We had lambs at minus 11 degrees

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Jack

Jack

Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
1,485
Location
Vaughn, MT 59487
I know they are not deer but thought you would be interested.



Two Texas dall ewes birthed last night one set of twins and a single. The temp was minus 11 degrees F. The babies are fine and didn't even freeze off their ears or tail. Up and jumping around.



I just can't believe a baby can come out of a 102 degree mother into minus 11 degrees. That's a 113 degree difference. Has to be a shock but they must be tough little critters.
 
That really is pretty amazing! Sounds a little more fun than the struggle of fawns being born in the spring with cold rain. Good luck as they keep hitting the ground Jack!



-Johnny B
 
You better get a heated barn winter hasn't even begun yet.
 
Consider me ignorant on the subject. but is it normal for them to be lambing right now?
 
Jeff,



No they should not be lambing in my area now. I bought fifty new Texas dall for my sheep project and they were already bred. We are lambing in the barn out of wind and snow.

They have done much better than I expected them too. When we lamb in spring we get rain and that seems to be harder on them than this cold.
 
I think nothing is harder on calving/fawning/lambing/kidding etc. than cool, damp weather. It just seems to bring on every problem known to animals. I would rather have them being born in just plain cold weather than the rainy, damp stuff (although -11 is a little extreme). Would this be a natural time for lambing in Texas?
 
My grandmother in Serbia used to bring the baby lambs inside the house to warm them on cold nights, and believe me, her house was not 6,000 sq. feet like mine...
 
Jeff,

Yes this is the normal time for lambing in Texas.



I had three more lambs at minus 20 a day ago and they also are doing well. Much like Lanasvet said I brought them into the barn house for drying and colostrum feeding and then in a few hours put them with their mothers. A feeding of colostrum and getting them dry seem to allow them to stand the cold very well.



I'm considering moving my lambing time out of the spring wet weather as like Jeff said they seem to do much better in just cold without the wet damp weather of spring. I will just have to work over the barn a little to increase the warmth of the barn. I now believe in Montana Feb. would be a better time to lamb than May.
 
Jack said:
Jeff,

Yes this is the normal time for lambing in Texas.



I had three more lambs at minus 20 a day ago and they also are doing well. Much like Lanasvet said I brought them into the barn house for drying and colostrum feeding and then in a few hours put them with their mothers. A feeding of colostrum and getting them dry seem to allow them to stand the cold very well.



I'm considering moving my lambing time out of the spring wet weather as like Jeff said they seem to do much better in just cold without the wet damp weather of spring. I will just have to work over the barn a little to increase the warmth of the barn. I now believe in Montana Feb. would be a better time to lamb than May.
Click to expand...
jack what if you (moved ) them later in may/ june ????? any luck in mule deer this year ???? and how about them pesty wolfs ?????? do you have any good shed hunting places out their ???????
 
David,



You sure have questions today David.

Just worked out it was easy to pick the ewes up from Texas when we did. But then we would only have the ewes as the lambs would be weaned if we picked them up in June so it has worked out for me.

We didn't do as well as we have in the past with the mule deer this last season. But got what we raised sold.

Wolves are taking it hard in Montana which is a good thing in my opinion. The new rancher stance on wolves is SSS as they are sick of the domestic animal losses.

I'm not much of a antler hunter any more so don't know of any shed areas. The golden years just seem to make that kind of walking not worth it.
 
jack said:
david,



you sure have questions today david.

Just worked out it was easy to pick the ewes up from texas when we did. But then we would only have the ewes as the lambs would be weaned if we picked them up in june so it has worked out for me.

We didn't do as well as we have in the past with the mule deer this last season. But got what we raised sold.

Wolves are taking it hard in montana which is a good thing in my opinion. The new rancher stance on wolves is sss as they are sick of the domestic animal losses.

I'm not much of a antler hunter any more so don't know of any shed areas. The golden years just seem to make that kind of walking not worth it.
Click to expand...



thanks jack, sorry for so many questions , your the man
 

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