Ohio State University Research/Extension Bulletin

Animal Sciences Research and Reviews

Special Circular 156

Success at Lambing Time

R.A. High
Department of Animal Sciences

Lambing Time

Lambing season is the most critical time in the shepherd's year. Most lamb losses result from neglect. The shepherd should be prepared before lambing season with a suitable, strategic lambing plan. Necessary facilities should be readied, and the shepherd's medicine kit should be supplied with the necessary items. If these and other matters are not attended to before lambing begins, heavy losses may result.

Whether shed lambing or range/pasture lambing is practiced, the producer will find that most lambing tasks are similar. Ewes encounter dystocia problems, lambs are mismothered, some lambs suffer from exposure to the elements, and other lambs lose their mothers for a multitude of reasons.

If preparations are adequate and functional facilities have been made, the task of lambing, critical as it is, becomes not an unwanted burden but a busy and pleasant assignment. Lambing requires around-the-clock attention, but the joy of saving lambs and moving every ewe onto pasture with one or two strong lambs is very satisfying.

As the lambing season approaches, the flock should be penned at night, but the ewes should not be placed into individual lambing pens before lambing. When giving birth to twins, a ewe forced to lamb in close quarters occasionally kills the first lamb born by lying on it while giving birth to the second lamb.

Advantages of Shearing Prior to Lambing.

  1. Shorn ewes respond better to poor climatic conditions by seeking shelter to lamb.

  2. It is easier to spot ewes about to lamb.

  3. Less space is required for shorn ewes.

  4. The barn is drier because less moisture is carried in on the wool.

  5. It provides a cleaner environment for nursing lambs.

  6. In shed lambing, ewes are less likely to lie on lambs.

  7. A higher quality wool clip is obtained.

  8. The cost of crutching is eliminated.

Precautions with Shearing Prior to Lambing.

  1. Additional feed is required for ewes during cold weather, especially the first week or so after shearing.

  2. A good building is an absolute requirement in colder climates.

  3. Ewes handled roughly too close to lambing time may lamb prematurely.

Producers not shearing should at least crutch their ewes prior to lambing. Crutching is the shearing of wool from around the dock and udder. Crutched ewes are more sanitary and easier to handle at lambing time. It is also easier for newborn lambs to nurse. Crutching also removes stained wool and tags, which improves the value of the wool harvested at shearing.

Flock owners should be aware of handling practices that lead to abortion through physical injury. The flock ram should not be left with the ewes during late gestation. Pregnant ewes should not be crowded through narrow passageways, chutes, or barn doors. If hauled by vehicle in late gestation, the additional stress could result in pregnancy disease.

Lambing Equipment. The following is a list of those items a flock owner may find useful at lambing:

Lambing Practices.

  1. When the flock is large, much time and labor may be saved by separating ewes that are nearest lambing. By separating ewes according to breeding dates or bagging (ewes will usually show udder development about 10 days to 2 weeks before lambing), the producer can direct attention where it is especially needed. Ewes about to lamb may be placed either in drop pens or lambing corrals, depending upon flock size and available facilities.

  2. Observe ewes closely during the lambing period and give assistance when necessary.

  3. After lambing, place the ewe and lambs in a lambing pen.

  4. If necessary, assist new lambs by cleaning membranes from around the nose and face.

  5. Check to see if the ewe has milk and the teat canals are open.

  6. Clip and treat navel cords with 7% iodine.

  7. Make sure the ewe claims her lambs, and allow them to nurse before leaving.

  8. If lambs are weak or fail to nurse, assist them or use a stomach tube to insure that colostrum is consumed.

  9. If the weather is extremely cold, provide an external heat source (incubators or heat lamps). External heat is needed only to get lambs dry and off to a good start. Its extended use may increase the lamb's susceptibility to pneumonia.

  10. Identify, ear tag, paint brand, etc., and record information on lambing records before ewes and lambs leave the lambing pens.

  11. Ewes and lambs can be moved to mixing pens within 1 to 3 days. Problem cases may require longer stays in lambing pens.

  12. Routine checks should be made daily of newborn lambs and their dams to identify problems.

  13. After removal of ewes and lambs from lambing pens, clean and disinfect pens thoroughly.

Grafting and Artificial Rearing of Lambs.

If a lamb is not receiving enough milk from the ewe (because of triplet lambs, ewes with bad udders, or for other reasons), it is a good management practice to graft the lamb onto another ewe (cross-fostering) or, as a last resort, feed the lamb artificially.

A number of grafting methods are listed below:

  1. Slime graft. Use fetal fluids from the ewe that the lamb is to be grafted to. The fluids and membranes are rubbed on the lamb just before grafting.

  2. Wet graft. Immerse lamb to be grafted as well as the ewe's own lamb in a saturated salt solution.

  3. Stanchion. Place the ewe's head and neck in a set of stocks where she can eat and drink but must allow lambs to nurse. Grafts of this type require from 3 to 5 days.

