Sheep lambing

Having taken up sheep breeding, the farmer needs to learn everything about the pregnancy and lambing of sheep. This knowledge will help him to successfully conduct his activities. The article will tell you how many months pregnancy lasts, how to determine the approach of lambing, how to take birth in a sheep at home. The farmer must know what problems he may face when lambing and how to care for newborn lambs.

Sheep with lamb

Pregnancy in sheep

Puberty in sheep occurs as early as 7-8 months, however, at this age, animals are not yet allowed to mate. The body is still too weak, and pregnancy and the birth process take a lot of strength from the lamb. Experienced livestock breeders recommend that the first mating be carried out no earlier than the sheep is 16-18 months old. By this time, her body will be fully formed, she will be able to bear offspring.

Every 3 weeks, a sexually mature sheep is ready for mating when she has a state of hunting. It can be identified by signs:

  • the external genitalia are slightly enlarged;
  • the vulva turns red;
  • mucus is secreted from the vagina;
  • behavior changes – the sheep becomes restless, jumps on other sheep, shows aggression;
  • the female accepts a cage from a ram.

Noticing signs of sexual hunting, a sheep happens to a ram. If the mating is successful, pregnancy occurs. Livestock breeders recommend mating sheep in the fall so that childbirth occurs at the end of winter. Practice shows that lambs born at this time are stronger and more viable.

Each sheep is capable of producing up to 2-3 lamb. This is an average figure, since some breeds that are distinguished by fertility give birth to up to 5 lambs in one lamb. The more fruits the female bears, the smaller they are. The average weight of a lamb is 4,5-5 kg.

Signs and timing of pregnancy

The mating of a sheep and a ram is not always effective, so the farmer should learn how to determine pregnancy by external signs and in other ways. The onset of pregnancy can be judged by the behavior of the animal and other signs:

A pregnant sheep behaves calmer than usual

A pregnant sheep behaves calmer than usual

  1. Abrupt change in behavior. The pregnant sheep becomes calmer, she moves smoothly, as if she is taking care of herself.
  2. Appetite improvement. With the onset of pregnancy, a sheep needs more food than usual.
  3. Lack of hunting. If after 3 weeks after mating, hunting does not occur, then pregnancy has come.

Reference. In some cases, the absence of signs of sexual hunting indicates health problems in the animal.

For a more accurate diagnosis, other methods for determining pregnancies are used. These include:

  • reflexological method;
  • palpation method;
  • rectal examination.

The first method can be applied 3 weeks after the animals were mated. A ram is brought to the sheep. If he does not show interest in individuals of the opposite sex, then they are pregnant. This method does not give a XNUMX% guarantee of the accuracy of the result.

The second method of detecting pregnancy in a sheep can be used 60 days after coating. Palpation, that is, probing the animal’s abdomen, allows you to detect an increase in the volume of the uterus, and experienced farmers are able to feel with their fingers the outline of the fetus in the womb of a sheep.

Note. Before such a diagnosis, the animal is not fed for 12 hours.

The third way is rectal examination. It can be practiced 2,5-3 months after mating. It requires experience and knowledge, and therefore it is better to entrust the diagnosis to a veterinarian. He will gently insert his hand into the rectum of the animal and, by the pulsation of the uterine arteries, will accurately determine pregnancy.

The duration of pregnancy is 146 days. In order to accurately determine the timing of lambing, the farmer must record on the calendar the time of mating of each sheep. The timing of childbirth can shift slightly, but on average, a pregnancy lasts about 5 months.

Attention! With multiple pregnancies, lambing occurs earlier. The time of year also affects the duration of gestation: winter lambs are born a little earlier.

Sheep's lamb

Sheep’s lamb

Signs of approaching lambing

Focusing on the lambing calendar, the farmer must begin preparations for the birth process in a timely manner – no later than 8-10 days before the expected date of birth of the lambs. It includes:

  1. Room cleaning. In the pen, you need to separate the place where the birth will take place. It should be warm and dry there, and a soft, clean bedding should be laid on the floor.
  2. Sheep food. During the last two weeks of pregnancy, it is necessary to carefully monitor the nutrition of the female. Her diet includes food that is easily digestible. Sheep should receive plenty of clean drinking water.

The behavior of the animal indicates the approach of childbirth. Closer to lambing, the sheep becomes restless, bleats more often than usual, looking for a place to retire. Approximately three days before the onset of labor, the udder increases slightly, the external genitalia swell, and the belly seems to sag. It is impossible to say exactly when a sheep will lamb – you can only navigate by its behavior.

