Rural Gardening: Pregnant Icelandic Ewe - need help predicting birth., 1 by DrDoolotz

DrDoolotz wrote:
I need help with predicting when Bianca is likely to lamb. Our shearer was here on Monday and he said she was "starting to look close" and when I told him our others are due April 27, he said Bianca would be before that. When he sheared her, her udder was not like it is today. It was a little pinkish and slightly rounded, but today when I got home, it is much bigger. I can't get it to express any milk but it is quite firm (but not shiny).

I know about goat birth and the goat ligaments and I know what they feel like. Do sheep have that same thing? I felt around her tail and can feel no ligaments at all (just like Stuffin prior to her birth).

Our shearer also said we would notice a color change in her vulva area to bright pink. It is bright pink now.

I am concerned because if she lambed tonight, it might be too cold and maybe I should bring her inside? How far off do you think she is if you have experience in lambing?

And please, please don't anyone be offended by pictures of a pregnant sheep. I really do need advice here.

We do not know when she was bred. She is an Icelandic and they are seasonal ovulators. She was running with a ram when we bought her in late fall. If we knew her date, I wouldn't have to ask about this, but we did not breed her - she came to us bred.

Oh, by the way, the shearer (who has 30 years in the sheep business) said she looks like she has twins.

In this picture, you can see the angle of her back, which to me looks similar to the goat did with her impending birth.