The Weigh In

I was reading an article about comparing the rate of growth of lambs and the different variables that must be accounted for. The age of the ewe affects milk supply and of course whether the lamb is a singleton, twin or triplet will also affect how much milk they get from mom. There is a nifty chart that simplifies the formulas.

So out to the barn with the new scale we went.  Unfortunately I don't have birth weights on the first two rams we got, but today, at 66 days old, they weighed 35 and 26 pounds. Considering I was nearly certain that the smaller ram would die soon after we got him I am fairly happy with these weights. When you factor in the frigid temps we have been having in December and January I guess they are doing really well. Using the table in the chart above the older rams need to have their weights adjusted by a factor of 1.16 since their mom will be two years old this spring and she birthed and is rearing twin rams. That puts their adjusted weights at 40.6 and 30.16 pounds.

But the star of the weigh in was ram 3. He weighed 13 pounds when he was born and now, at 5 days old, weighs 17 pounds.  It really helps to have mom's milk all to yourself! I can't wait to get a 60 day weight on him to compare to the other rams.