[mebnandtrn]

We have 5 ewes due Sunday. Thursday went to feed them to find one had given birth to 2 small but live lambs. Then she had a dead one with help from us. Then another live one. We were shocked! Later that night another ewe had 2 live ones. Then 2 dead ones. Since then 2 more have died, which is a bit rubbish really. Anyway the question is this...why have we had 2 lots of quads? Is there a known reason, pure random luck, anything we can do to prevent it again? Just dont want to risk the ewe, or loose so many lambs again if there is a way to avoid it. Thanks

[SallyintNorth]

Probably mainly the mild winter. 

We actively avoid flushing ours, wanting to avoid triplets and very happy with lots of good strong singles.  (Less inputs, earlier away, more reared/born - they could all have singles, and BH would be very happy.)

Yesterday we had 5 sets of triplets in the space of 26 hours 

[harmony]

Did you sponge and inject? What breed are they?


We were warned about sponging resulting in large numbers of lambs but we haven't found that this year.

[mebnandtrn]

Thank you Sally. I have heard of a few people this year who have said they have had more dead lambs this year than for many years. I hope so, loosing 5 out of 8 feels absolutely awful.

[mebnandtrn]

We did sponge them, but we did that last year as well and only  got one twin and 2 singles. This year we did flush them, maybe that didnt help with the multiple lambs.

[kanisha]

was going to ask .... I understood that the tendancy to twin or multiple lambs is genetic

Ouessants as a rule only have single lambs. so much so that another local breed historically has the name race à deux - breed of  two - outcrossed with other breeds for prolificacy.

In all the years I have only had two sets of twins both in the same year and to related mums. The ram has since gone on to produce only single lambs unless mated to a commercial breed.

I am still trying to workout why one year mum and daughter produced twins and never before or since have I had twins.

[Backinwellies]

sponging and flushing is a commercial way to get multiples

[Fleecewife]

The breed is highly relevant here, so what breed are they?

[Old Shep]

The good weather in the autumn and plenty of grass would have been a factor.  We lambed one this morning, scanned with triplets, but quads.  She's been poor for weeks, terrible thin and been inside on as much cake and hay as she'd eat.  Sadly three of them were too weak and despite our very best efforts didn't make it.  The remaining one is also weak but has managed some colostrum little and often. To top it all the ewe has absolutely no milk.  So you're not on your own.  Remind me why we have sheep?

[waterbuffalofarmer]

ooooohhhhh dear when mine where with the tup it was really cold and I gave them ad lib hay, via hay bale and ring feeder, plus a bit of cake; I have a horrible feeling that mine might just give a lot more triplets. It could also show that your ewes may be very fertile, not sure. In an average lambing for me its mostly singles, a few twins and 1 or 2 triplets. It could be to do with how warm the weather has been in certain parts of the UK this winter, grass growth and the like. I am really sorry that this has happened to you I hope the rest of lambing goes well for you

[Sbom]

How about five!

These were born last year out of a shearling, who is 100% grass fed. This was how I found them....it's my favourite lambing picture so far 

[Old Shep]

wow !!!!

[Sbom]

Another from last year, I have one scanned for quads again so hoping they're as big this year

[waterbuffalofarmer]

That is brilliant sbom. usually 5 lambs don't make it past being born, so that is indeed an acheivement so well done and so big too!

[verdifish]

ooooohhhhh dear when mine where with the tup it was really cold and I gave them ad lib hay, via hay bale and ring feeder, plus a bit of cake; I have a horrible feeling that mine might just give a lot more triplets. It could also show that your ewes may be very fertile, not sure. In an average lambing for me its mostly singles, a few twins and 1 or 2 triplets. It could be to do with how warm the weather has been in certain parts of the UK this winter, grass growth and the like. I am really sorry that this has happened to you I hope the rest of lambing goes well for you

!!!??? I thought you could tell just by looking at your ewes what they are due to have?