# When do you move the ewe to the lambing jug?



## Maxpowers (Apr 4, 2012)

Before, during, after labor?

If I get all the ewes in the barn and close the door does the one in labor prefer the company of the others? She can still see the others from my jugs.

Oh one other thing, because I currently only have one ram he lives with the ewes. Could that cause any additional problems? If needed I could throw him in a pen for a while. I plan on getting a second ram and splitting them off this year.


----------



## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

I usually wait till the lambs not so slimy, mostly because it's easier to pick up and less goo on my hands or gloves. Once cleaned off the ewe has already started to form a bond and will usually follow carried lamb with no problems. One thing I noticed in group lambing is the babies can sometimes try to nurse off other ewes and/or get separated from their mom. Sometimes the ewe won't take the lamb back if they smell different, or if some time has passed and they are intent on taking care of their other lamb.


----------



## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Don't jug the ewe until she's done lambing. Some prefer to find a corner of the barn away from other sheep, but some will lamb near others and not care. If it's a small jug (like 4x5 or even 5x5) it won't be big enough for a ewe to lamb safely. Once the ewe lambs and is put in the jug with her lambs, there will rarely be any problems of her not accepting them. I like to put each lamb on the teat and make sure they nurse as soon as possible.

The ram may or may not cause a problem. It might be best to pen him separately just to make sure he doesn't harass any ewes while lambing. It's not worth it to lose a lamb just to test it out.


----------



## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I always had a lambing pen to put the close up ewes in before lambing, partly outside with leanto shed to get into. I would put in jugs when I found them, if they needed the jug, otherwise they just stayed in the lambing pen. Good weather I liked them back outside as soon as possible....James


----------



## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

When my ewes get close to lambing, I put them in the barn 2-3 to a stall. Depending on the weather, it's been a week before lambing date. If the weather gets really nice, I'll let them outside in a different pen for a few hours a day - one that I can see from the house. Sometimes, they surprise me and lamb while they are still 2-3 to a stall. It hasn't been a problem yet. But when I find them, I separate the mom and lambs so they can get to know each other and I can watch the lambs easier to make sure they are all nursing well. Once they are well acquainted, I let them outside- again, depending on the weather and health of the lambs. Doing this allows me to watch their diets closely so they are getting enough to eat in small doses. I have finns that lamb in litters. They can't hold enough food at one feeding so I'll feed them 3-4 times a day. I can control the climate when they lamb and they are easily accessible for me to watch.


----------



## sheepish (Dec 9, 2006)

Usually we let the ewes lamb in an open area of their choosing, with the rest of the flock shut away by doors or portable gates. When she has given birth to her last lamb we will move them to a claiming pen to finish licking and begin nursing. 

If a ewe is having difficulty lambing, we find it is easier to assist if her area is small, but not as small as a claiming pen.


----------



## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I think this answer might relate to how much space you have for jugs and how many ewes need to use them.


----------



## RedRidge (Jan 28, 2013)

There really is no wrong answer if it works for you.
If everything is going well I like to wait until the afterbirth has passed - it keeps the jugs cleaner.
At the very least I like to make sure they are finished lambing - again, no more water bags to make the jug wet.
I just had another set of twins about 2 hours ago... the ewe came in the barn, picked her corner, and labored there. When I checked on her an hour ago, she had 2 healthy lambs. They were still wet and she was cleaning them and paying attention to them, so... I came back to the house for another cup of coffee. 
I will go back in another hour or so and jug them. We jug so we can monitor them the first 24-48 hrs, especially if they have triplets and are first time lambers. It's also handy that the new momma doesn't have to compete for feed during feeding time AND try to keep track of her little ones.


----------



## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

I only have 2 jugs for 6 ewes. The first one to lamb got the first jug, a week later another one lambed. Next day another. So the first one "which is older" got booted out of their room, and is now occupied by Sadie...LOL

It's funny cause Sadie had twins yesterday, so when I got home I placed her in the first vacancy. Then when Mary Jane came in with her baby, the baby was confussed as to why someone was in their room...LOL
I guess you had to see it. Anywho right now alternating them has worked out. But I will need to work out more lambing jugs next year.


----------



## Maxpowers (Apr 4, 2012)

I decided my plan would be to let them lamb together and put the ram in a pen.

I got home from work tonight at 10 and stopped at the barn. One of the ewes had a whiteish mucus string hanging from her to the ground. So I put the ram in a pen and went inside, planning to check every 30 minutes.

I went back at 10:30 and she was licking a lamb clean. The only potential problem I ran into was a ewe who rejected and lost both her lambs about 2 weeks ago, acted like she wanted to get involved in cleaning the new lamb. 

I didn't want to mess with mom and new lamb so with the other ewe interfering I pushed all the other ewes into a pen and let mom do her thing. At 11:15 a 2nd lamb came out. At this time lamb 1 was nursing and she ignored #2. #2 started to breathe and call out on it's own so I move it to her nose and she started cleaning it right away.

Once both lambs were up and eating I moved them to a clean pen and mom followed. I then let all the other sheep back into the main area.


----------



## houndlover (Feb 20, 2009)

I keep some 8' sections of hog panel in my barn, aside from jugs, and if I happen to catch a ewe in labor, and it's easy to do, me and the hubby will quietly jug her in where she is, zip tying the panels together. Otherwise I move them after they lamb, or rather, after I've found them with lambs.


----------