  4. Lamb coat. Skin the pelt off the lamb that died and tie the skin on the lamb to be grafted.

  5. Stocking graft. Place a stocking (burlap cover) over a ewe's single lamb for 2 to 3 days. Remove the stocking, turn inside out, and place on the lamb to be grafted.

  6. Other grafting techniques, such as dog harassment, using chemicals to interfere with the ewe's ability to smell, vaginal stimulation, etc., have been used with limited degrees of success.

When attempts to graft lambs fail, it is sometimes necessary to place the newly born lamb on milk replacer. A good manager will use milk replacer when no other means for supporting the lamb are feasible, though the cost of the product is sometimes prohibitive. Producers sometimes find they have invested more money in the cost of the replacer than the commercial lamb is worth. A common mistake made in artificial rearing of lambs is the use of milk replacers not specifically formulated for lambs.

Post Lambing

Docking and Castration. Reasons for docking are:

  1. Docked lambs are cleaner and less likely to have problems with fly strike (maggots).

  2. Long tails interfere with breeding and lambing.

  3. Docked lambs present a more uniform appearance.

  4. The dressed lamb carcass has a more attractive appearance, and the tail is a non-marketable product.

Reasons for castration are:

  1. Ram lambs and ewes fed together result in lower daily gains and unwanted pregnancies.

  2. Ram lambs are sometimes discriminated against in the market place.

When to Dock and Castrate. Docking and castration are performed best at the same time. All lambs should be docked, and male lambs which are not to be saved for rams should be castrated by 14 days of age. Performing these management practices while lambs are young is less stressful.

Post-Operative Care. When docking or castrating in warm weather, apply a suitable fly repellent to all wounds. Vaccination considerations at this time should include tetanus, enterotoxemia, and sore mouth.

Creep Feeding. Creep feeding is a means of providing supplemental feed for lambs during the nursing period and is beneficial under certain management systems. It is essential with an early weaning program.

  1. It increases gains, especially for lambs from multiple births.

  2. Lambs use supplemental feed more efficiently at this time than after weaning.

  3. Lambs can be marketed at a younger age.

  4. Earlier growth and/or marketing usually means lambs can compete more favorably and receive higher prices than later born lambs.

  5. Early lambs are sold without going on pasture, thus permitting more ewes to be stocked on existing pastures.

Lambs begin to nibble at grain and hay very early, generally by the time they are a week old. However, only small amounts of supplemental feed are consumed until lambs are about 4 weeks old. A creep area should be available by the time lambs are 7 to 10 days of age.

Creep feeders should be located in areas where lambs frequently visit. Those for drylot lambs should be placed in convenient, dry, well-bedded, and protected areas. A light over the creep area helps attract lambs. Creep feeders used in pastures should be located near water tanks, resting areas, or salt and supplemental feeders.

Weaning Management

Weaning age varies greatly in the sheep industry. After about 40 days into lactation, milk production of the ewe declines rapidly. Rumen development in the lamb is rapid, and lambs 40 to 50 days of age, weighing 45 pounds, can be weaned without ill effects. Lambs may be weaned as early as 3 to 4 weeks of age and as late as 5 to 6 months of age, depending on management objectives and goals.

Early Weaning. Weaning lambs at an early age is an economically feasible option in many sheep enterprises for the following reasons:

  1. When feed supply is a factor, supplemental feed is more efficiently utilized by the lamb than by the ewe for producing milk.

  2. Lambs may be weaned to help save pasture, which is particularly beneficial during periods of drought. Lambs are placed in a dry lot, on higher quality pasture, or fed grain in combination with pasture.

  3. Early weaning reduces parasitism often encountered in lambs pastured with ewes.

  4. If predators are a problem, weaning lambs and placing them in a feedlot reduces losses.

  5. In herded range flocks, herding is more difficult with ewes and lambs than with ewes alone.

  6. Lambs may be weaned from ewes that are to be culled and the ewes sold earlier.

  7. Early weaning is essential in any type of an accelerated lambing program so ewes can be rebred as quickly as possible.

As a rule of thumb, most lambs can be weaned at 60 days of age or 45 pounds, whichever comes first. Many flock owners currently are weaning lambs at 45 to 60 days of age with good results.

If not managed properly, early weaning can be a very trying experience for the ewe, lamb, and owner. Successful early weaning depends upon how well the lambs are eating. Lambs should be continued on the same feed that was fed during the nursing period and gradually, over a period of 1 to 2 weeks, be converted to the desired postweaning diet.

Weaning Lambs.

  1. Wean lambs at approximately 60 days of age or when they weight a minimum of 40 pounds.

  2. Plan ahead for weaning by removing grain from the ewe's diet at least 1 week prior to weaning. Feed ewes a low quality roughage diet. Reducing feed intake of the ewes prior to weaning is the most important step in reducing potential mastitis problems.

