Lambing is always an exciting time on the farm. The sound of newborn lambs bleating for their mothers is just wonderful. It can sometimes be stressful, though, for the anxious flock-master or flock-mistress as they await the birth of the year’s lambs and hope that there are no difficulties.
The ewe’s body usually starts preparing for lambing a couple weeks to a month before the birth of her lambs. Her vulva will swell and get darker pink as her due date approaches. During this time her udder will also fill with colostrum – the lamb’s thick, antibody-rich, first milk. Her udder will get larger, then a day or so before she delivers her lambs her teats will appear full and the skin on her udder will feel taunt and firm.
You can see the changes in Erin’s udder before lambing in the collage below. She gave birth the day after the last photo in the collage was taken. Erin was born 3/3/2011. She was 2 years old when I took these photos and was pregnant for the first time.
Within a few days of lambing, the ewe’s sides “hollow out” as the lamb drops into birthing position. Her sides near her back will look sunken-in and her abdomen will look full.
The ewe may also hold her tail out as lambing gets closer.
As active labor approaches the ewe will usually become restless and may separate herself from the flock. She will begin to pace in an area and paw at the ground to make the area comfortable for her (in the photo below you can see Kathleen has moved to the back of the stall, away from where Izzy and Luna are lying). The ewe may refuse feed or hay at this point, but this depends on the ewe. I’ve had ewes that stop for a mouthful of hay in between contractions.
The ewe will soon begin to lie down and get up repeatedly. She will paw at the ground more aggressively, digging a bed or nest. You may hear her begin to baa the way mother sheep talk to their lambs. She will continue talking to the lamb until after it’s born.
Soon the ewe will begin to push as the contractions become stronger. She will continue to get up and lie down, usually pushing while lying down. It’s normal to hear her grunt or baa while pushing.
Soon the amniotic (water) sac emerges. If the ewe labors for more than an hour from this point without birthing the lamb, you should examine the ewe to determine if the lamb is in the wrong presentation for birth.
It will soon rupture (see arrow) and the ewe will find the fluid and lick it up. She will continue alternating lying down and pushing and standing up and pawing at the ground. Injesting the amniotic fluid provides the ewe with nutrients and hormones that can relieve pain and inflamation, quicken cervical dilation, and stimulate uterine contractions and milk production. It also helps the ewe recognize her lamb by smell and taste.
The lamb’s front feet will soon emerge from the birth canal…
…followed by the head
The shoulders are the most difficult part of the lamb for the ewe to pass. She may lie down and strain to push the lamb out.
Once the shoulders are free of the birth canal, the ewe may stay lying down or stand up again. The rest of the lamb will slide out more easily, usually with a couple pushes if the ewe remains lying down. If she stands up, the lamb may slide out with the help of gravity.
Once the lamb has fully emerged, the ewe will get up and find the lamb. She will begin to lick and clean it, with the lamb’s nose and face first (she will consume the amniotic fluid and sac). The lamb and ewe will baa to each other.
By cleaning the lamb, she is also bonding with it.
The lamb will try using its legs and will soon stand. The ewe will continue cleaning the lamb. If she is pregnant with multiple lambs another amniotic sac will soon become visible. The 2nd lamb’s feet are just visible in the photo below (see arrow).
The lamb will continue walking and will begin to nudge the ewe’s body, searching for her udder. The ewe may gently push the lamb towards her udder with her nose. If there’s a twin, the ewe will continue getting up and lying down while talking to the first lamb to keep it near her. The 2nd lamb may be birthed before the 1st lamb nurses.
The lamb will begin to nurse and may headbutt the udder. If there’s a twin, the ewe may clean it while the 1st lamb in nursing. Nursing triggers the release of the placenta (see arrows). The placenta(s) is(are) delivered within a couple hours of lambing, but can sometimes take 24 hours or longer. It it important NEVER to pull on the placenta if it is hanging from the ewe. If it is still attached to the uterus and is pulled the ewe could hemorrhage and bleed to death.
If there are any additional lambs, the birth process will happen again.
Once the ewe is finished lambing, I move her and her lamb(s) to a jug (small stall to help with bonding). I prefer for my ewes to have more space than the jug offers for delivering their lamb(s).
