Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Threes

Fourteen of the ewes had triplets. Eleven ewes are raising triplets.  I removed one of the lambs from a 9 year old ewe that had triplets. One ewe had a dead lamb in her litter. Another ewe only milks from one side. She's a good milker and can usually raise two good lambs. If she has three, I raise the extra one. This time, I had to feed two of her lambs. I think one of the lambs couldn't figure out which side to get milk from. Regardless, she only raised one, so it's time for her to go.


Ivanka has triplet ewe lambs

It was Rosie's first set of triplets:  also three ewe lambs

One of the Week's ewes with her second set of triplets

Her third set of three, first time raising all three

Her second set of three

This ewe was very sick when she lambed last year.
What a comeback!

Triplets grazing together with their mom

#1949: her first time raising three

The goat (Louise) had triplets, too.

Some ewes have triplets every year. Some have one or two sets in their lifetime. Most ewes have triplets at least once. Nigerian Dwarf goats are very prolific, too. I expect Louise to have three every year.

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Looking for trouble

The goat kids are about two weeks old. They're fun to watch. They're always getting out of their pen and going exploring. Wherever they can go, they go. At the same time, they never venture too far from their home in the back bay of the garage. Stretch doesn't like them to leave the garage. He always herds them back in. Of course, they come back out. Sometimes they get into the pen with the orphan lambs.


Looking for trouble

Sheep: goat encounter

Contemplating their next move

Who me?

Who's your Momma?

This year, I had seven lambs that I raised artificially. Six of the lambs I separated from the flock. The other one, I kept with its mom. Four of the lambs were from the two sets of quads. In total, there were four males (all quads) and three females (all triplets). I always name the bottle babies. This year's names are Niner, Decker, Darlene, Eddie, Toby, Timmy, and Katie. 

I decided to bottle feed instead of bucket feed. It uses less milk. I'm not sure bucket feeding saves much time, since it takes longer to clean the equipment. To me, the labor is in making milk. I can more closely monitor the lambs with bottle feeding. They drink very fast. I feed two at a time.


Darlene front and center

The first ewe that had quads was a 4-year old Weeks ewe. I thought she would be able to raise at least 3 of the lambs, but after a day or so it didn't look like all of the lambs were getting enough milk, so I pulled two. The other ewe that had quads was a ewe I would have least wanted to have quads. I had to help her raise her first set of twins (as a yearling). Last year, she did better. I removed two of her quads for feeding. The artificially reared ones are bigger than the dam-reared ones. I probably cull the mom.

1911 is a ewe that has only milked one side for several years. She has been raising two good lambs on one side; so I keep her. She's an excellent milk producer. Last year, she only had a single, a big ram lamb that was first to sell for breeding. This year she had triplets. I immediately took one of the lambs, tube fed it colostrum, and began bottle feeding it. I figured she'd raise the other two. But either she didn't have enough milk (this time) or the second lamb couldn't figure out that only one side had milk. Regardless, I began bottle feeding a second of her lambs. 1911's tenure has probably come to an end. I'll  likely cull her after she weans the lamb she is raising.


Niner:  one of the quads

1621 has been one of my best ewes, but she is 9 years old now. Last year, she raised a beautiful set of twins. I kept the ewe and used the ram as a clean-up. The previous year, I pulled one of her triplets for artificial rearing (it had gotten sick). I had to rear one of her triplets this year. It would have survived on its mother, but bottle feeding has made it do much better. In fact, it's probably the heaviest bottle lamb. I named the lamb Eddie after her grand sire.

All of the orphans are doing well. Two are weaned. Three will be weaned in a day or so, and the other two will be weaned next week. I have used five bags of milk replacer for the 7 lambs. Hopefully, I'll have a little left over from the last bag (for next year).  I wean orphan lambs at around 35 days. I could probably wean them earlier, and should. After weaning, they stay together as a group for awhile, before being merged with the younger ewes' lambs (in the back).


Eating some hay

Orphans are inevitable with the prolificacy of my flock. Most of the ewes raise their triplets. Unfortunately, neither of the ewes that had quads this year was able to raise all of their lambs. I've had ewes raise four lambs in the past. One of my ewes (#1773) has raised two sets of quads.  I'd rather have a ewe that has triplets and raises twins than one that only births and raised two lambs. The third and fourth lambs are bonuses: gifts. They are free. Plus, I can only identify ewes that can raise triplets if I have lots of triplets and occasionally quads born.  Besides who doesn't love bottle babies, a.k.a. bummers?

