Moving sheep into the maternity ward

Today we had another look at the sheep that we think are the closest to giving birth. It doesn't quite match our paperwork, but the signs are all there.

 The following images and text can be found in its entirety at
http://www.sheep101.info/201/lambingprocess.html

A link at the right side will take you to their main site http://www.sheep101.info/201/index.html

Pregnant ewe Soon to lamb Water bag Normal birth   Successful birth Backwards Elbow lock One leg back Both legs back Head back Breech Four front legs Front and back Presentation images courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food Economy © Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1999. Lambing is natural	The lambing process The lambing process has evolved over thousands of years and most ewes will lamb normally without any trouble or need for assistance. However, understanding the lambing process can help you understand when a ewe is ready to give birth and when it may be necessary to lend a helping hand. The whole lambing process is controlled by a complex series of hormonal changes. It is the lamb who decides when it is time to be born. When a ewe is getting ready to deliver her lambs, she may not eat. Her udder and teats will be distended. Her vulva will be dilated. She will appear a bit hollow just in front of her hips, and she'll be not as wide and full over the rump, because the musculature there will have relaxed. The process sometimes appears "confusing" to first-time mothers, especially yearlings. Lambing Lambing is divided into several phases. In the first phase, the cervix dilates and the birth canal is prepared for delivery. This phase lasts for approximately 12 to 24 hours. At the end of this phase, a clear-whitish discharge will appear. The presence of the mucous discharge means that lambing has begun. In the next phase, uterine contractions will increase. As labor progresses, the ewe will spend more time lying down on her side with her head turned in the air. Eventually, a large "bubble" or water bag will appear, break, and expel the water. At this time, the tip of the nose and front feet of the lamb can be felt. The lamb is expelled. As ewes often have multiple births, the same sequence of the rupture of the water bag and expulsion of the lamb will be repeated for the delivery of each lamb. Ewes will vary in the time taken to complete lambing. The last stage of lambing includes the expulsion of the afterbirth or placenta. The placenta is usually expelled 30 to 60 mintues after the delivery of the last lamb. If the placenta is not expelled after 24 hours, there may be a problem. The ewe will eat the placenta because her instincts tell her to hide evidence of lambing to protect her offspring from predators. The placenta should be discarded to prevent the spread of disease and scavenging by dogs. © Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1999.