Bred ewes not eating

[Barton]

This is our third year to have lambs born and my ewes have always lambed at night, so not sure what labor looks like.  I have 4 healthy good body score ewes that have great appetites.  I went out to feed tonight and one looked at the feed in the bunk, got a drink and went and laid down behind a tree away from the others.  Two others ate for a few minutes and walked away leaving feed in the bunk feeder.  The fourth ewe happily cleaned up what the others left.  They are a week early for their due dates which is in range on the lambing calculator app.  We had a full moon last night if you go by babies being born around moon changes.  One ewe has a small dot of yellow discharge on her vulva. The only thing that we have done different is we fed them double grain last night because I didn't realize my husband had already fed.  My question is do you think this sounds like labor or could they be sick from over eating last night?  They had CD&T shots last weekend. 

[Barton]

The ewe laying down will get up and walk if I make her, then she will go back to her original spot and lie down.  She is alert and walks fine.  She looks back at her belly and curls her top lip up.  She is a 2 year old first time lamber.  She also has some loose poo.  I am assuming she is in labor.  If so how long from this stage, or does it sound like she is sick?

[Bigiron59]

I am assuming the double grain last night is responsible for the "loose poo" and the lack of appetite.
 A late term bred ewe is never gonna leave feed in the trough if she feels good.
How much grain is "double "?
If you are feeding 2 lbs a day and you fed them 4 pounds yesterday,  that's a problem.
If you are feeding 1/2 a pound and they got a pound, it's a non issue likley.

[EmsoffLambs]

What Bigiron said. Just as a precaution, I would take their temperatures, just to make sure they don't have a fever, which would indicate something else wrong. Double grain can cause acidosis. Offer the ewes free choice baking soda and as much dry hay as they want. You may see some lameness tomorrow. Hopefully they aren't too bad and will get back on feed quickly. This is a bad time for them to go off feed as it can set them up for ketosis.

[karinfish]

I would drench her with a couple of table spoons of baking soda in warm waters so would assume the double grain has indeed given her a stomach ache and you do want her back eating asap.

[Barton]

They normally get about 2lbs of feed each in a bunk feeder where all sheep eat together.  I gave the ewe that was scouring some pepto this morning.  Other than the one scouring everyone else seemed fine.  No lambs yet.  I have three ewes separating them selves from the others.  They have a white mucus show on their vulva which I am assuming is their plug.  How long after passing a plug does it take them to have the baby?

[EmsoffLambs]

That much grain, you're looking at acidosis. Pepto won't really do anything. They need antacid, which is why we say to put out baking soda. For the severe ewe, I would drench her with a couple tablespoons of baking soda as Karin suggested. For the others, leave out a bowl of it and they will self regulate.

The mucus plug can shed anywhere from two weeks to two hours before lambing. Also, ewes won't seperate themselves out for lambing until labor actually starts. The three ewes that are off by themselves are likely not feeling well rather than in labor.

[Don Drewry]

I know some put stock in the phase of the moon on such things.  We breed all our mature ewes on the same day or in some cases the next day. Those that don't settle get re-bred 17 days later.  They lamb between 145 days and 153 days for us.  Between day 145 and 150 they are really evenly spread out, a few less on the last 2 days.  This is consistent for us year in, year out.  Can't say I see any impact of the moon.  If there was I'd see more grouping than even scatter and it wouldn't be the same each year.

As far as the overloading of grain, you've got good advice you want to buffer her gut so she feels better.

[EmsoffLambs]

Nor have I ever noticed that the moon has any influence on when ewe will breed or lamb. Same with the weather. While I like to complain that they wait unto the coldest, windiest, blizzardiest night of the year, in reality, it's pretty evenly spread between warm and dry and cold and wet. Ewes will births when their lambs are full baked, sometime between 144 and 156 days. 146-147 has been my average. You will not see a change of behavior in the ewes, such as secluding herself, until she is actually in labor. They do that hours in advance of lambing, not days.

[Gtown]

How are the ewes doing now?

[Barton]

Much better now.  Thank you for asking.  They have been eating hay only for the past few days and are slowly getting back on their grain.  Still no babies so I guess they will arrive this weekend on schedule just in time for one of our Texas storms.