The saying two’s company, three’s a crowd certainly carries some truth when it comes to sheep at lambing time. On any farm the aim is to be productive and efficient which, for most UK sheep flocks means aiming to rear 2 lambs from every ewe in the flock. But we know that some ewes will have single lambs and others have sets of triplets (or even quadruplets… or more!) with each situation presenting its own challenges. At lambing time, it’s not always a case of the more, the merrier!
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One for sorrow?
Not on a hill farm! Single lambs may be relatively large, which can actually be an advantage in hill breeds (Scottish Blackface or Swaledale for example); where strong, lively single lambs stand a much better chance of survival in that harsh environment. In upland flocks, single lambs may be relatively trouble free but large numbers of single lambs across the flock does not necessarily represent optimum productivity in this system.
In lowland flocks where ewes may be in greater body condition and terminal breeds are more common (i.e. meat breeds such as Texel, Suffolk or Beltex), large single lambs pose a greater risk of dystocia (difficulty being born). This may affect both lamb and ewe health. They may require more assistance from the shepherd in the first few days of life. And ultimately may not end up weaning at a greater weight or in a shorter time frame than twins, particularly if they have had a difficult birth.
Two for joy!
A good healthy pair of twins is a joy for many flocks. Twin lambs are often evenly sized and strong but delivered with fewer complications than large singles or triplets. Twins are usually quick to get to their feet and suckle, and form a strong bond with their mother, who can comfortably keep track of two mischievous lambs and provide plenty of milk for both lambs from her two teats. Ultimately, healthy twin lambs, born easily and reared by the ewe with minimal human intervention, under conditions which allow both ewe and lambs to thrive, represent efficient productivity and the best health and welfare outcomes for many flocks. Costs are kept low, health and output high.
Three…Four…Five…The more the merrier?
Triplet lambs can prove a little troublesome in any system especially if there are a lot of them. And quadruplets or quintuplets even more so. The more lambs born to one ewe, the smaller each lamb is likely to be. And the greater support they are likely to need in order to survive. Lambs from larger litters are often still smaller than twin or single lambs come weaning time. And a larger percentage of triplet (or quad/quint) lambs will not make it to weaning at all. Some breeds and even some individual ewes seem more likely to produce these large litters and a shepherd should consider carefully whether or not to put these individuals (and their daughters) into lamb for future breeding. More lambs born does not always equal increased productivity come weaning time.
What to watch out for in ewes bearing triplets or more
Unless you possess X-ray vision or have the power of foresight, the best way to identify ewes carrying large litters is through ultrasound scanning in the middle third of pregnancy. This process can be useful in flocks of all sizes (and is often even more vital for smallholders who perhaps have less time to work with the sheep than a professional shepherd) as identifying ewes carrying singles, twins or triplets allows for targeted management to be put in place. This is usually at a group level several weeks before lambing but in very small flocks it may be more applicable at an individual level around lambing time.
Targeted nutrition in the weeks before lambing aims to avoid the overfeeding of single bearing ewes as this could result in very large lambs and/or overweight ewes; increasing the risk of dystocia not to mention the unnecessary feed costs. Underfeeding of ewes which are carrying triplets or more, will predispose them to pregnancy toxaemia or even result in lamb losses before birth.
No matter how you intend to rear triplet lambs, it is important to be observant for the following issues:
Pregnancy toxaemia
Confusingly also called Twin Lamb Disease, it occurs most commonly in the 3-4 weeks before lambing. This is when there is rapid growth of the unborn lambs combined with reduced feed intake in the heavily pregnant ewe; leading to low blood glucose. Older ewes and those carrying multiple lambs are at greatest risk. Ewes may appear drowsy or weak, separated from the flock and often stop eating. They may be unable to stand and even show nervous signs such as tremors of blindness.
Treatment involves administering glucose (by injection or orally) and providing good quality energy dense food. However recovery can be slow and in severe cases the lambs may be stillborn. If you suspect a case of pregnancy toxaemia contact your vet immediately; the earlier appropriate treatment is administered, the better. Your vet can also advise if any changes are indicated for the rest of the group who may not yet be showing clinical signs and if other factors are at play such as milk fever (low calcium levels). Prevention is better than cure so consider your winter ewe nutrition carefully, especially in light of any scanning results.
Dystocia
Difficulty giving birth is best detected as early as possible by very close observation of all ewes at lambing time. Triplet lambs may birth easily due to their small size, but it is not uncommon for a bit of a tangled traffic jam of lambs to form in the birth canal. This will require early identification and intervention by the shepherd. Gentle examination may reveal three legs being presented instead of two; or the heads of two lambs battling to arrive at the same time. I’ve even been presented with heads and tails all coming together! Unpicking this tangle will usually allow triplet lambs to be delivered successfully but some practice is needed to identify which parts should come with which lamb!
