There is an age old philosophy that it's ok to breed ewe lambs as young as 6 months or 80 lbs (which ever comes first). The results of this choice are; first timers singled, were "stupid" moms or worst case scenario the loss of the ewe &/or the lamb.
I firmly believe that this philosophy was based on management of huge flocks where quantity was much more important than quality. And 20% lamb loss was acceptable. It was a matter of numbers, not necessarily what was best for the sheep and these flocks were often managed by men (no male bashing intended)
In todays world there are more and more "small flock farmers" coming into the market. AND there are more women tending these smaller flocks. What I am hearing from our women shepherds is that they do not agree with this old philosophy. And the reason is....We are the child bearers of our species, and we know that girls that have babies when they are too young often do not have large healthy babies nor do they know how to properly care for them. What holds true for any species is that the young have to finish growing Physically, Emotionally, Psychologically & Physiologically before they can grow balanced babies. Without this growth and development both mom and baby suffer the consequences....In MY Opinion.
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Male Shepherd here. I totally agree with Dena's position on breeding too young. Don't be anxious. You will prosper in the long run.
ReplyDeleteThank You Tim!
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