The ewe will be thirsty and hungry after her labor. Warm molasses water (approx 1 cup in a large bucket) will give her an energy boost and she should be given hay. If there are multiple lambs, giving the ewe grain may help increase milk production.
Not all deliveries are textbook, but it’s important to learn what a normal lambing looks like so you can identify an abnormal delivery and intervene. Once the dam begins pushing, it is imperative that the lamb is delivered in a timely manner. If a malpresentation of the lamb or another issue prevents this, the shepherd must assist the ewe. Remember when you assist, wear gloves (OB preferably) and use LOTS of lube. If you’re in a pinch and don’t have veterinary lube any unscented, plain human lube will do fine.
These photos were taken over several years and are a few of our ewes in labor. Click on each photo to see it enlarged
Do you learn better from watching or experiencing, rather than through reading and photos? You can watch Bertha’s textbook lambing here.
If you have any questions, feel free to post below and I will answer as time permits. If you have a more urgent question, please message me on our farm Facebook or Instagram page.
Sources:
Simmons, Paula, and Carol Ekarius. Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep : Breeding, Care, Facilities. North Adams, Ma, Storey Publishing, 2019.
Mota-Rojas, Daniel et al. “Consumption of Maternal Placenta in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Beneficial and Adverse Effects.” Animals : an open access journal from MDPI vol. 10,12 2398. 15 Dec. 2020, doi:10.3390/ani10122398, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7765311/
Goat Vet Corner ℠ — Only Veterinarians Comment, August 17, 2016,, https://www.facebook.com/groups/goatvetcorner/permalink/1819447451634995, Accessed August 18, 2016
Red Rope Farm 
While I wait outside and check often, I’ve never actually witnessed the entrance of any lambs. They just seem to “appear” (but as the mother of 4 , I know better! ) This is a wonderful teaching/learning segment. Nicely done.
Thanks Julie! I love being there when the lambs are born. Last year Noah got to see one of our girls give birth and he thought it was pretty cool, too.
My most favorite time of the year!….When the lambs are born! 🙂 Thanks for putting this together! It’s great.
Thanks, Amy…it’s my favorite time, too! Thanks for sharing it, too!
Very good we got some video last year and one of ours even had triplets lisa was able to see the last one born ,what a surprise. Very good pics should post on tunis news
Thanks, Glenn! We had a set of triplets but 1 was stillborn a couple years ago. The story is under the “Rosy” tag. Do you get the NTSRI newsletters or have you visted the NTSRI website? They have an archive of the newsletters at: http://www.countrylovin.com/NTSRI/association.html#NEWSLETTERS.
Very clear, informative shots! Eased my mind greatly.
Thank you!! I decided to make this page because I learn better with visuals. I figured many others do too!
I don’t expect to be birthin’ no lambs, but your feature was fascinating, and in the best of ‘all-natural’ taste – not offensive or too graphic at all.
Thank you, Lynn! I’m such a visual learner and I know many others are too. And I love making tutorials and guides. 🙂
Thanks for the pics. People tell you what to look for but seeing is much better for me. I’m guessing my little lambies are only a day or two away – if that!!!!!
This is so helpful, thank you for the pictures! My ewes (theoretically) should be lambing in the next month or so and I’m nervous as the proverbial cat about to have kittens. 🙂
Thanks! I learn so much from photos or real life too! I hope everything goes well with your ewe…. let me know how she does. 🙂
Will do! I’m 85% confident that three of my ladies are pregnant, 50% that a fourth is, and almost 100% sure the fifth isn’t thanks to these photos!
I wish you smooth lambing! What breed are your sheep or are they a mixed breed?
Thanks! They’re Shetlands. I’m in love with the breed!
Oh, they are adorable! A friend of mine used to have a flock of Shetlands. I love all the different colors and patterns that they can have.
Me, too, and their personalities are charming!
Thank you so much for these photos and information! We are waiting on our first lambs which based on comparing the photos to my photos, it should be any day now! We have a small flock of Tunis, 5 ewes and a ram. We put our ram in with 3 of our girls 10/17 and left them together until 12/5. Do you have any pictures of a ewe that still has 4 weeks to go, but is definitely expecting? I have 1 that is due any day, and 1that I think is pregnant but not so far along and then one that I am completely unsure about.
