Increasing the number of sheep is a natural goal for farmers. Because in this way you can significantly increase the productivity of the farm and get more milk, meat, and wool. Beginning livestock breeders have many questions about sheep breeding. One of the popular ones is how many days does a pregnant sheep walk after insemination. It is difficult to name the exact number of days, since the gestation of ewes depends on several factors.
How can you tell if a sheep is pregnant?
At about seven months of age, most sheep reach sexual maturity and the animals can become pregnant.However, the optimal age for fertilization is 18-19 months (after the animal stops growing). A sheep that has begun its heat period is placed in a pen with a ram to conceive.
The main signs of a female's mating:
- There is asymmetry of the abdomen (the abdominal wall protrudes slightly and sags);
- in the third month of expected pregnancy, the palpation method is used. It is recommended not to feed the animal 10-12 hours before the examination. To palpate a lamb, you need to stand behind the female and place your hands on her belly, gently palpating it;
- the udder is filling.
You can also determine that a female has become pregnant by her behavior. The animal becomes calm and inactive. A more reliable method is reflexology. Two to three weeks after successful mating, the sheep usually does not go into heat again. To find out for sure, the ram is put into a stall with the females. Pregnant animals will remain on the sidelines; the ram will not show interest in them.
How long does pregnancy last?
Successful insemination leads to pregnancy, which lasts an average of 145 days. This is an approximate period, since the duration depends on several factors:
- climatic conditions of the region in which the breeding sheep are kept;
- the duration of pregnancy depends on the age of the female;
- You also need to take into account whether this is your first pregnancy or not. In primiparous females, the duration of pregnancy differs from the maturation period of adults. Usually the young ewe is left to carry the fetus for a few days.
It is considered normal if labor begins 4-5 days earlier or later than the planned birth date. Therefore, we can assume that a ewe carries a lamb for 141-150 days.
What can affect the timing?
The duration of the fruiting period also depends on the animal’s diet. During pregnancy, the sheep's metabolic processes accelerate, and the need for increased feed standards for the formation and development of the intrauterine fetus increases. The qualitative component of the sheep’s diet is also taken into account. Since the female’s need for proteins, vitamins and microelements increases (in the last third of pregnancy).
The fertility of sheep and the timely birth of healthy offspring are observed 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 and nutritious silage.
How long does it take for a sheep to give birth?
During normal labor, the ewe does not need outside help. The lambing pen is specially prepared - washed, disinfected, lined with clean straw, and warmed up (in winter). The duration of lambing depends on the number of lambs, the health of the ewe, and the presence or absence of pathologies. Contractions last 5-50 minutes. If the ewe carried not one lamb, but several, you need to take into account that subsequent babies will be born at intervals of 10-45 minutes.
With each subsequent lamb, labor pains last less. If labor is delayed (the fetus is not positioned correctly), veterinary assistance may be needed.
It is also necessary to monitor the separation of the placenta, which is the stage of lambing. During normal hatching of a lamb, the placenta separates after about two hours.If this does not happen after 3-6 hours, measures must be taken. If after a day the afterbirth has not separated, it begins to decompose, causing intoxication of the body. Such pathologies appear as a result of improper nutrition and care, illiterate maintenance.
During one lambing, the 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 bear up to five babies in one pregnancy). The process of pregnancy, the health of the lambs, and the female’s body’s ability to recover after lambing depend on the diet and conditions of detention.
