By Susan Schoenian. December 10, 2020

1. PARTURITION
WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE BIG
DAY!
SUSAN SCHOENIAN
Sheep & Goat Specialist
University of Maryland Extension
sschoen@umd.edu |
sheep101.info | wormx.info

2. IT’S LAMBING & KIDDING TIME!

3. GESTATION
PREGNANCY
 About 5 months
 138-to-159-day range (142-152)
 Averages ~147 days
 Length varies by breed and individual
 Some influence of sex, litter size, and parity
 Moderately heritable trait (18-54%).

4. WE NEED TO
KNOW WHEN THE
BABIES ARE DUE
 Need to know when to start
checking them more
frequently.
 Need to know when to give
clostridial vaccinations.
 Need to know when to make
changes to feed ration,
including feeding of
coccidiostat.
 Need to have facilities and
supplies ready.

5. KNOW WHEN TO
EXPECT THE FIRST
BIRTHS
 You might have a breeding date.
 Marking harness or painted brisket
 Hand mating/Artificial insemination
 Observed mating
 You need to write down the dates
the ram/buck was in with the
ewes/does.
 You need to write down the
date(s) of any accidental
exposures.
 Appearance: bagging up, deep
body
 Be ready 142 days after
possible breeding date.

6. GESTATION
CALCULATORS
AND TABLES
 Lots of online gestation
calculators and charts
 Only one app for sheep/goats
(?)
 They use different numbers of
days for gestation.
 Use a calculator that uses
American date format
MM/DD/YEAR
 Best to get a range of due
dates.
American Goat Society
raisingsheep.net
Shepherd
Magazine Flock
Record Book

7. IS THERE A WAY
TO MAKE THEM
BIRTH DURING THE
DAY?
KONEFAL CALVING METHOD
 Named after a Canadian rancher
 Based on observations in the
1970s
 Feed cows twice daily at approx.
11:30 am and 9:30 pm.
 80% of cows calved between
7 am and 7 pm
 Theory: feeding delays calving
 Cattle studies have been variable.
 Evidence with sheep is less clear
 No studies with goats

8. SIGNS OF
IMPENDING
PARTURITION
 Bagging up (highly
variable)
Udder filling up with milk
(colostrum).
 Red and swollen vulva
 Vaginal discharge
 Softening and
disappearance of
ligaments around base of
tail.
 Caving in of sides
 Interest in newborns
(“stealing”)

9. GETTING CLOSER
TO PARTURITION
 Engorged udder and teats
 Seclusion
 Misses a meal
 Restlessness
 Circling
 Pawing at ground
 Straining
 Appearance of first water
bag

10. PARTURITION: IT’S A HORMONE THING
 Progesterone (CL) is the hormone that maintains pregnancy.
 The fetus initiates the birth process by producing cortisol in
response to “stress” in the womb.
 Cortisol causes progesterone to be converted to estrogen.
 Estrogen induces changes in uterus and cervix.
 As progesterone levels fall and estrogen levels rise,
prostaglandin F2α begins to act on the uterus, causing
contractions and secretion of relaxin.
 Relaxin softens up tough tissues, stretching the cervix to
accommodate passage of the fetus(es).
 Oxytocin stimulates contractions and milk let down. It may
also induce maternal behavior.

11. THREE STAGES OF PARTURITION
Preparatory stage
Dilation of cervix
Cleaning
Expelling afterbirth
Labor
Expulsion of fetus(es)
  

12. STAGE 1:
PREPARATORY
STAGE
 Takes 3 to 6 hours
More rapid in older
females
 Uterine contractions begin
 Remains of cervical seal are
passed from vulva (thick,
creamy white mucous).
 Cervix is fully dilated after
end of first stage
 Stage ends with
appearance of first water
bag.

13. STAGE 2 LABOR
 Begins with the rupture of the first
“water bag”
 Uterine contractions become
stronger and more frequent.
 Hooves and nose of lamb/kid can
be seen in the second water bag
before it bursts.
 Ewe/doe continues to strain,
gradually expelling the lamb/kid.
 Should take an hour or less from
the rupture of the first water bag
(can be longer with multiple births
or first timers).
 Additional lambs/kids are usually
born within a half hour of each
other.