I’m so happy that this has helped you! I know I have photos of ewes a month from their due dates… I will look for them.
Thanks for documenting! We lost our ram a couple years ago and finally got another on last fall. We have two pregnant ewes and I couldn’t remember what it looks like when she is ready! We will hopefully lamb in the next week.
I hope everything goes smoothly for you and your ewes!
Our ewes are pregnant. This is our first time with sheep. The last week or so 2 of them have the udder starting to slightly show. Yesterday, the udder on one of them doubled in size but is still small. That ewe’s vulva today is slightly red. No other signs so far. I’m wondering how long do we still have before they give birth?
some ewes have smaller udders. If she lets you touch it you can feel it it’s tight and firm or still pliable. When it feels tight usually labor will be soon (next day or 2).
They won’t let us touch them. I’m observing them daily for any physical and behaviour changes.
When the udder gets full the skin will look tight and sometimes shiny.
Thanks.
You’re welcome! I hope lambing goes smoothly.
Your pictures and video were very informative, actually the best I have found online. We are expecting our first lambs any day now and I feel your posts have helped us prepare! Thank you.
Thanks Nicole! I wish you all the best! Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to answer them. 🙂
What year are these sheep the photos are of? We have 2 yearlings that we are expecting to lamb any day but this is my first time lambing so I really am not sure what to look for! I have heard that first time mothers may or may not have big udders. They def have looked like they have “dropped” and have a small amount of discharge.. vulvas are swollen and somewhat elongated. Hoping for babies soon! lol
Hi Kimberly, the photo collage at the top of the page is of Erin, who was born in 2011. She was almost 2 when I took these photos and pregnant for the first time. Some ewes naturally get larger udders than others and can pass those traits on to their female offspring. I hope lambing goes well for you! -Kim
This page is a great learning tool! Thanks for posting it. We are anxiously awaiting our first lambs. although all our ewes are experienced mamas with previously easy births, I’m nervous because It’s our first year breeding.
Thank you! Best wishes for easy lambing!
I have a ewe that had a lamb this morning and had yet to have the second one. She eats, paws the ground, lets the other nurse, but hasn’t had the second one. You can see it kicking inside her still.
I would glove up and see if the unborn lamb is presenting wrong – breach, etc. and/or call your vet. Hope everything goes well.
Got a Barbado ready to deliver today it seems. Separation from the pack; really well developed udder over the last two + weeks; and my others never develop a sack to the sizes shown with dorpers on these sites. Smaller but full. Even after delivery they do not get much larger than the day of birth. And yes they drop lambs out of nowhere, in the field. Had to give one away as mom rejected the second lamb and we could not take on a bottle baby. She was rejected because my loving young longhorn heifer licked her to help clean up the baby before we knew she’d been dropped in the tall grass. A first time birth from the ewe and twins to boot. Maybe there is a way to smear milk on her or rub the placenta on her as some old timers have suggested. We are too new to all of this to have known at this point. Our four successful Barbado births this spring have all grown like weeds and are totally loveable. Talk about early independence. Three and one half months after birth, they are abusing moms when they come to drink. Another one (or two) lambs due perhaps this afternoon from our friendliest ewe, a mate we purchased at a yound age and bottle fed a while, for our bottle baby ram. Thats another story, but don’t get too friendly with your ram babies or you may need to sell them due to trying to their trying to head butt you incessantly, and a serious risk of getting hurt!! Ed from Central Tx in a cool July..
Hi Ed,
Hope all goes well with lambing! We also learned the hard way about not getting too friendly with your rams.
Take care,
Kim
Excellent and informative presentation. Can anyone tell me why the majority of our lambs are born with a single front leg head position. The majority of our lambs have presented this way this year and require assistance. Any information gratefully accepted
There can be a variety of factors that affect presentation. One year we had all but 1 or 2 lambs born with 1 leg forward presentation. The next year all the lambs were normal presentation.
Thx this helps me a lot as we have a hobby farm and have sheep on it. We have a ewe that is pregnant and we had no knowledge about it. We have one ram and one ewe. Our ram is quite aggressive with us and the ewe while eating. Do you think we should separate them while the ewe is birthing? If so how long do we separate them for after the lamb is born?
