# How to tell if a sheep is pregnant?



## KatCalico

I have 2 ewes and 1 ram. The ewes are 2 years old. The ram was a spring lamb in 2016. He's been in with the ewes since we got him. I know he "covered" them, my children reported it to me this fall. 

IF he was potent December 28th was due date, come and past with no lambies.

When would a ram be "potent?" He's been in with them continually. 

My ewes have tails, will this affect breeding? 

Can I band their tails now in the winter? I was told by my elderly sheep shearer to do it when the ground froze. I did do it year because I was concerned about a possible pregnancy. 

We are separating the ram from the ewes today. 

Thoughts? 

Yes, I am very big newbie regarding sheep. Our ewes came to us as bottle lambs. The idea of expanding our sheep into a herd is a result of us growing away from hobby farming. Ideally we're looking for a flock to add to our income.


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## MDKatie

If your ewes were due Dec 28, that means they would have been bred in July. Do you think your children reported the breeding in July? Gestation is roughly 5 mos (148 days). 

Do not band tails of 2 year old sheep. To do so would be horribly inhumane. Tail banding needs to be done when they are very young lambs. 

Rams are generally capable of breeding around 6 mos of age or so, but they can breed earlier than that too. 

Tails shouldn't affect breeding, although if your sheep are a wooled breed and not a hair breed, it could make it more difficult. 

The only way to know if they're bred is to use a preg checker or send a blood test in to a company like Biotracking.

I would recommend getting a book on sheep care, like Storeys Guide to Raising Sheep.


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## KatCalico

Will kea e their tales alone. I didn't know to do it when they were little. I couldn't bring myself to do it now. They will have their tails always. 

I think one of my ewes is pg. The kids told me about it mid October. The ewe in question was a triplet. She's much larger around than my other ewe. 
The adjusted date is mid March. 

How much before do I need to think about separating her from the other ewe? My ram went into his own pen today.


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## Maura

I never docked tails. The tails help to keep the udder warm, I&#8217;m told. Cutting tails is really to make shearing faster, not for any medical benefit.


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## Rectifier

What breed are the ewes, they may not have been cycling in July if they are of a standard wool breed. However if they are not cycling the ram will not mount.

October makes a lot more sense. Generally the rule at my place is, if the sheep are cycling and the ram is in - they are pregnant. Some will miss a cycle and come the next month, rarely do they not get bred. As such I don't bother with preg checking like the cattle boys do.

I don't bother to sort rams out after breeding, there is no harm in leaving them in until the lambs come. Why do you want to separate your ewes from each other? Sheep are always happier together, and much happier unpenned and free to roam. I always feel sorry for the rams when they have to be sorted out and penned up in the ram pen, but at least they have each other for company.

A single ram gets lonely and destructive, you should try to have a companion for him when he has to be penned.


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## MDKatie

Maura said:


> I never docked tails. The tails help to keep the udder warm, Iâm told. Cutting tails is really to make shearing faster, not for any medical benefit.


Udders don't need to be kept warm. Just think about cows and goats...no wool there, and their udders are fine. Docking tails IS for a medical benefit, because sheep have a very hard time lifting their entire tail properly when they urinate and defecate. This leads to wet, nasty poopy tails that attract flies and cause fly strike. Fly strike is awful, and horrible to deal with (especially for the sheep). Nobody wants maggots eating the back end of their sheep. 

Some breeds do ok without docking. Some breeds are hair breeds and don't need it. Some breeds are "rat tailed" breeds and don't need it. Some breeds are fine wooled breeds and DO need it. If you have a very small flock and keep a close eye on them, they may do ok. It's not true to just say it's not for any medical benefit. 

I've seen sheep with nasty rear-ends caused by just having long fleeces...I can't imagine having a full tail too.


