[kanisha]

Anyone else get this?

I know that dorset sheep are considered non seasonal and as such can produce two lambs crops with in one year but has anyone had this  in other breeds? I read that portlands do this ( ancestral influence of dorset sheep)

[SallyintNorth]

We discuss this regularly, and usually get conflicting answers!  I shall watch with interest...

Our Charollais tups are ready to work much earlier in the year than the Texels, and now that we have some half-Charollais ewes, we are finding that some of the ewes are cycling earlier than they used to.

[kanisha]

Ok I'll rephrase the question slightly anyone any experience of a ewe with a lamb at foot lambing 5 months and  six weeks after her previous lambing ie concieving whilst having a six week old lamb at foot that she raised healthy and the same for the second ?

[SallyintNorth]

Oh!  No, I didn't realise you meant that at all!   

The people l have known with Dorsets have had spring-lambing and autumn-lambing flocks; they haven't attempted to get any single ewe to rear two crops a year.

[RichStaffs]

What breed is it?

I think the usual for dorsets is 3 crops in two years, i.e. lambing every 8 months rather than twice a year.

[kanisha]

Ouessant and its not the only recorded incident but the most clearly documented until then everyone just raised an eye brow.....