Many vet practices and agricultural colleges now run lambing courses; ideally suited to anyone keen to pick up some tips for sorting these muddles out. So consider attending one of these events ahead of lambing time, even if just as a refresher. Also, don’t be afraid to call your vet for support if you don’t feel confident with these lambings yet. Helping our clients to deliver lively little lambs and gain experience and confidence at the same time is genuinely one of the very best parts of my job.
Colostrum (also known as liquid gold!)
It is absolutely vital that all lambs receive an adequate quantity of good quality colostrum, quickly; the three Q’s of colostrum. This means 200mls of quality colostrum within 2 hours of birth followed up by regular feeds to total 200mls per kg of bodyweight over the first 24 hours of life (this may mean around 1 litre in total over 24 hours).
A ewe in good condition may have enough colostrum for triplets; but if there is any doubt at all, lambs should be supplemented. This would ideally be using good quality colostrum from another ewe on the same farm who had surplus colostrum to give. If this is not available, powdered colostrum may be required but there is a very wide range in the quality of these products, and none comes close to the real thing. I really cannot emphasise enough how vital colostrum is to a lamb (or calf, kid, piglet…you get the idea!). So please speak to your vet for colostrum management advice. AHDB have also have excellent information here.
Hypothermia
The lower birth weight of triplet lambs makes them more susceptible to hypothermia. Use heat lamps and plenty of clean dry bedding in draught free lambing sheds to support these lambs in their first days. Those lambing outdoors may need to be brought in or provided with shelter at grass to increase their chances of survival. Again, colostrum is key in preventing hypothermia as it provides vital energy for lambs to maintain their body heat.
Insufficient milk supply
Some ewes may produce enough milk to rear three lambs. But this will depend on many factors such as breed, age, body condition of the ewe and the nutrition available to her. Insufficient milk supply can lead to poor lamb growth, increased incidence of disease and mismothering if the lamb has to look elsewhere for milk. Insufficient milk supply may be the main factor in considering alternative rearing options for triplet lambs.
Strategies for rearing triplets
Once the lambs are on the ground, a decision must be made on how best to rear them, and this will vary from flock to flock.
Allow the ewe to rear 3 lambs herself
This strategy seems to be more popular on New Zealand sheep farms than in the UK and Ireland; this is possibly due to the breeds involved or differences in grazing or feed availability. For this approach to be successful, ewes must start in good body condition and be provided with up to 40% more feed than a twin bearing ewe would receive. At grass this may mean having a lower stocking density and/or providing supplementary feeding along with additional minerals such as magnesium to prevent staggers. Creep feed may be offered to the lambs too.
Fostering or Twinning one triplet on to a ewe with a single lamb
The foster ewe must have sufficient milk and two functioning teats in order to provide for both her own and the adopted lamb. The twinning on process works best if the foster ewe has lambed at much the same time as the triplets. If the foster ewe has already licked her own lamb dry she is unlikely to accept another lamb later.
Common practice would be to take the odd one out (if there is one) from the triplets, collect the fluids and afterbirth from the foster ewe, wash the lamb in these fluids and present it to the foster ewe before her own lamb. Lambs can be twinned on at a later stage if a ewe loses her lamb(s), using the skin of the lamb that has died as a coat on the lamb to be adopted. But the chances of successful adoption may be lower. And the ewe and foster lamb may need to be penned up together for several days to avoid mismothering when they are turned out.
Rearing orphan lambs
When a suitable foster ewe is not available or in outdoor lambing situations where twinning on may not be practical to achieve, lambs may be reared on milk or milk replacer after they have received 24 hours of colostrum. Where orphan lamb numbers are small, lambs are most likely to be fed using a bottle/bucket and teat. As the lambs grow it is difficult to provide this milk frequently enough to replicate natural suckling behaviours. So this system predisposes them to bloat and other digestive upset, often resulting in small, pot-bellied lambs at weaning time.
Where large numbers of orphan lambs are to be reared as a group, automated feeders that can feed little and often may be more efficient. And it can result in better-grown lambs at weaning providing very strict hygiene can be maintained at the feeder. Rearing orphan lambs on milk is the most expensive strategy. And the cost of investing in automated equipment would be difficult to justify for small numbers of lambs.
Selling orphan lambs to farms specialising in rearing orphan groups
This may be a good option for those with small numbers – too few to justify investing in automated feeding equipment. The demand for orphan lambs to rear in this way will be greatest early in the season and will vary according to the price of finished lambs as this high cost system requires high returns to be profitable.
Further Reading
Check out the following links for more information on topics in this article and don’t foget to contact your own veterinary practice for advice and support this lambing time.
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