14. NORMAL BIRTH PRESENTATION(S)
 Spine upwards.
 Head pointing forward
and resting on legs
 Forelegs forward,
partially extended
 Only other positions
that can lead to normal
birth are backwards
(hind legs first) or one
foreleg back.
The Sheep Site
Veterinary Book for Sheep Farmers
Not breach
Backwards

15. MOST LAMBS/KIDS ARE BORN IN
NORMAL POSITION AND UNASSISTED.

16. STAGE 3: CLEANING
 Expulsion of afterbirth
(detached placenta with
cotyledons)
 There are separate afterbirths
for each lamb/kid.
 Is usually pass immediately or
by 2 to 3 hours after delivery.
 Sucking stimulates uterine
contractions and expulsion of
afterbirth
 More than 12 hours: retained
placenta.
 Some ewes/does will eat
afterbirth.
 Best to remove it (compost it).

17. 30-30-30 RULE
 After starting to push, baby
should be born in 30 minutes
or less.
 Next baby should be out in 30
minutes or less.
 Babies should be up and
nursing in 30 minutes or less.

18. AFTERCARE

19. IMMEDIATELY AFTER
BIRTH
 Don’t intervene; give nature a
chance.
 Don’t towel dry lambs/kids or
wipe the membranes from their
nose.
 If mother is ignoring lamb/kid,
can move it towards her head.

20. BIRTHING
PENS/JUGS
 Small pen for females and their
offspring
 Can put in before or after
birthing
 Facilitates bonding
 Makes it easier to monitor
females/offspring
 Only keep in pens for a few
days, unless there is problem;
move to a bigger pen with
other litters.
 No need for pens for pasture
lambing/kidding except if there
is a problem (or for first time
mothers).

21. LAMBING
JUGS/PENS
 About 5 feet square
 Larger for bigger breeds
and multiple births and/or
if being used for birthing.
 Solid or open, depending
upon environment
 Maximum slat spacing of 3
inches for open panels.
 Can purchase or make from
wood or wire panels
 Portable

22. BIRTHING
JUGS/PENS
 Clean, well bedded
 Free from drafts
 Feed troughs and water out of reach of lambs/kids.
 Dirt floors preferable (or plenty of bedding on concrete floors)
 Clean between litters, if possible

23. WHEN TO PUT
EWE/DOES IN
BIRTHING PENS
Before
 Keeps other ewes/does from
stealing each other’s babies
 Keeps newborns from wandering
 Helps to prevent mismothering
 Prevents outside lambing/kidding
 Easier to monitor
After
 Keeps pens cleaner and drier
(healthier).
 Helps to prevent ewes/does from
laying on babies

24. CLIP, DIP, STRIP,
AND SIP
 Clip the navel to 1-1/2-inch
length
 Dip stub of cord in 7%
tincture of iodine
(or chlorhexidine, betadine)
 Strip first milk from teats to
remove wax plugs
 See that lamb/kid gets first
sip of colostrum

25. IMPORTANCE OF
COLOSTRUM
“FIRST MILK”
 Rich in nutrition and
antibodies
 Need to consume as soon
as possible
 Ability to absorb antibodies
diminishes; no absorption
after 24 hours.
 Ingest 10% of body weight
in first 24 hours
 Tube feed small or weak
babies.

26. STARVATION
HOW TO TELL IF LAMB/KID IS GETTING ENOUGH TO EAT
HEALTHY, GETTING ENOUGH TO
EAT
 Full belly
 Stretches when getting up
 Bright
 Bouncy
 Always seeking udder
 Wag their tails when nursing
NOT ENOUGH, MAYBE STARVING
 Empty belly
 Cold mouth
 Cry a lot
 Don’t get up
 Stand around
 Stand hunched up
 Gaunt appearance
 Mother won’t let nurse

27. BROWN FAT
 During the last 60 days
of pregnancy, brown fat is
laid down by lambs/kids
while they are in the
womb.
 Immediately after birth
and before consuming
colostrum, it is their only
energy source.
 Lambs/kids must
consume colostrum soon
after birth to have a
source of energy for
keeping warm.

28. HEAT LAMPS
 Only -- immediately after
birth and until they get dry
 Not necessary if lambs/kids
are dry
 Not necessary if lambs/kids
are well fed.
 Not necessary if lambs/kids
are out of drafts.
 Use covers instead of heat
lamps (safer).
 If you use heat lamps, use
them safely.
 Don’t overuse; lambs/kids
need to be able to regulate
their own body temperatures.

29. MAXIMUM SUPERVISION WITH MINIMUM INTERVENTION

30. SUSAN SCHOENIAN
Sheep & Goat Specialist
W. MD Res. & Educ. Center
University of Maryland
Extension
sschoen@umd.edu
sheepandgoat.com
sheep101.info
wormx.info