# Anyone hear of this ?



## Mrndly (Aug 16, 2012)

Friends of ours have sheep and are in the middle of lambing. one of their best moms delivered twins last week. For some reason she was not interested in caring for the babies. One died and they had to bottle feed the other. My friend was really annoyed with this ewe and sent her out to the field with thoughts of selling her. Yesterday when she came out to feed there was the ewe with 2 huge lambs.
She actually delivered 2 sets of twins 10 days apart!! She is doing a great job mothering this last set.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Very interesting! I didn't think that they would conceive babies that far apart. I knew they could be bred by different males though.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

wow....never heard of that...but I will keep it in mind as I raise hair sheep lol


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

oh wow..thats wild..


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

did they consider the first lambs might not have been from that ewe after all? mixing up mothers isnt all that uncommon 

Ive never heard of it being possible to deliver only one set and then continue to another term another set.


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## DaisyMayFarm (Jan 19, 2013)

StaceyRoop said:


> did they consider the first lambs might not have been from that ewe after all? mixing up mothers isnt all that uncommon
> 
> Ive never heard of it being possible to deliver only one set and then continue to another term another set.


My thought, too.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

StaceyRoop said:


> did they consider the first lambs might not have been from that ewe after all? mixing up mothers isnt all that uncommon
> 
> Ive never heard of it being possible to deliver only one set and then continue to another term another set.


Ditto.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Stacey, I didn't believe it either, thought maybe the ewes or lambs were mixed up or something...but then I read this: http://www.sheepmagazine.com/issues/26/26-2/Vet_Check.html

So I guess it's possible, but rare...especially for having quads.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

I dunno, I read the link but I'm still skeptical. I just think this kind of this has to be very rare, its much more likely that it was a case of mismothering. I also think given that sheep outnumber people in Australia and since our country basically revolves around sheep, if it were common enough to happen then people here would know about it.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Strange! I have heard its possible and we are dealing with livestock herd, anything is possible!


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## Mrndly (Aug 16, 2012)

No she is positive that is is the same ewe because she has one teat that over produces so it looks like a banana. Plus she checked the ear tag.


I looked it up from Wikipedia " Superfetation (also spelt superfoetation - see fetus) is the simultaneous occurrence of more than one stage of developing offspring in the same animal. In mammals it manifests as the formation of an embryo from a different menstrual cycle while another embryo or fetus is already present in the uterus. When there are two separate instances of fertilisation during the same cycle, it is known as superfecundation."


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Wow certainly interesting. like I said I have heard of it but never known anyone to have it happen to them.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Did she witness both births?


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Sounds very rare but how cool is that!


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Call me old fashioned but I'm skeptical as well. As well as I understand and deal with hormones on a day to day, I don't see ( literally ) how this is possible. Her hormones would have cleaned her out and birthed all at once, and even cleaning and milking would have subjected other hormones proving this to be very etchy for me. 

Perhaps I am wrong, and maybe some thing are funky which they can be, it's cool and all but I'm not a believer myself.


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## Mrndly (Aug 16, 2012)

my friends said this is the first time in 20 yrs of lambing this has happened.

She thinks the mom thought she aborted which is why she wouldn't care for the first set. Maybe without nursing her hormone levels stayed high enough to carry the next set a few days.

She witnessed the first birth not the second


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## katie (Dec 3, 2012)

that's interesting. I don't think the goats will do that though


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## PiccoloGoat (Sep 10, 2008)

Ugh, imagine that! Poor sheep. Giving birth twice in a week.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Wow that's interesting. Is there evidence on the ewe's backside to prove it was her lambs, to help with the doubts? lol

There was a woman on a facebook group that said her doe delivered a dead, stillborn <mumified I think> baby. But last I heard the doe still had 2 healthy, thriving twins inside as she had an ultrasound done. 
Nature sure is amazing


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

Actually, I HAVE heard a similiar story from an aquaintance of mine. He said basically the same thing happened to him and both sets of twins LIVED and were raised by the mom! I wondered whether he was sure they all belonged to the same ewe and he was positive. I didn't question long 'cause he was so sure! But I've always kinda' wondered whether he didn't just get babies mixed up from 2 different moms. Interesting!


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

My first thought would've been right in line with Stacey. It would be interesting for her to actually do head counts on who has delivered vs still preggo, who may have delivered just close enough to another one to appear that way.


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## katie (Dec 3, 2012)

wow this is really weird.


