[Beeducked]

I am in my first lambing since I was in my early twenties (sadly now some time ago) and finding it harder than I remember!


I check them before I go to bed (a little later than usual) at about 11:30pm and then first thing in the morning at about 6:00am. I am unfortunately still working till the end of next week so decided I wouldn't be getting up in the middle of the night as I have a job I can't really be tired for. Despite that I have spontaneously woken every night for the last week between 2:30 and 3:30am so have popped out and checked them. The only place in the last week I have spent more time in than the lambing shed  is work and they are only due from today apparently!


So how often does everyone else check their ewes? Which end of the Lambing Anxiety Spectrum am I at?

[smee2012]

We only have four ewes and they were due (according to the raddle) from this Sunday, two of them, one due next week, with the last due on the 27th.

The one that was due on the 27th lambed twins on Tuesday without us knowing and one of the ones due on Sunday lambed this morning after a hard labour (twins coming together) and resulted in one very vigorous ewe lamb and sadly one dead one.

Since Tuesday I have been checking every four hours, day and night. I suspect I'm up there with you at the high end of the Lambing Anxiety Spectrum but this is our shearlings' first lambing and ours too so we are being very cautious, especially after this morning's worry. Now, of course, it's raining so I'm going to be getting all worried about the poor little twins getting wet and cold (the new single one is in the bonding pen overnight), despite having built them a temporary shelter this evening. 

[Backinwellies]

We have just finished  lambing for the first time.  Whilst is was just me here they were checked about 9pm , between midnight and 2am then about 6am.... not once did I find any lambing at the midnight check.... though a few arrived before 6am... and I did lose one (to a shearling). You can only physically do so much ... as I found out... the more tired I became the more I missed!    So advice from a novice you need sleep!!

[wellies]

We check ours every three hours. If I think anything looks like it might go into labour that would be increased to every 2 hours or sooner if I've seen anything to alert me. Even doing this I missed a few giving birth

[bigchicken]

I've got Shetlands very little probs I check them first thing in the morning anytime I can during the day and about 9 ish at night. If any look like it I would keep an eye on them from a distance, don't like to interfere. Most of mine lamb first thing in the morning which is very handy.

[Roxy]

I have had goats kidding for many years, but this will be my first year lambing.  With the goats, I have been known to go down to the farm at midnight, or later, when they are due. But never anything happening!!  One year I was back and forth to one female - just had a hunch she would kid, although she was not showing signs.  Left to have a brew, and came back 10 minutes later, to find she had twins!!!
 
My problem this year, is that I do not live at the farm any more, we are about 10 minutes away.  I checked the in kid goats and the 3 ewes at 9.30pm, and will be there at 6am the morning.  I would go and look around 2am- but I am so tired, its unlikely I will manage to wake up!!!

[Fleecewife]

Ewes in the barn I used to check 2 hourly through the night because we had probs with them.  Now my ewes lamb outdoors so I check them at about 10 last thing then my husband checks them at 5.30-6.  If there's a blizzard or really bad conditions I will go out in the middle of the night, but mostly I find I just disturb them and they leave their cosy protected places and run around startled at being looked at by torchlight.  I did once find a loonie shearling ewe who had twins in the middle of the night in a blizzard right in the middle of the 'laagered up' flock, then proceeded to run around baaing madly, while her lambs tried to find her.  Mayhem and a situation ripe for mis-mothering.
Mostly our ewes lamb at about 6 in the morning, or sometimes during the day.  During the day we are out and about so can see them all whenever we look up.
I would judge the time between checks according to how long they can keep going if they have a problem before you have to intervene.  Every couple of hours would seem about right, although a ewe with no probs can lamb far quicker than that, from nothing to healthy, sucking lambs.

[trish.farm]

Had 10 ewes lamb this year in feb, all lambed outside (lovely weather down south this year)  I checked them around midnight before going to bed and then about 7am.  Work on the farm so could keep an eye during the day.  Mine all lamb very easily (the joy of a Romney tup) and only had to help 1 ewe.  Even if i see them lambing i keep out of the way and watch from a distance.  All my ewes are tame, most are handreared so i know their characters really well, really helps as i can tell when one is close to lambing from the change in their behavior.

[Hellybee]

I'm like fleece wife, I don't like to go round with torchlight, we used to but I think yes it can cause them to be awakened and gee everyone up, saying that we now lamb on the yard and that's so much easier they were right by the front door x


Eta, saying that we have had a good few rookies this year, but they are two yo s and older, as we didnt tup last year and didnt tup the ewe lambs The year before. So all ran together within they're twin or single group.

[Hillview Farm]

I start checks a week before the due date, 5am, 8am, 1pm, 5pm and 9-10pm most of mine do it in the day but once they have all lambed I still want to be doing those checks and I have to wean myself from them!

[SteveHants]

If they are outdoors - like others have said, checking at night does more harm than good.


I like to check them an hour after dawn.

[smithycraft]

This year we installed a cheap CCTV system in our lambing shed and it has paid for itself tenfold.  When we get up in the night to check, all we have to do is switch on the laptop in the warm kitchen   .  It has also enabled us to spot the likely lambers more accurately as we have found that when we turn up at the shed, it disturbs their behaviour.

[Bionic]

Those fairly close to lambing get brought into the stable yard. They have access to the stable so can choose to be in the yard or warm inside. Invariably they like to be outside. I leave the yard lights on all night and then I can just look out of the window to see what's happening which I do quite often.


We are on a rota system here as well. I stay up until midnight/1am and go out side to do a physical check just before I go to bed then OH gets up at 2.30 and again about 5.30 to check again.


We also have an alcohol ban here during lambing, not that we drink much anyway, but boy, a couple of times lately I could have done with a drink 

[Rosemary]

We have 12 lambing, due between 30th March and 17th April. They are inside. I check them at 10pm, 2am and 6am then maybe every couple of hours during the day. Never (in five previous years) had any lambing at 2am but it's "just in case".

After the first night, I can get up, put wellies on, check the ewes, take wellies off and get back to bed without wakening properly. The ewes don't even lift their heads when I go out to check, so I don't feel I'm disturbing them.

[Backinwellies]

Sounds like you can get a bit more sleep Sally  ... and stop worrying!