SHARPEN YOUR SHEPHERDING SKILLS WITH BRED EWE LAMBS!
- Ewe lambs need to be 70% of their mature body weight prior to breeding.
- Ewe lambs have a shorter breeding season than older ewes. Ewe lambs born earlier in the year cycle earlier due to their larger body weight and maturity.
- Select feed rations correctly! Pregnant ewe lambs are still growing and have higher nutritional requirements than older ewes. During early and mid-pregnancy ewe lambs, need 17-20% more quality feed than older ewes?
- Make sure the ewe lambs are at their optimum body condition score 3-6 weeks before lambing.
- Do not overfeed before lambing. Ewe lambs require a balanced diet for maintenance and pregnancy not growth. Over feeding will create large single lambs with possible lambing difficulties.
- Avoid multiple births – do not over feed up to and during mating.
- You should pregnancy check at eight weeks after breeding to identify ewes carrying multiple births and to identify open ewes.
- Group separately ewes with multiple lambs.
- General pregnancy results for young ewes: single 69%, twins 19%, & triplets .5%.
- Lambing will greatly affect the body condition (one=thin five=Fat) and future performance plus growth rate of the ewe lamb.
- Ewes lambing later and then weaning later may require additional body condition recovery time.
- Continue to manage young ewes after weaning to ensure timely breeding results in the following breeding season.
Be cautious of your decision to breed ewe lambs if your flock has a history lambing difficulties with assisted births and cesarean sections.