple of years? The terrible snow last spring, the rain and floods this year?

[jaykay]

I think it's just that when it all goes well, we get on with it, when it doesn't we need to talk about it or ask advice.

At least we don't seem    to have all the awful Schmallenberg tales this year - hope it continues that way for everyone.

I start on Saturday so  for me too.

[devonlad]

Our 6 girls provided us with an almost perfect lambing - 4 popped them out either with us fortunate enough to be watching- or when our back was turned. the only sad story was our last ewe, a first timer who managed to pop out 3 with the first one sadly suffocating in the birth sac only moments before we got there. however her remaining two are thriving and she's probably better off with 2 on her than 3. the other ewe provided the most trouble and at various points we were sure we had lost not only her but also both lambs. we were first confronted with a head only hanging out the back end very swollen at that and it took much pushing and pulling and barely controlled panic until two ram lambs and her were on their feet. we were convinced "bullhead" wouldn't survive and over the next few days his wobbly swollen head remained. he appeared deaf and blind and a .little bit stupid. now its 10 days on and bullhead and "Bullhead's brother" are indistinguishable from the other 8 lambs galloping round the field. and Mum appears in good form and is apparently unscathed. could have done without the drama along the way but that's lambing for you I guess

[trish.farm]

I lambed in Febuary, 18 healthy lambs out of 10 ewes.  All easy unassisted births apart from 1 leg back which i helped out.  1 case of mastitis in older ewe from which i had to shoot one of her twins as she was very poorly.  So lambing actually went really well this year.  Have neighbouring farmers lambing at the moment and they are having all kinds of problems.  Just wondering if timing of lambing has something to do with it.  I lost a ewe last week but she wasnt in the lambing flock and outside influences caused her death.

[mowhaugh]

I don't really have an idea of ratios, but today so far I have put 12 sheep that lambed yesterday morning without issues outside, I have moved 15 that lambed yesterday afternoon/night into another shed who will go out after tea, I have had about 20 lamb, one of whom needed assistance because her first lamb was coming backwards.  One of the sheep who has lambed has no milk (yet) so her lamb has been tubed, all the rest are grand.

[Backinwellies]

Yes it is the difficult ones which make a story Sally  ..... Just pop over to see the 18+ lambs dancing round my fields which arrived without problems or have recovered from a slow start .......... it is all worth it  ..

The trouble with just a few ewes is any trouble seems so much worse ........  a dead lamb start to the day here ended with 2 totally trouble free births and 3 lively lambs .... 

problem to success rate here 15 ewes (of which almost half were shearlings)  26 lambs born,  lost 4 (I died at birth, 2 of triplets struggled then died, 1 laid on by shearling mother.  Help required to about 4 births mostly just minor. 1 needed more help and is the shearling which seems now to be taking to her surviving lamb. Generally I am very  happy with our first lambing with most sets of twins flying out too fast to be seen!

How is everyone else doing?

[Ladygrey]

I have only had 4 ewes lamb so far, each time lambs have come out perfectly and unassisted apart from one wich needed a little tug.

I have had 4 sets of lovely twins and all are healthy, I have one hermaphrodite   which will go to the freezer lol

They are all happy and growing well and everything is going great

I have ten more ewes/first timers to go and hoping it all continues to go smoothly 4 are in my little barn and the rest will lamb outside, the weather is lovely and I can hear the sheep from my caravan so if anything goes wrong hopefully they will just shout for help!!

[Dogwalker]

First lambs born this morning between checking at 6.15 and feeding at 7am.
Twin girls in the field, unaided, up and sucking and skipping. Black shetlands.
 Now down the field being defended from the other ewes curiosity.
Perhaps now one has started the others might get on with it.

[in the hills]

Shetlands .... are they easy lambers though, like Soay?  Is it the bigger breeds that have more problems?

 Then some of the breeds have multiples far more commonly than the primitives. More problems likely that way too .... I guess.

[Beeducked]

Well mine was a sad story to begin with - prolapse and first lamb of twins dead, but it did get better.
Here is the lovely Annabelle to prove it.


Still got the other 4 left to lamb so hopefully some of the others will be a little less eventful.


Sorry about the scary headlight eyes! Flash