Signs of Lambing

One of the first things I learned during lambing season was how to spot a ewe that was getting ready to give birth (or 'lamb') because no matter how much work you put into the farm the months before,  things can go disastrously wrong unless you familiarize yourself with the typical signs of impending birth. This is one of my favorite jobs on the farm. I love going out every few hours to walk around all of the fields during the day. If I see anything amiss, I'll report back to Steve and he'll tell me what to do... which is usually 'just wait and be patient' ;-)

There are many signs to look out for but these signs can vary from ewe to ewe. These signs usually mean that birth is imminent, but sometimes they can show signs days in advance. Some don't even show signs at all and will surprise you with a lamb the next time you're out to check!

• Days and sometimes even weeks before a ewe is going to lamb, her udder and teats will begin to fill out and distend. On some this is very obvious, but others can have much smaller udders that are hardly noticeable, even after birth, so this isn't a huge thing to look out for but is just something to keep in mind. 

  

  Extremely large udder and visible teats

• Her vulva will become dilated. This is a very obvious change because her back end will become quite red and will look swollen. This can also be an early sign however and can occur days to weeks before birth.

  

  Vulva is very pink and swollen

• Separating from other ewes is one of the main signs we look for first. When in the early stages of labor the ewe will begin to find an area away from the rest of the flock. Who wouldn't want their private time during that event?! Sometimes they can wander off to all corners of the farm and we have to go searching for them. I've heard stories of lambs having been born in some crazy places but luckily I haven't experienced this yet! We also keep an eye on the ewes that will leave the shed quickly after their feeding time. Most of them will hang around for quite a while and don't want to go back outside, but if they are in the early stages of labor they tend to leave right after breakfast.
• Pawing at the ground/turning around in circles/constantly laying down and then getting up again, acting restless and slightly bewildered in general. These are signs that she has found a good birthing location!
• Increased breathing. Most sheep have fairly slow and even breathing so it is pretty noticeable when one is breathing heavily just by watching their sides. 
• Another physical sign is the ewe's sides caving in. This usually means that the lamb has dropped into the birthing position so her sides, especially around her back hips, will become a bit sunken in.
• The most obvious sign is seeing the water bag. If we see the water bag we know lambing is usually minutes away (although if there are difficulties it can be hours). Sometimes if you look through the water bag you can even see little feet poking out!

  

  Water bag is out (This particular ewe had had a very large lamb and needed help delivering. It was the first lamb I delivered on my own!)

I'm sure there are other things to look for that work for other farmers but these are the main signs we tend to notice over and over again so this is what we stick to. We were lucky yesterday because right before we left the farm to head home Steve noticed a ewe turning around in circles so I ran over to check and sure enough there were two little feet out. She ended up needing help later on as the lamb had a very big head so Steve and I got her into the shed and delivered the lamb. She's a cutie!

Lamb born March 19th 2015 in the evening