[tommytink]

One of my ewes that didn’t lamb in March is starting to bag up slightly. How long before a lamb is born does this normally start happening?
I witnessed her being revisited twice since the main event was over. One would’ve made her due a month ago and the other would make her due in August. Obvs something could have happened in between that I didn’t see, although don’t know why he would’ve gone back a later time after that if that was the case.

[shep53]

Generally weeks before depending on age , so if bagging up is noticeable then June some time

[twizzel]

She would have had it if she was due a month ago. August would be very very late. Sometimes they develop fatty deposits in the udder when they are very fat. Did you raddle the ram? That would have given you a better idea of if he actually served her or not. Maybe for next lambing a ram harness and taking the ram out after so many weeks would be better. Then at least you have a definite end date for lambing and you know for sure when each ewe is due. R.e the ewe now you could always ask the vet if they can scan her.

[tommytink]

Yes, I realise she would have had it if due in April. And bagging up now if due in August seems far too early.
The ram was raddled and all ewes were marked within a two week period. We changed raddle colour and had no revisits so thought we were all done. The ram stayed in as we had no other sheep to put him with and didn’t want him to be by himself, and again, thought everyone had taken as no revisit. We then saw him up to stuff with two ewes and as lambing approached we could tell they weren’t pregnant, or at least weren’t due at the planned time. We took him out as it seemed they were still cycling and he was still interested, so he ended up on his own anyway.
As I said, if she is, and it could be within the next month, I don’t know why he went back again in March.

[Anke]

You may  not have noticed an early miscarriage, so the ewes would just have started cycling again. That's why most farmers remove the tup completely after two cycles, and then deal with any ewes empty at scanning - they are either removed from the flock (sold as fat/cull ewes) or at least not fed any concentrates and grazed in a different field.


Have the ewes been clipped already? If not and they are due to be clipped soon you have to tell the shearer, so he treats them accordingly - just a lot more gentle is usually ok.

[shep53]

All over the country in big and small flocks odd lambs are born all summer / autumn as often empty ewes are put in with the rams to get them out the way and as Anke says if they have lost a lamb they can start cycling again and conceive  , often barren sheep can keep cycling all winter and never conceive . Try not to let her get to fat ,difficult i know at this time of year

[bj_cardiff]

Sometimes its just fat or wax - this time last year I was when the shearer turned several of my year old ewe lambs (empty) to see they had what appeared to be an udder! They weren't in lamb!

[tommytink]

She was shorn last week. We only noticed the udder yesterday. Fortunately our shearer is rather good, handles them gently, and isn’t at all rough.

Going forward I would always remove the ram after two cycles. It was purely because we had nowhere to put him with company, which is ironic as he’s ended up on his own anyway due to catching him up to stuff with the empty ewes. I naively thought sheep only had two or three cycles, and am still not clear as to when they stop. Obvs before tupping. Is it the presence of a ram that keeps them going? The Badger ram was in too long as well, but I think his owner liked that he was grazing here. I should’ve got him away earlier but that’s by the by.
I will keep a good eye on her. I fancied her lady parts were starting to swell too but may be just me.

[bj_cardiff]

Sorry I misunderstood - you had a ram in with the ewes for a long time - so it is very possible/likely that she in in lamb!

Yes, ewes will cycle all of the winter and some ewes beyond that. I do mix my rams with my empty ewe lambs around mid-march and (touch wood) have never had any pregnancies.

[silkwoodzwartbles]

One of my ewes scanned empty so I put her back with the tup to lamb in April...I noticed her starting to bag up end of Jan and she lambed on the 25th Feb (so was in lamb when scanned in November) so I'd say bagging up happens 3-4 weeks ahead of lambing.

[tommytink]

One of my ewes scanned empty so I put her back with the tup to lamb in April...I noticed her starting to bag up end of Jan and she lambed on the 25th Feb (so was in lamb when scanned in November) so I'd say bagging up happens 3-4 weeks ahead of lambing.

Thank you! We are keeping a good eye on her. Do you know if your tup served her when you put her back in after scanning empty?

[silkwoodzwartbles]

Not sure - I had raddled him but they're Zwartbles and the raddle marks don't show up well at the best of times, let alone in one of the wettest winters we've had in years.

[silkwoodzwartbles]

@tommytink, did your ewe lamb yet?