Babydoll Breeding General Info

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 Our opinion & practice is to not let a ewe get bred till her second fall.  That way she lambs for the first time when she is fully two years old.  

It takes a Babydoll two full years to mature to adult size.  If allowed to be bred her first fall, she will not only need to provide nutrition for her developing lamb(s), but also her own still-growing body.  You are risking the ewe's health, life and that of the fetus by breeding a ewe her first fall.  

We do not feel the potential lamb is worth the life of the ewe by breeding her when she is only about 6 months old.

By waiting until the ewe is in her second fall before breeding her, the ewe will have a better chance for a long healthy life (probably including more lambs throughout her lifetime) and potentially less problems for you.  

A happy & healthy ewe is what we always strive for.

In sheep, the length of the estrus cycle ranges from 13 to 19 days and averages 17 days. Estrus is the period of time when the ewe is receptive to the ram and will stand for mating. It lasts approximately 24 to 36 hours.

 
When the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler, ewes will start coming into heat (estrus).  They will come into heat every 13 to 19 days until they are bred or return to anestrus. Thus, the most natural time for sheep to breed in the U.S. and Canada is;

August thru February. 

Signs of estrus in the ewe are; 

• they will seek out the ram and stand still for him to mount them. 
• Sometimes they wag their tails vigorously. 
• They may nuzzle the ram around the belly or scrotum and even try to mount the ram. 
• Young ewes rarely exhibit these behaviors. 

Source: Sheep 201

The length of pregnancy for a ewe ranges in gestation from 142-152 days with an average of 147 days. Babydoll ewes can have singles, twins or triplets - even quads (though we don't wish for that!)

Look for these signs of impending lambing around day 135 or so. These signs usually mean that delivery will be during the next 2-15 hours. The ewe will feel most comfortable if not disturbed and the birth may proceed more smoothly;

• separation from other ewes
• acts more territorial than usual
• pawing the ground
• restlessness, nervousness and acting uncomfortable
• udders filling out
• increased breathing rate
• sides caving in and ewe "drops"
• the mucus plug
• water breaking
• straining to push lamb

This is the usual order of events during delivery:

• expellation of the mucosal plug
• straining and pushing
• cervical dilation
• passing of the water bag (delivery should be 30-60 minutes from now)
• arrival of lambs (twins should take at most 2 hours to be delivered but no longer)
• expelling of afterbirth (usually occurs within a few hours but may take as long as a day. If not passed after two days assistance may be needed.)

Source: Purdue University