[TheSmilingSheep]

First lambing season - 5 ewes, small welsh mountain - baptism of fire!
Fourth ewe lambed twins in the early hours. Unfortunately she has only one working teat after mastitis years ago (since which time we were told she'd only had singles)....
Both ram lambs looking ok. Both have suckled, and bellies seem full. Ewe is largish for her breed, about 6 years old. Lovely mum....
Question: what are our chances of her successfully feeding both? We're in no hurry, don't mind slow growers (!), have plenty of grassy fields....
If not viable, any tips on bottling process? would like to keep them all together if possible.
One ewe left to lamb so adoption possible - but think she might not lamb for a few more days...
All advice hugely welcomed...

[Fleecewife]

I've never had this experience, but it might work with a bit of support from you.
The way lambs usually feed when there are twins is to choose a side apiece, which they stick to, then both feed at the same time as quickly as possible, then the ewe moves on.  Whether the ewe can change that behaviour and let her lambs suck one after the other is the debateable point.
I would suggest you watch very carefully to see what happens.  It should be ok at the moment because ewes let their lambs feed very frequently when they are young.  Any problem might not show itself until later when it all becomes routine.  Too late to adopt then of course.
You have a choice - wait and see or start topping up the lambs now so they get used to you and the bottle, and you can continue topping them up as they grow. Or of course you have the third possibility of taking one twin off and bottle feeding it.  I don't like bottle feeding as it ties up your time (you may think now that you would like that, but it becomes a big tie as time goes on) and the lamb is inevitably not totally the same as a 'normal' lamb.

[ZaktheLad]

I would keep them both with the ewe and top them both up with a bottle.  Keep them in a handy place so that you can keep an eye on them for a few days to assess if lambs are getting enough. If she is a very milky ewe she may be able to bring both of them up on the one side or at least do the vast majority of the work, but it is more than likely that you will end up having to top them up with the bottle. 

[TheSmilingSheep]

Thank you both. Will prepare for topping up in due course. Priority and relief is that they are both doing well so far (only 5 hours old, I appreciate!)...
What an enormous sense of responsibility comes with lambing - I was unprepared for the extent of my worry - about everything and anything...
TAS support is invaluable.

[Hellybee]

Echo the above, keep note on if any of the lambs look a bit hunched through the back and noisy.  Either take lamb away like we have done or if lamb is happy with mum you can always top up.  My friend does this often she walks out in the field n shouts milky and they all come running and then scamper back to they're mums, good luck x

[Dogwalker]

I'm just debating the same with a shetland ewe.
If I put her out in the field she's the least tame, most suspicious of the four and I'm worried I won't catch the lamb/s that needs topping up.  I'm going to be bottling some cades and angora kids anyway just don't have a tiny one to keep the lamb company at the moment.

[ZaktheLad]

Once you start topping them up and if they are hungry enough the lambs will soon associate you with the milk.  If you are able to keep them in just long enough to enable them to associate you and the bottle top-up, when you do let them out in the field they should spot you a mile off and come running - usually with Mum running behind them wondering why her lambs have suddenly shot off!

[TheSmilingSheep]

That's really helpful - feeling much calmer now. We plan to introduce them to the bottle from today, keep them in pen in shelter for 48 hrs, then into small grassed pen, hopefully with company of last awaited lamb. So no big field until the weekend....
Typically this ewe is also most suspicious and wary of the flock!

[roddycm]

Id say the same as the others, keep them on the ewe and top up if needed. Some of my welsh have produced and reared quads with no topping up and they have been just fine so she may be able to cope on her own...
Interested to know what the theory was behind telling you she'd only have singles? Her ovaries don't know she only has one quarter, so she'll continue to ovulate normally. In my experience with welsh the fatter they are when going to the ram the more lambs they produce, unlike many commercial breeds. I'm afraid I cull ewes with missing quarters and mastitis etc it saves a lot of hassle.
Hope the little family do well! I think they probably will with a little help!

[Pedwardine]

Just to encourage you, we've had two ewes with only one working udder who have successfully reared twins. We've a milky breed in Gotlands but as people have said if the lambs know you as the secondary milk bar they'll come a-running when you appear with the bottle out on the field if you establish a connection early. Just 'cause mum's unsociable, doesn't mean the lambs will be 

[TheSmilingSheep]

That's all so encouraging - really grateful.
We weren't 'guaranteed' singles from her, just told that had been her history....
We only wanted a small flock, of experienced mothers, and were/are expecting them to retire with us as time goes on - so culling isn't on our agenda..... But we are looking forward to hogget!

[Slimjim]

 In addition to all that good advice from folk who've been there, if the twins are indistinguishable, it might be worth just marking one of them to see if it's the same lamb that's at the milk bar each time. That may help you decide what to do. Good luck.

[TheSmilingSheep]

Not quite indistinguishable ... But our creative skills have been numbed by lambing ....so one's referred to as 'chesty' and one as 'eary' due to where their white markings are (they're black lambs...)! Trying hard to avoid properly naming anything that we plan to eat!