How many days and months does a pregnant sheep walk and how to determine the number
Increasing the number of sheep is a natural goal for farmers. Since in this way you can significantly increase the productivity of the farm and get more milk, meat, wool. Novice breeders have many questions about sheep breeding. One of the most popular is how many days a pregnant sheep walks after insemination. The exact number of days is difficult to name, since the severity of ewes depends on several factors.
How do you know if a sheep is pregnant?
Most sheep reach puberty at about seven months of age, and the animals can become pregnant. However, the optimal age for fertilization is 18-19 months (after the animal stops growing). A sheep in which the hunting period has begun is placed in a corral to a ram for conception.
The main signs of female sagging:
- asymmetry of the abdomen is observed (the abdominal wall protrudes slightly and sags);
- in the third month of the alleged contraction, the palpation method is used. It is recommended not to feed the animal 10-12 hours before the examination. To feel the lamb, you need to stand behind the female and put your hands on her belly, gently feeling it;
- the udder is poured.
It is also possible to determine that a female has become pregnant by her behavior. The animal becomes calm and inactive. A more reliable way is reflexology. Two to three weeks after successful mating, the sheep usually does not hunt again. To find out for sure, the ram is launched into the stall with the females. Pregnant animals will be left aside, the ram will not show interest in them.
How long does pregnancy last?
Successful insemination results in pregnancy, which is, on average, 145 days. This is an approximate timeframe, as the duration depends on several factors:
- the climatic conditions of the region in which the dry sheep are kept;
- the duration of pregnancy depends on the age of the female;
- you also need to consider - the first pregnancy or not. In primiparous females, the duration of pregnancy differs from the duration of pregnancy in adults. Usually a young sheep is postponed for several days.
It is considered normal if labor starts 4-5 days earlier or later than the date of the planned birth. Therefore, the sheep can be considered to carry the lamb for 141-150 days.
What can affect the timing?
The length of the fruiting period also depends on the diet of the animal. During the period of pregnancy, the sheep's metabolic processes are accelerated, the need for increased feed rates for the formation and development of the intrauterine fetus increases. The qualitative component of the cat sheep's diet is also taken into account.Since the female's need for proteins, vitamins and trace elements increases (in the last third of the pregnancy).
The fertility of sheep, the timely birth of healthy offspring are noted when animals are grazed on young grass, which is rich in useful and active substances. If pregnancy occurs during the stall period, then the ewes are provided with feed, nutritious silage.
How long does a sheep give birth?
In the normal course of childbirth, the ewe does not need outside help. The lambing enclosure is specially prepared - washed, disinfected, lined with clean straw, warmed up (in winter). The duration of lambing depends on the number of lambs, the health of the ewes, the presence or absence of pathologies. Contractions last 5-50 minutes. If the ewe was carrying more than one lamb, but several, it should be borne in mind that subsequent babies will be born with an interval of 10-45 minutes.
The labor contractions last less for each next lamb. If labor is delayed (the fetus is not positioned correctly), the help of a veterinarian may be needed.
It is also necessary to follow the separation of the placenta, which is the stage of lambing. With normal lamb hatching, the placenta is removed after about two hours. If this does not happen after 3-6 hours, you need to take action. If after a day the afterbirth has not separated, it begins to decompose, causing intoxication of the body. Such pathologies are manifested due to improper nutrition and care, illiterate content.
For one lambing, an ewe gives birth to 1-2 lambs, each weighing 4-5 kg. This indicator is also influenced by the breed of the animal (Romanov sheep carry up to five babies in one pregnancy). The process of pregnancy, the health of the lambs, the ability of the female's body to recover from lambing depend on the diet, conditions of detention.
