[Jacob-list] old ewes

[Cathy Robinson]

You all are probably tired of hearing about our "old ewe".  Every year
she delights and amazes us with the beautiful, strong babies she
delivers, and her mothering skills are second to none at our farm.  Her
history has been traced back 14-15 years and is one of Edd Bissell's
early ewes.  This year again, she had 7.5 lb. twins, and I find myself
wondering, "How long can she do this?'.

Some people age well, while others look and act much older than their
years.  I figure it is much the same with the sheep, and the prime
consideration should be the overall health of the mother.  She doesn't
look or act her age, has all her teeth, isn't arthritic and does really
well for a ewe her age.  Sometime soon, we should probably make the
decision to retire her, but I fear that is when we will begin to see her
decline...much the same as people forced into retirment after a
fulfilling working career.  We watch her weight and she gets a bit more
feed than the others when nursing, but she loves those babies and they
are all a delight to watch.

Cathy
Perfect Spot Farm, NC


Toni VanWyck wrote:

> How long can you breed an ewe?
>