Hi Hayleigh, I would separate them and keep them separate until breeding season. If not, and if he becomes aggressive to the lambs, he could seriously hurt them. Also, he could breed your ewe when she begins to cycle again. Nursing plus pregnancy would be a huge toll on her body. We keep our ram with a wether for company and only introduce him to the ewes when we breed. (and remember to separate any ram lambs at weaning or shortly afterwards so they can’t breed the mother. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. – Kim
Thx for your advise. It really helped. Xx
Anytime! Please reach out if you have other questions!
Will do! 😊
Hey Kim, how r u?
I have a question. Our ewe has a tight, big udder but not a very swollen, red vulva. How long off do you think she is from birthing?
Once the skin on the udder becomes tight from being engorged, I find lambing is usually within 24 hours. There’s always the exception but that’s what i usually see.
Thx for the help.
You’re welcome!
I’ve used this resource for 2 years at least to refresh myself prior to lambing, and I’m curious have you ever experienced an udder dripping milk prior to lambing?
Thank you,
Gabriella Reid
Hi Gabriella, I haven’t had that issue before. I imagine if the waxy plug in the teat becomes dislodged leaking milk can occur. I’d keep an eye on the ewe because if milk is dripping out, bacteria can get into the udder.
Hi Kim,
How are you? I asked you a while back about separating my ewe away from my ram while birthing. Well it helped loads. On the 1st of August twin ewes were born. We are extremely grateful for your advise.
Hi Hayleigh, I’m so glad to hear! I wish you many happy lambings.
Hi Kim I am new to sheep. We bought14 ewes and 2 rams last October knowing that some were pregnant but not knowing due dates we have had one ewe lamb born without any assistance or problems We now have a ewe presenting cotyledons but no lamb had been born Is this placental separation and will she still have a lamb without intervention? These ewes are not friendly and have to be captured via head gates and U do not want to stress her since this issue just presented itself this morning Thank you for your advice.
Sharon
Hi Sharon, I would get her haltered or somehow restrained and examine her. Or call you vet out to see what’s going on. Is she pushing or appearing in labor?
Thanks for response She is just walking around like normal eating and drinking as normal not pushing straining or pawing and staying as far from humans as she can like normal lol she just has the cotyledons dangling out attached to about 8 inches of membrane It is New Year’s Day and our vet is 35 miles away
Are you sure she didn’t give birth and left the lamb somewhere?
She has been confined to our barn and lane way areas due to bad weather and we have searched for a lamb and not found one we thought of that as well Thanks for the advice we will just see how she goes tonight
Hope she is OK!
I’m caretaking a flock of 31 Shetland ewes and 3 rams that are completely pastured. This will be my first lambing and I’m nervous as only 1 ewe is friendly!
I am thinking of splitting the group to, hopefully, make it easier for me to keep an eye on everyone. The rams will be separated into their own pen for lambing so I don’t have to worry about watching my back constantly. One of the new rams can be grumpy and I don’t know if he can be trusted.
Thank you for the walk through!
Hi Samantha, I hope all goes well for you! Lambing on pasture with ewes that aren’t calm around people would make me a little nervous too.
We have another lamb on the way and I’m glad to say I’m prepared and know what to expect.
I may be emailing u a lot. Sorry about that. I can’t thank u enough for taking the time to answer my questions when I was stressed about the birth. Thanks to your advice, we had a smooth birth.
That’s great! Hope the others go smoothly!
thanks these are great. A 3 yr old great ewe…Did it herself two lambings. voila. Now she is taking her time and I got a bit worried. Cross fingers, I think she will be OK. Pushing labor for 30 mins, digging holes, no sac visible yet. 2/20/21. CRB
Hope everything goes well!
Hey Kim! How are u??
I have a question (again!) we have another ewe that’s very heavily pregnant and she has a very tight quite red udder and a very swollen vulva. It’s been like this since yesterday. Also her bum gives a bit of a jiggle when she walks. How far off do u think she is??
Hi Hayleigh, doing good. Thanks! Hope all is well with you. I’d say she should give birth in the next day or maybe 2. I would keep checking on her and think it would be done than later. Do you know the breeding date?
Thanks. We didn’t get the exact breeding date but i am 100% positive it was in October.
It may have been mid october. Not too sure.
