[Jacob-list] big/small lambs?

[Betty Berlenbach]

Don't think so!  A lot of my ewes routinely have four pound lambs, and sometimes a little under. I think the earlier lines before the 70's importations tend to be smaller and have smaller lambs. Other breeds known for having very tiny lambs even though they're fairly large sheep, are for example, Clun Forest, who routinely have very small lambs, like maybe 3 or 4 pounds, and the mothers are bigger than jacobs by far.  I am not breeding for BIG lambs and the BIG CARCASS market, and those small ones sure pop out easily.  It is only the big white legged, ploddyish girls (I have three) who routinely have larger lambs, like 7 or 8 pounds.  Once, I had a 10 pound lamb from a sheep who sure looked like she was one of those plodder types, a larger sheep than most of mine.  perhaps because my sheep have small lambs is part of the reason that I haven't lost but two lambs in 12 years?  I've thought that having small lambs was one of the virtues of the jacob ewes.  Perhaps it's just some lines, but it appears it is in a lot of the lines I have, for which I'm grateful.  But then, I don't breed for Easter markets, for having lambs at -10 degrees in January just doesn't do much for me!  So, my lambs, up here in Vermont, will start to come next week, when it is not likely to be any colder than 10 degrees at night, though last year we did have some really cold nights in late March and early April...one can never be totally sure!  But more sure than in January or February.  It snowed off and on today, not accumulating any, but we still have between 1and 1-1/2 feet of snow cover on the ground, and will have snow cover til probably the end of April, unless we have some very weird late winter weather next month!  By May 1, Spring will be here, I'm sure, and the only snow left will be small piles of it in front of the house, where currently it is 6-7 feet high, where it has fallen off the roof all winter.  In April and May on warm days, my dog used to love lying down on those piles to cool off from the hot sun!
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Melanie Boxall 
  To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
  Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:16 PM
  Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] big/small lambs?


  We do weigh, simply because all our less than perfect lambs get sold to a Greek restauranteur and we need a guide to how big they'll be for the Greek Orthodox Easter (24th April this year), and I've never had a single below 6lbs or a twin below 4lbs. I would tentatively suggest that anything smaller is premature? Biggest was 11lbs, a single ram, and he went in OUR freezer for bad markings. Plug ugly. Massive head.

  Melanie
  In medio stat virtus

  http://ministats.free.fr/world_redirection.php?ville=obsville




    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: paintedrockfarm at aol.com 
    To: patchworkfibers at alltel.net ; jacob-list at jacobsheep.com 
    Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 8:51 PM
    Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] big/small lambs?


    HI Linda,

    Our lambs tend to remain on the large side right from birth but seem to be smaller as yearlings than others I've compared too....hmmmm

    Our flock matriarch, Barking Rock Brie, routinley popped 10 lb twins with ease for many years - last 2 times we bred her at 10 & 11 yrs., she singled each time with 12 lb. lambs.  Most of our lambs average 7-8 lbs. even for twins, triplets generally 6-7 lbs. each.  Single births hover around the 9 lb. mark most years.

    Exceptions, yes....Sweetgrass Tegwen always has tiny babies! 4-5 lbs. tops, all ewe lambs thus far too.  Birch, Layleigh's dam, singled for us one year and delivered a 13 lb. lamb with very little trouble.  She is a bigger Culloden (Fieldwood) ewe and a good thing or she might not have had him.  

    One of our triplet mom's, Brighton Pansy, averages close to 7-8 lbs. even with triplets -- WOW!

    B-T-W we normally feed hay only until after lambing so not sure why the big babies.  We grain our l acting ewes and/or any ewe who seems to not have wintered well for the last 2 weeks of gestation.  Those we grain and those we don't still have 7-8 lb. lambs, mostly twins.  We found more triplet births in years we did a flushing program and more singles in damp summer/fall.  just some observances over the years.

    It has been like that since our first lambing year and we weigh each lamb at birth, then 2 days (tagging & docking) where we see most have already gained at least a pound, sometimes more. Weighing again at a week or two, then 30 days and monthly as best we can.

    Certainly seems interesting!

    Cheryl in WV


    -----Original Message-----
    From: Linda <patchworkfibers at alltel.net>
    To: Jacob-list <Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
    Sent: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 6:36 pm
    Subject: [Jacob-list] big/small lambs?


    What's the biggest and smallest lambs (at birth) you've ever had? I admit that I don't usually weigh lambs anymore unless they are really big or really small. As long as they are healthy and vigorous, I'm happy. 
    My smallest lamb was barely 3 lbs and born last year. He's not a huge yearling now, but doesn't look out of place with the other yearling rams.  My biggest lamb was 11 lbs. He was a difficult birth for his dam (who was somewhat overweight).  Most of my lambs are 5 to 6 lbs.

    Linda
     
    www.patchworkfibers.com
    Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun Yarn
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