[andywalt]

Can I please ask for your advise ?  one of our last ewes to lamb, a texel, she is waddling along with a large udder and her tail is up but no water bags showing or any wetness, whats the best thing to do? she looks fine in herself, relaxed grazing in close field, should I leave her to lamb herself? or as she has her tail up is that a sign that something should be happening? she has been like this for two days, shes swollen  at the rear, pink, but nothing showing at all?  any advice please?

[SallyintNorth]

That's a hard one to call without seeing the sheep.  Most likely there's nothing wrong and she'll lamb herself as soon as you stop watching her!  If there's no matter, no blood or other fluid, she's not straining and she's eating and cudding - and sleeping - normally, then I don't think I would be concerned.  Some of my Texel and Beltex cross sheep get swollen and pink several days before starting to lamb - but since you have asked the question it would seem that yours do not usually do this. 

Do you have a date for when she must have lambed by?  (Ie, 148 days or whatever your gestation is after the tup was removed.)

[andywalt]

I thought that she was due with the last batch, but she prob has returned on season and will be 17 days later than the others which is about now, she has no fluids or anything behind, so thanks will keep checking hopfully it will happen soon.


thanks for your time

[shearling]

We had a similar thing with our last waddler (Portland) who took the best part of a week to get on with it (a gimmer) And I thought she should had podded two weeks ago. She managed it a couple of days ago

[shep53]

" A watched pot never boils  "

[ellisr]

I have one that always lambs a week after everyone has finished and she always looks like she is about to explode and carries her tail high for about a week before she gets on with it