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