The fullness of the udder is usually a better indicator than the vulva of how imminent labor is. I have some ewes that get jiggly and puffy a couple weeks before lambing.
Well I can see her udder is huge because it’s got a shine showing it’s stretched out and it is quite red.
That makes me think it will be sooner rather than later. If it’s red just monitor that it doesn’t get hot to the touch. That would be a sign of mastitis.
Ok. She does make it hard for us to touch since she is not as friendly as the others and prefers to stay well away from us. She is quite a small sheep that could also probably make her udder red because it is very big?
It could or just because it’s so engorged. Just something to have in the back of your mind.
Ok. Thanks for your help Kim. I will keep an eye on her 😉
Anytime! I hope lambing goes smoothly for her (and you)!
Hey Kim! My ewe stil hasn’t given birth but I don’t think she is too far off. I was able to milk out a small amount of colostrum. She is also a bit more restless than the others. When the others are lying down she is always up. How far off do You think she is??
I am very sorry to keep bothering you. You are the most successful site that I have come across.
Hi Hayleigh, just be patient. It doesn’t sound like anything is wrong… just that she’s close. You can send me pics or videos to our fb or ig. Don’t try to milk any more colostrum. Bacteria can enter the udder once the wax plugs are removed.
I’m sorry to email you so early. I didn’t realise our times are different.
Sorry to bother you Kim! 🙂
It’s OK!
I am extremely grateful for your advice, and will try to be patient, though for me very hard as it is all very exciting. 🙂
Waiting is hard! Remember that their pregnancy is 5 months. What breed is she?
She is a self shedding dorper.
But like you said she is not far off and I suppose nature will take it’s place.
Yes, and her udder may be large already because she might produce a lot
Hey Kim, I am very apreciative of your support and patience. Our ewe is in birth now.
That’s wonderful! Keep me updated!
Hey Kim, she has been in labor since 6:30 this morning and its 12:30 in the afternoon. Should I be worried since there hasn’t been a lamb yet??
Will do 🙂
One of the lambs died. Still trying to see if there is another one. 😦
Birth is finished. There was never a second lamb just the 1st one that died. It’s quite unfortunate
😦 😦
I’m so sorry Hayleigh. Losing a lamb is always hard. Generally you should assist if there’s no progress after an hour of active labor.
Will an untamed ewe allow me to assist?? We have sheep for the first time my husband got from a contract sale barn guy can’t get near them! Sorry to butt in here! We have 10 due to lamb but don’t know due dates or anything!
Hi Sharon, if you need to assist a skittish ewe the best method is to put her on a halter and tie her to something secure.
These ewes are so wild they run from me as soon as I start to walk toward them. I caught one once like you suggest she threw herself around so badly feared she would injure herself so I turned her loose. It seems the only way we can do anything with these sheep is to run all of them through our head catch setup and catch the one we want but it is so stressful for the pregnant ewes. They are literally like wild animals ! My husband says just leave them alone to sort out their problems and they can live or die! He is from Australia and had worked sheep on big stations on horseback since he was 15 so has no empathy for livestock. I am beginning to think he may be right with these sheep. We do have 2 that we got from a local farm that are friendly but my new lambs are just as wild as the other crazy ones !
That’s a tough situation. The safest and least stressful way to catch the ewes would probably be to run them through the head catch. Do you have a pen or barn to keep the pregnant ewes so they’re in a more confined space?
Two of our untamed ewes have successfully had a lamb (singles only) without assistance. Now the lambs are as wild as their mothers even though I have held them and handled them from birth. How can I get my new lambs to be semi friendly so I can at least get near them without them running away like they are going to be murdered? It is a real problem,my goats kids were usually always semi tame but these sheep are insane!
I always find the best way to make lambs (or adult sheep) friendly is to use food… either grain or treats. Ram lambs will almost always be more friendly than ewe lambs, but unless you’re castrating them you shouldn’t let them get too friendly. You want rams to have a respect of people, not think they are the same.
You are so helpful! We got our Dorper ram from a sale yard and he is definitely a head butter! I have to carry a big walking stick into his ram area and he stays away when he sees it. These animals only come for their food after I move away except for the two tame ones, who get most of the food since they are happy to be near me while the others stay far away! My tame ones are fat!