  3. Early weaned lambs must be started on feed and drinking water prior to weaning.

  4. Whenever possible, remove the ewes from the lambs and not the lambs from the ewes. By leaving the lambs in the same location, they will experience less stress, will not have to find the new location of feed and water, and, therefore, are more likely to stay on feed. Move ewes far enough away so that lambs can neither see nor hear them.

  5. Evaluate udder soundness of all ewes at weaning. Cull ewes that have lumpy, hard, or nonfunctioning udders or udder halves. Heavy-milking ewes may have tight udders, which can be bruised easily and damaged, for 7 to 10 days following weaning; minimize handling during this time. Reducing water intake will reduce milk production.

  6. Many lambs born in a late lambing system (April, May, or June) will go to pasture with the ewes immediately after lambing and, therefore, have no exposure to dry feed. These lambs will begin consuming pasture forage at an early age, and consumption will increase as milk production of the ewe declines.

  7. Late-born lambs may be weaned at 4 to 5 months of age or earlier if pasture quality declines. At this age, lambs are less stressed by the weaning process and essentially may have weaned themselves from the ewes.

Preventive Health Management at Weaning. Some key health management decisions must be made at weaning. In most cases, these decisions should be based on how the lambs are to be managed during the postweaning period. Some diseases or disorders which may be of particular concern in certain areas include: enterotoxemia, sore mouth, white muscle disease, coccidiosis, and internal and external parasites.

Lambing Troubles

When to Help the Ewe.

  1. Examine the ewe 30 minutes after she passes the first water bag -- sooner if the ewe is laboring hard.

  2. Normal position of lamb at birth -- back bone of lamb up toward the back of the ewe, nose presented first with front feet along side.

  3. Troubles encountered:

    a. One front leg turned back. Try to pull gently from side to side. If this does not start the lamb, put soft string around presented leg and one over back of head with knot in mouth. Then gently hook finger under front leg that is turned back. Flip leg forward. Now the lamb should be in a normal presented position.

    b. Big headed and big shouldered lamb. If both legs are presented, then work both forward. Then slip hand up over the forehead of lamb and put your first two fingers behind the ears, gently pull from side to side pulling on legs and head. If help is available, stretching the top of the vulva will help if lamb is abnormally large.

    c. Both legs back, head presented alone. It may be possible to slip your fingers down the side of the neck as described in (a) and flip legs forward. If the head is badly swollen, this probably will not be possible. In such a case, put loop over lamb's head with knot in mouth, elevate rear quarters of ewe, gently force lamb back until you are able to slip your hand down the neck and flip front legs through the pelvic arch. If head has not slipped back through the pelvic arch, be sure to start it through before you start the legs through.

    d. Legs presented with head back. First put strings on both feet with plenty of string left to hang out and push both feet back through pelvic arch. Then try to work the head of the lamb through the pelvic arch. If you work with the ewe, labor contractions will help you get the head and neck straightened out. If the head keeps twisting off to the side, a wire loop made of clean bale wire can be carried in one hand and slipped over the head of the lamb, using your fingers to keep the nose of the lamb pointed up. A little pull on the wire will slip the head through the pelvic arch. Then pull the leg strings, and the legs will flip through. Now the lamb should be in a normal position. If none of these work and the lamb is very large, it would be advisable to turn the lamb and present it breech.

    e. Breech births. Usually in breech presentation, the hocks catch on the pelvic arch, and the tail is presented through the birth canal. This is good because you at least know the ewe is lambing. Sometimes you will not see any tail and not see the ewe lambing, and the situation develops into a ewe carrying a dead lamb. In most cases, if the lamb is breech, straighten out the rear legs and pull the lamb as rapidly as possible. Do not try to turn the lamb into a normal position. In any breech birth, speed of delivery is very important because the lamb will try to breathe as soon as the navel cord is broken or pinched. If his head is still surrounded by mucous, it will very likely drown unless the birth process if very rapid.

  4. A few "Don'ts"

    a. Don't panic.

    b. Don't enter ewe without properly washing hands.

    c. Don't start lambing out a ewe without all the equipment you could possibly need within arm's length, including a helper, if available.

    d. Don't grab and pull without making a complete examination and having taken a minute to decide what you are up against and what your plan of action will be.

    e. Don't leave the ewe after a difficult birth without consideration of any medical treatment.

    f. Don't run off to a warm room with the lamb. Let the ewe mother it; she will recover a lot quicker.

    g. Don't pull on the front legs unless you are positive that the head is through the pelvic arch.

    h. Don't turn a lamb and present it breech unless it is the last resort.

    i. Don't wear jewelry.

    j. Don't try to pull the placenta (afterbirth) out. The ewe generally will clean after a period of time.

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