[Daisys Mum]

This is my first year with these and out of my five one of my gimmers is having  triplets and one twins. We are not due to start lambing until the 19th so planning just to keep them outside, they have enormous fleeces and I worry a bit that a. the lambs will be able to find the milk bar and b. that mum may lie on them.This two are very friendly and good to handle so at least that should help if help is needed. The other three are all experienced mums and not quite so easy to handle so hopefully they will just get on with it although I would have liked to have fostered one of the triplets onto the one expecting the single but as luck would have it she is the flightiest of all. How have those of you with Zwartbles  found them to be as lambers and mothers?

[mowhaugh]

I only had Zwartbles for two years (they just couldn't cope with our hill ground without needing lots and lots of feed which was a financial nightmare), but had no problems lambing them at all.  They were outstanding mothers, and I did have a couple successfully rear three.  They also lambed with no issues.  They are very unlikely to lie on their babies outdoors.  The lambs should be OK with finding the milk, I don't remember them being particularly wooly around the udder, but you could always pull a bit off.  Have fun!

[mowhaugh]

I did keep some Zwartble X Cheviots, who are completely black, and I tupped them with a black Cheviot tup.  The first two lambed this morning - lambs are snowy white!

[smee2012]

I only have four sheep, all of which are Z's. The first one (Daffodil) lambed twins without us knowing, I found the lambs in the field later that morning. All of my girls are shearlings so this is their first time, as well as ours. Daffodil has proved to be an excellent mother, very protective of her lambs; despite being super tame she won't let me very close any more! There did seem to be a few problems for the lambs finding the teats as they were hidden by a rather thick fleece but perseverance paid off and I've not had to interfere. They are all outside and doing well.

The second required assistance lambing as she had twins both coming at once (three feet and one head in the birth canal) and had laboured quite a long time so was rather exhausted by the time they were born. The one lamb died due to cord severance in utero but the ewe lamb survivor is very vigorous and whilst mum was taking ages to get back on her feet (took about an hour), she was racing around the field shouting her head off and trying to suckle our remaining pregnant ewes. Susie eventually got up and proceeded to run away so I shut them both in a pen overnight and they have since bonded fine and are both outside.

Both mums are very milky - Z's are a dairy breed so cope very well with twins and trips. Blacksheep has had several sets of quads this year I believe, although I'm assuming that she will have fostered some onto other ewes. 

[Marches Farmer]

Sound similar to the Lleyns we tried for a couple of years.  Note the past tense!

[Blinkers]

In a word - BRILLIANT.   Excellent at lambing - they just get on with it even as first timers.  Really good at cleaning them up.   Lambs are up on their feet quickly and find the teats no problem.   They are the best lambers I've got 

[Daisys Mum]

Feeling a bit more confident now thanks, and yes Mowhaugh they certainly can eat although they are now pretty much ignoring the hay and going off to graze after breakfast.