I always advise purchasing stock from breeders so you can see the temperament of their flock. Buying from a sale barn is tricky… usually sheep get sold there for a reason – like safety.
Yes I see this now! Now I just wait to see if there is a new lamb when I turn them out or bring them in. If there is a problem I can only hope the ewe will be too busy with labor to care if I come to assist! I am concerned at how totally the new lambs learn to run run away like their mothers! I would never recommend sale yard livestock to anybody for breeding stock! They are less expensive but more trouble than just spending more money for better sheep! You are a godsend! Thanks for the suggestions
One thing you could do to make the lambs more friendly would be to bottle feed them. It’s a lot work though. And I wouldn’t bottle feed any ram lambs unless necessary. Bottle rams can grow up to be aggressive.
Yes we have bottle fed our girlie goat kids in the past but our goat kids even if not bottle fed are often friendly enough to handle without bottle feeding I don’t have time to bottle feed lambies lol we both have regular jobs besides the farm we had another unassisted lambing just now single so far but she may have another lamb is already on it’s feet and nursing mom but s very attentive Thanks for being there! Hopefully all my ewes will have unremarkable births!
You are so helpful! We got our Dorper ram from a sale yard and he is definitely a head butter! I have to carry a big walking stick into his ram area and he stays away when he sees it. These animals only come for their food after I move away except for the two tame ones, who get most of the food since they are happy to be near me while the others stay far away! My tame ones are fat!
Yeah. We couldn’t see if she was in labour because she was just lying down. Thanks for your support though.
Anytime!
Two of our untamed ewes have successfully had a lamb (singles only) without assistance. Now the lambs are as wild as their mothers even though I have held them and handled them from birth. How can I get my new lambs to be semi friendly so I can at least get near them without them running away like they are going to be murdered? It is a real problem,my goats kids were usually always semi tame but these sheep are insane!
We had one lamb twins today! Did everything by herself, we just had to move them to a better location. No lambing jugs here, just pasture and a small pen we use for catching them. So she’s in there and is taking good care of them. I was able to make her sure her milk supply had come in and both lambs have drank and are quiet and laying down.
Yay! I survived the first lambing! lol
Wonderful! I’m glad everything went smoothly!
That is so exciting! We have had 3 singles but no twins! Like you we don’t have jugs either and our sheep are also wild and not friendly at all
Well, had a 2 yr old lamb today, with a bit of help. I stepped in as I could see a head but no feet. Turned out the feet were there but weren’t extended at all, elbows were caught. Pulled the little guy (yes, it’s a ram!) out, set it by momma’s head, wiped some goo on her nose and walked away. She took one sniff and got up and walked away! Kept her back to him for awhile, then we moved mom and baby into a smaller area and kept putting him right in her face. She kept head butting him and walking away.
We brought him inside for awhile to warm him up and figure out next steps. Our dogs were very curious. Lol. I went back out to see if I could get some colostrum out of her, she had some but it’s very thick. Good stuff if we could get it into him! Brought the lamb back out to see if we could get him to nurse, put a halter on mom so she couldn’t walk away. She let him try, I think he got something, his tail was going crazy!
Finally, she started to clean him off!
We left them alone for awhile and waited for the owner to get here. The owner and I decided to milk some colostrum out of her using the Udderly EZ milker, ended up mixing it with powdered to give him more. He took almost the whole bottle. I kept them in the small area for tonight, tomorrow I’ll let them out with the rest.
And the owner said that another ewe is due soon! And the fun begins!
Hi there,
I have been appointed to look after a farmer’s sheep. They are all lambing beautifully. My concern is that I have an ewe that has a bad back leg. As she gets bigger, she struggles more and more to walk about. She is heavily pregnant. She has been lying down for 2 days now, I go to her frequently to pick her up and then keep her stable so she can get some bloodflow to her leg and side, as well as keeping water and food within reach. She tries, but as soon as she starts to walk, her leg folds in underneath her. The farmer seems to think that she either has bad arthritis or that the lamb(s) are causing a pinched nerve somewhere.
My worry is that she will have difficulty lambing. I am afraid that she will start to lamb and I won’t be there quick enough to be on standby in case she needs me. I am already getting up frequently at night to check on her as well. Your website is a massive help, especially the visuals, it gave me a better idea what to look for, how to check for signs, thank you so much!!