Lambing sheep at home

When there are signs of the beginning of the birth process, the farmer must prepare the necessary equipment and tools that may be needed:

  • basin with warm water;
  • clean towels;
  • scissors;
  • iodine;
  • gloves.

sheep lambing

sheep lambing

Sheep lambing is easy, but human intervention may be necessary. Sometimes complications arise during childbirth, for example, when the fetus is not positioned correctly. On average, labor activity lasts no more than an hour. When a sheep begins to push, it lies on its side, panting and bleating. Soon, amniotic fluid should come out of the birth canal. This means that the bubble has burst. This means that in the near future both the head of the lamb and its forelimbs will appear.

Attention! If the bubble in which the baby is located has not burst, you need to break it yourself.

Next, you need to take the lamb. If it is located correctly, head first, it can be pulled up by the forelimbs at the time of attempts, but this must be done carefully. When the baby comes out completely, his nose and mouth are cleared of mucus. Ewes usually gnaw the umbilical cord on their own, after which they lick their cubs. If labor activity continues, the farmer must help the sheep in this. The umbilical cord must be cut with sterile scissors at a distance of 8-10 cm from the abdomen of the newborn. The cut site is treated with iodine.

Attention! If a sheep has had several lambs, after the birth of the first baby, the next ones will come out, easier one after the other.

Complications

In some cases, complications may arise during lambing, for example, if the fetus in the womb is located with the hind limbs forward. The farmer must be ready to help the sheep if it is not possible to urgently invite a veterinarian.
What to do if the fetus comes out wrong:

  • break the bubble that has appeared from the vagina;
  • wait for the amniotic fluid to come out;
  • turn the lamb with your hands, giving it the desired position (if possible);
  • gently stretch his body during the next attempt.

Attention! Before performing such manipulations with a woman in labor, it is necessary to put on clean clothes, treat her hands with an antiseptic and put on sterile gloves.

Complications can also occur after lambing. It is important to closely monitor the animal for several days after the birth of the lambs. If the condition of the ewe worsens, you should invite a veterinarian. What problems can arise after lambing:

  • afterbirth delay;
  • postpartum paresis;
  • udder swelling.

Udder swelling in a sheep after lambing

Udder swelling in a sheep after lambing

The deterioration of the sheep’s condition is indicated by a lack of appetite, inactivity, and anxiety. If a sheep develops postpartum paresis, she will spend all her time lying down. It is important to pay attention to vaginal discharge after childbirth. If they smell bad or are yellow with blood, this indicates an infection. In this case, the help of a veterinarian is indispensable.

What to do after lambing?

After the birth of the lamb, the mother is left with the baby. He must receive the first portion of colostrum from her udder. The sooner this happens, the better for his immune system. Ideally, a newborn should drink colostrum within the first hour of their life, but this is not always possible. It happens that a sheep does not have milk in the udder. Then you need to urgently look for another ewe to feed the lambs with colostrum. If there is none, then the babies should be given at least cow’s milk or a special mixture for lambs to drink.

First, the udder should be washed with soapy or soda solution and wiped with a towel. It is also necessary to cut off dirty wool in the abdomen and croup and remove it from the pen. The litter is replaced with a clean one in order to maintain normal sanitary conditions in the room where the newborns are located.

The placenta should leave the birth canal of the sheep within 5 or 6 hours after lambing.. It must be immediately removed from the stall and buried in the ground. If this did not happen, there may have been a delay in the birth canal. This is dangerous to the health and life of the sheep. In such cases, immediately invite a veterinarian.

A woman in labor should not be fed in the first 4 hours after lambing, but she should have constant access to water. After a specified period of time, the ewe can be fed by offering her fresh hay and other food that is easily digestible.

Attention! Lambs after drinking colostrum are usually left for several hours with their mother, but after they are taken to another place. Lambs are allowed to their mother only for feeding every 3-3,5 hours.

Lambing in sheep usually occurs without any difficulties, but the presence of a person is desirable. You should prepare for the birth process in advance, even a week before the expected date of lambing – put the room in order, provide the sheep with proper nutrition, plenty of drink. At the time of birth, the lambs should be taken in, cleared of mucus from their airways, and ensured that they attach themselves to the mother’s udder as early as possible.

Anna Evans

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