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## trueblue (Mar 26, 2013)

Lovely forum! I actually found it by doing a google search about goat superfetation ... I just had this happen in my herd. Thought I had heard of something about this being possible years ago in some animals, so did a search to see if it was possible with goats.

My story: I raise a mixed herd of dairy goats, mostly nubian. My 5 older girls all had their babies and I wasn't expecting any others, as none of my young girls were bred (or so I believed). So I was extremely surprised when, Sunday morning, we found a little baby in the goat barn. He was clean, but none of the girls seemed to claim him. I figured (considering, as I mentioned above, my 5 older girls already had their babies) that one of the young girls had been bred -unknowingly- and had this little one. So I checked ALL my young girls ... nothing - no bloody backsides to ANY of them - it was obvious that none of them had a baby. My son was as baffled as I was and started making funny comments ... "Maybe a deer came in here and left it." "Maybe the neighbors thought they would be funny and came and left us a baby." Of course, it's obvious neither could happen - deer don't have goats and no neighbors raise them either.

As no one had claimed it, we brought it in, fed it, etc. and I did my google search. After finding that it is, indeed, possible for this to happen in goats, I went back and checked my older girls. Sure enough - one of them had the typical signs of giving birth. Three weeks ago she had given birth to one little boy, and now, another one. I guess she didn't really know what to make of it all, either, so she just abandoned it - having one to care for already.

Why does all the weird stuff happen to me?


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## minibarn (Jul 20, 2010)

Wow! Incredible!! Consider yourself blessed!


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## ogfabby (Jan 3, 2013)

I have seen dogs have litters of puppies and then several days later, deliver another couple. 

This kind of thing fascinates me!


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## trueblue (Mar 26, 2013)

Yes - what I first thought was not a good thing turned out to be!


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## Bunty (Mar 22, 2014)

*Superfecundation! Twins born?*

Like TrueBlue I visited this site and found it great, answered some questions!

Had twin girls born just over a week ago, one was small and had difficulty breathing for several days. First thought it had fluid in it's lungs, checked and got on with caring for it. Was up all night giving small amounts of colostrum and same during the next day. After 4 -5 days it started to pick up and when it had it's horn buds removed the vet commented on the difference in size and development!

I have had goats come on heat for a second time a week after mating. It is possible that the kids came from separate matings. The humidity was dry so the doe may have held onto the kids for extra days allowing the younger one to develop more and so survive.

Would appreciate any comments please! Many thanks! :kidblack:


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## oakshirefarms (Jul 5, 2013)

Very interesting. I have heard of this possibility but not of it occurring with goats or sheep, though I guess it is not surprising. There is a similar possibility with humans as well.


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## Bunty (Mar 22, 2014)

Thanks for your reply! Think the relevant point is the doe coming on heat again a week after mating, for the second kid to survive! Has happened with another of my goats, about 18 yrs ago - so not frequent , she was away on honeymoon, my friend observed the doe coming on heat twice, a week apart while with her billy. As my friend had 40 plus goats she had plenty to observe - and a farmer husband with fields! :lol: Hillery had goats return, on heat, after a week because the first mating had not taken.onder: Love the Smilies!

Happy Easter to you all!


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## MoKa-Farms (Jun 19, 2013)

That is so cool. Nature is amazing. I am not saying I'm a believer, and I'm not saying I discredit it completely. It is interesting and I am on the line of belief. Though, considering how many people are coming up with great evidence, I may be a believer.
Haha, I love the smilies too, Happy Easter, Bunty, Happy Easter everyone. :bday:


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## dnchck (Mar 24, 2014)

Not the same species, but I know a deer can have twins with two different bucks that have breed her; so I guess it is a possibility.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Now I'm a sucker for believing the odd and not common things in this world but what really stands out in this to make me think those were not her kids is that fact that she was a great mom but then wanted nothing to do with the first set of twins. Then when she had the 'second' set she liked those. If she did have two sets that's great!!! But I would also sell what ever ewe didn't have lambs at her side by the end of the season because that might just be the one who had the first set and rejected them.


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## Darlaj (Dec 10, 2013)

Yes but she witnessed the first births !


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## Bunty (Mar 22, 2014)

*Thanks!*

Hi, thanks for the reply, and your kind Easter Greeting :chick:!

Think I need to post a pic of the girls, hope they stay still long enough!:laugh: ! Cheers Bunty


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