Is there anything I can do additionally to just checking or when the lamb comes? Do I need to check on her every hour at night? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Sigi! Thank you so much! If she were mine, I’d try to get a vet’s opinion on her leg. Other than that, just check her every hour or 2 and keep getting her up. How is she doing eating and drinking? I haven’t dealt with it, but pregnancy toxemia can be an issue in late pregnancy. With her not very mobile, you may want to read up on that condition.
If you think it’s more her leg, you can make a splint for her, using pipe insulation and vet wrap. That would give her more stability. Let me know how things go with her! Take care, Kim
Hi Kim,
Thank you soooo much for your reply! I will read up on the toxemia as well.
Her leg has been a problem for a while now, it is like she cannot lift it up properly, like it is a little lame. We injected her a couple weeks back with Hi-Tet and anti-inflammatory, and it helped a lot. But the bigger she got, the less mobile she got. I think maybe the weight of the lamb(s) is causing her to lose what little control she had over her leg. Hopefully it will be better after she gives birth. I was just concerned she might have trouble lambing and even if it goes well, might not be able to get to her lamb in time or that the poor baby won’t be able ro drink. I will continue to watch her closely and let you know how it goes.
The splint is a good idea, though, I will see what we can MacGyver tomorrow 😉
Thank you thank you thank yoy, you guys are wonderful!!!
Thanks so much! I hope all goes well!
This was awesome thank you. I only Wish that I saw this when our 1st lamb was born. Our 2nd ewe is do with in a couple of weeks. Now I have references. Our first birthing God blessed us because he had everything in control. AMEN. Woke to a baby ram that was just born and the placenta was still hanging out.
Congratulations on your 1st lamb! I hope the next goes just as smoothly! If you have questions you can reach out to me here or on our fb page.
How to care for ewe that loses her lambs i.e. milk supply. Can she get mastitis?
I believe she can. I would monitor her behavior and temperature.
Hi can ewe still be pregnant after a going into labour to early? She had a little boy wasn’t bagged up as yet. He was born 5 weeks ago stillborn now she has put a lot of weight on again and has bagged up. My other ewe is die very soon as well. Iam hoping this is the case I live little ones
It’s rare, but possible for a ewe to be pregnant with lambs of different ages. Was the stillborn lamb full size, or could it have been early? I’d keep a close eye on her either way. I hope you have healthy lambs born! Keep me posted! -Kim
Thank you so much for this post. I never knew that you could not pull the placenta out, I honestly thought it was like with humans, when they pull the placenta out during contractions after the baby. Thank you so much for putting that in there. I could have possibly injured or killed one of my ewe’s. We are new to goat farming. We have had a farm for two years, but just had our first baby born on Christmas Eve, sadly he was born stillborn. This helped me post helped me alot because out of my husband and inlaws and myself I am the one that does all the doctoring that doesn’t involve a vet.
I’m so glad to help, Ashley! I’m sorry you lost your lamb and hope any others are born healthy. Take care, Kim
That’s great
Can I send you a picture of my sheeps bottom? Maybe you can help me find out when she’s going to deliver or if something else is wrong with her.
Sure, Cindy! You can email it or send it to our page on FB or IG.
Ok thank you
When will we know when to help. What if the Ewe has been laying down breathing hard for a day going on 2 days?
Hi Valerie, do you know when she’s due? Is there any pushing?
My sheep users are huge for 3 weeks now is this common. And it’s here 1st birth she is 6 years old
Hi Sherry, yes, some ewes will get very big udders a while before lambing. Once she gives birth, check her teats. Sometimes the teats will get engorged and become to big for the lambs to suck. Just milk some colostrum out and freeze in case you have an emergency later.
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog and was curious what all is needed to get setup? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very web smart so I’m not 100 certain. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Appreciate it
Why would a ewe continue to paw the ground after she has given birth to the lamb?
Hi Michelle, She could be getting ready for a 2nd lamb, or for the placenta to be delivered. If she’s pawing around the lamb(s) she is usually trying to get them up to nurse.