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## Rosepath

We missed docking the tail of one of our lambs when I was a kid because he escaped and was found, days later, near the woods. Or what was left of him. The maggots had eaten the back end of the poor thing. We never missed docking tails again, horrible to lose a fine big lamb and I hated to think of the suffering he went through.
We raise Shetlands now, rat-tails are one of the reasons, I hate docking tails and with this breed it's not necessary. But a wooled breed needs their tails docked as MDKatie explained above. So before your lambs arrive, do some preparation so you can band their tails (elastrator is what we used to use on 3 day old lamb tails) early.


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## Rectifier

Yeah, if you're worried about udder warmth then run wooly-bagged sheep. But wooly bags are a pain, with lambs sucking on wool tags etc... I prefer bags that are high and tight but bare of wool. Keeps them out of the wind.

Everyone I know has a few long-tails from broken bands etc. It's a reason I've considered going to a hot knife style docker, if they weren't so expensive. 100% success.

We don't often have fly strike issues in the frozen north but one of the things that I really like about docked tails is the ability to watch for early signs of prolapse at a glance. You can't see anything with that big wooly tail hanging around.


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## mustangglp

Why would you separate her from your other ewes? My ewes are excellent aunts and we'll stand guard while the others are birthing even my ram will do this they will get between my dogs and the little ones .


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## KatCalico

Ok the ewes will stay together. It's nice to know Theyll look out for each other. 

The ram is next door to the ewes. He was mounting my 2nd ewe repeatedly and she's missing hair on her back above her tail. He can see and touch noses with my girls so he's not completely alone. 

I have banding equipment and I did help band goats this spring. I do sheep need vaccines banding like goats? I'm good with doing that too if needed. 
Ok


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## KatCalico

My ewes are suffix/Dorset mix. 

My ram is a Romney/Dorset


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## Rectifier

Vaccines and banding? You should give booster shots to the ewes ~3 weeks before lambing to ensure they pass immunity on to their lambs. As long as they get plenty of colostrum, that will take care of tetanus and pulpy kidney, which are the big lamb killers.

I know some who give a small shot of Tasvax at the time of banding/docking but I don't do it myself. Vaccines should be used the day they are opened, so a lot would go to waste if I did that.


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## mustangglp

Its easier to tell when there not pregnant for me If the have day old lambs I consider them not pregnant


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## manolito

Get the Story's book and read it and read it and read it. I can't tell you how many times it has saved a life. I don't do fleece sheep so the tail is something I have heard horror stories about but never experienced. 

With Black Bottom sheep I have been surprised more times than I can can't. I watch for bagging and stringing as in cattle no use I am with the other writer if they have day old lambs they are not pregnant. 

I don't remove my ram from the herd I haven't had any bad experiences. Mine are very well mannered and allow the young to misbehave until they become breeding age then the herd ram teaches who is boss. These lessons can wake you up at night then I seperate the younger rams. 

One of the pieces of free note free advice is look for a large flock and ask if you can observe and be taught castration and docking. It is part of life most are not exposed to and it prepares you for life with animals on a homestead. 

Good Luck and let us know the outcome. If really worried they make a harness with a paint marker you can put on the Ram and with a big herd it lets you know when the flock is taken care of by the marks on the Ewes backs. Boys will be boys I trust in my Rams now and don't use the paint.


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## barnbilder

If you see a ewe standing next to a fence and the ram pawing at her through the fence, she is not bred. If you see a big fat ewe not making an udder when your other sheep have lambs, it is likely that she is not cycling at all, or not settling if she does. Never saw it with sheep, but had a cow once, that for some reason, was in perpetual heat, never settled. Got rid of her. Wool loss is often caused by a ram trying to initiate breeding by pawing at their backs. It is the test that rams do, much easier than attempting to mount, if he paws her and she doesn't run away, she is ready. Pheromones change with settled sheep, the ram will lose interest. I have seen barren ewes cycle, and the buck will breed them every time they cycle with no results.


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## manolito

When my Ewes are bred they will squat and pass a small amount of urine which the Ram can tell pregnant and leaves them alone. Just may be a haired sheep habit I know nothing about wool sheep.


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