Saturday, April 19, 2025

2025 Lambing Summary

The 2025 lambing season is finished. One ewe lambed early, the result of a wayward ram. One ewe did not lamb. She is either open or will lamb late, hopefully the latter. The 1 and 2-year-old ewes were bred to lamb three weeks later than the mature ewes. This is the summary:

38 births
1 ewe late or open
3 births assisted: 8 percent of ewes, 9 percent of lambs
First lambs born: (February 18)  March 11
Last lambs born:  April 18

34 mature ewes
5 yearling ewes

Age range:  1 to 9 years
Average age:  4.6 years
Median age: 4 years

38 ewes lambed in 2025

90 lambs born:  88 live
2 dead (2.2 percent)
47 male (53 percent)
41 female (47 percent)

89 percent multiple births
2 sets of quads (5.3 percent):  8 lambs
14 sets of triplets (36.8 percent):  42 lambs (1 dead)
18 sets of twins (47.4 percent):  36 lambs
4 single births (10.5 percent):  4 lambs (1 dead)

14 sets of triplets

Lambs born per ewe:  2.37
Live lambs per ewe:  2.32
Lambs raised per ewe lambing (n=38): 2.13
Lambs raised per ewe exposed (n=39):  2.08
7 artificially reared

Lambs born per mature ewe (n=34):  2.48
Live lambs per mature ewe:  2.42
Lambs raised per mature ewe:  2.24
Percent triplet moms raising three lambs:  85 percent

Lambs born per yearling (n=5):  1.6
Live lambs per yearling ewe:  1.4
Lambs raised per yearling: 1.4

Yearling ewe with twin ewes

Average birth weight of quads:  7.6 lbs.
Average birth weight of triplets:  8.7 lbs.
Average birth weight of twins:  10.1 lbs.
Average birth weight of singles:  14.0 lbs.
Average birth weight of ram lambs:  10.1 lbs.
Average birth weight of ewe lambs:  8.8 lbs.

The sires of the lambs were the two new North Carolina State University rams (named Munchkin and Thunder) and Falkirk, a homegrown ram out of a Weeks ewe and USDA ram (both NSIP). Sterling was a clean-up ram, also sired by the USDA ram.

Munchkin: 46 lambs
Thunder: 22 lambs
Falkirk: 19 lambs
Sterling: 1 lamb

Wednesday, April 09, 2025

Born Outside

Almost all of the lambs are born inside the barn:  hoop house or carport. This ewe decided to have her lambs out in the field. I waited until she was done to put her in a jug in the carport. It was a split set of twins. The red ewe is a 2 year old, with her second set of twins. 

Lambing in the field
Video of 2324 cleaning her lambs

Two more ewes to go in the younger group. Two mature ewes failed to bag up and are either open or late. I hope late. Ditto with Thelma the goat. Winding down this year's lambing season. Yesterday, I tagged the 82nd lamb.

The Baby Goats Have Arrived

Louise gave birth to triplet kids five days ago:  2 bucks and a doe. It doesn't look like Thelma is pregnant. Else, she is very late. I think Ramen may have prevented the buck from servicing her. Ramen still tries to nurse his smaller mom. He's an annoying goat. I wouldn't mind getting rid of him.

Baby goats are adorable, a different kind of cute compared to lambs. Nigerian babies are so tiny. Because of their size, they can easily get in and out of the pen they're in -- which they do. It's fun to watch them, as they explore their surroundings and prance around on all fours. 

Triplets
Video of Louise and her babies
Third one
Birth of third kid (video)

I plan to let one of the bucks, probably the brown one, breed his mother. Yeah, I know it's inbreeding, but the kids will be fine, and I'm only raising the goats for fun. I'm not spending $200 again to lease a buck that only bred one of my does. Hopefully, I'll be able to sell the little doe kid (all white). Wonder if any or all of them will sprout horns. I don't plan to disbud.


1 day old

Three in a row (4 days old)

Friday, March 28, 2025

Two thirds of the way

Twenty-six ewes have lambed. Thirteen more to go. One third. I have 67 lambs, a few more females than males. Two sets of quads. Lots of triplets. Twins. No single births except a dead lamb delivered by a yearling ewe.

Three ewes had pairs of backward lambs (hind legs first). I pulled all of them. Two of the ewes had third lambs that were in proper position, but I pulled them anyhow. Backwards can be a normal delivery, but there is always a risk. None of the ewes showed a water bag. They weren't making progress so I intervened.


One of the backwards lambs
Rosie's triplet ewe lambs

I didn't have any quad births last year, but this year have been two. I am bottle raising two lambs (all rams) from each litter. I thought the first ewe could raise at least 3, but it didn't turn out to be the case. Domino had the second set of quads. She's one of the last ewes I wanted to have quads. She's barely had enough milk to raise twins in the past. She raised twins last year, but the year before I had to supplement both of her lambs (for awhile).

Second set of quads

The first lambs were born on February 18. They were the result of one of the new NCSU rams (Thunder) clearing two gates and jumping off the loading ramp into a field of ewes. It was a set of triplet ewe lambs, so I'm not complaining. Otherwise the first lambs were born on March 11.


The early lambs:  all ewes

Gabby holding one of the lambs

Four mature ewes haven't lambed. Only two of them are bagging up. I concerned that the other two are either late or not pregnant. I hope they're not open. The yearling and two year old ewes have yet to lamb, with the exception of the yearling that delivered a dead lamb. At least it was dead when I found it. It was a big lamb. Not sure why it was dead.  One other lamb in a set of triplets was dead. Same scenario. Same question. All other births resulted in live lambs.

Only one of the two goats (Louise) looks pregnant and soon to deliver. Thelma is either late or not pregnant. Hopefully, not the latter. I spent $200 to get them bred! Hopefully, Louise will have three again; in case, she has to make up for Thelma.  Ramen is just getting fat.

1392 Days to Go