Ewe has been walking none stop sometimes till she falls down. Rests for a couple of minutes then gets back up. This has been going on for 2 days. Her uterus was already enlarged & pink when she came. Ram kept her pinned away from rest of flock. Mounted her several times. Her belly has dropped quite a bit but sides aren’t hollowed out much. Is she in trouble trying to deliver or is this part of restless moma?
Hi Tina,
If you have access to a vet I would call to have her examined. A hands-on examination is very helpful in these situations. A ewe can smell like she’s in heat to a ram before labor begins and they may mount her. It does sound like she is experiencing stress. What breed is she? If she’s very large (having multiples) she could be having nutritional issues as well. You can get ketone test strips from any pharmacy and test her urine.
If you’re on fb or ig, you can also message me there @redropefarm. I often get those messages more quickly than here.
Take care,
Kim
Hi, I have a single 5yr old pet ewe. We just got new neighbours that have sheep including a ram, would it be ok if the ram got to her or advised not to at her age? She has never been with other sheep only lives with a cow
Hi Katie, As long as she’s in good health and her teeth are in good shape, I think it would be fine if she got pregnant. Do you have experience in lambing? Take care, Kim
Fascinating
Thanks!
Hello I just have a question, I had a Sheep and she just lamed a week ago, it was her first birthing, she had twin girls. Both seemed healthy. It has been about a week and I noticed a little blood on one of their heads and noticed it was coming from Mumas vagina. I was told it was normal and it could be vulva discharge and it’s ok. Is that true of is there any way to tell if I have to assist her in another way. Thank you.
It may be normal. If you’re concerned or if she seems to be in distress at all, contact your vet for an exam.
Thank you so much. Your facilities are lovely. I have three ewes and they lambed this year, in the paddock and at night. I didnt know how to recognise how close they were to lambing. Now i have a better idea i will try to confine them so they can be more comfortable.
Thank you Lenore!
thank you so much this really helps because as soon as i left to go to school my ewe started birthing especially as she is a first time mum so she wont know how much pain it is to get the lamb out
Thank you Jess!
Your lectures is so satisfying.
Want to learn more things.
Thank you
when if ever is a sheep to far over due to the point where you induce labor and go in after the lamb? Asking cause this year we are having lots of big lambs 11-15 lbs?
I would consult a Veterinary professional about overdue concerns, but I have had many large lambs born at correct due dates. I have read that feeding too much grain late in pregnancy can affect birth weights, and also that most large single lambs are rams…. both I have noticed to be true on my farm. What breed of sheep do you have? ~Kim
how far past a due date do you induce labor on a ewe. We know exact due date as we raddle the ram and all ewes last 2 years have lambed within 1-2 days of marked date. Have a ewe who is almost a week past, she’s not stressed, not toxic, so haven’t worried but how long past is normal? They are katahdins and very reliable lambing. We no longer have a sheep vet in area so I’m on my own.
I, personally, wouldn’t induce unless I had veterinary advice on it. How long did you leave the ewe in with the ram? Is it possible she got bred a second time? How does her udder look? ~Kim
Hi! I have no idea if you’ll get this in time – My ewe is in labor right now. The water bag has been out since 4:15… it’s been 50 minutes. But hasn’t broken and there’s no lamb. You said it should be an hour from this point – how do you examine the ewe to determine if the lamb is in correct position, if the water bag is still intact?
Hi Emily, preferrably with gloves on and with lube, insert your fingers into her vagina. You’re hoping to feel a nose or front feet. If you don’t, you need to determine what you’re feeling.
Thank you!
I didn’t have gloves, but there were two hooves and a nose… we got 2 babies! They both seemed great at first, but the boy won’t latch on. I made sure he got some colostrum and tried putting him right on the tray several times – I hope he makes it!
That’s great! If he doesn’t nurse you can tube feed him until he gets the hang of nursing.
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Great Pictures. I have tree Tunis ewes. This the second time for me waiting for them to deliver. I compared your pictures with what I have now and that is a great help. I have a question, should I clean their nibbles before feeding their new born? Thank you so much. I would appreciate if you could send me an e-mail with your answer.
Hi Michael, If their teats are dirty, I’d wipe them off but it’s not normally necessary. Just strip the teat to make sure the wax plug comes out so the milk can flow.
Kim,
thank so much. Michael
Anytime!