How do you prepare before the season starts?
Extension guides for small ruminant producers from Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina share a similar start: get ready weeks ahead, not days. Talk with your vet about vaccinations, nutrition and what to expect for your flock or herd. Check your records for due dates by using breeding dates, and write them on a calendar where everyone on the farm can see them.
Clean and repair pens, check lighting and wiring with care, and set up a draft-free area for newborns. Gather supplies you will need with your vet's guidance, such as clean towels, a flashlight, a thermometer, and your vet's number on the wall.
If you are new to this, ask an experienced keeper in your area to be your backup. A second person who has seen births can tell you whether something looks normal long before you would be sure yourself.
What housing and space do mothers need?
Newborns lose heat fast, and wet newborns lose it faster. Provide a dry, clean, wind-free area with fresh bedding. Many farms set up small pens, often called jugs, so a mother and her young can bond in peace for the first days. Cold, wet pastures are risky for newborns, so match your season to your shelter.
Keep space for each animal. Crowded pens spread disease and cause mothers to lose track of babies, and mismothering is more likely in crowded, noisy conditions.
- Dry bedding that is changed often
- A draft-free corner for newborns
- Clean water and feed for the mother
- Good lighting and safe wiring, installed by a qualified person
How should you feed pregnant animals?
Nutrition in late pregnancy affects birth weights, milk and the mother's health. Ask your vet or extension office for a feeding plan for your species, because needs change as pregnancy advances and vary with body condition. Overfeeding can cause its own problems, and underfeeding does too.
Make feed changes gradually, keep minerals and clean water available, and watch body condition by hand. Any sudden drop in appetite in a pregnant animal is worth a call to your vet.
Body condition scoring is a hands-on skill your vet or extension office can teach you in a few minutes. Learning it before the season gives you a way to adjust feed with confidence rather than guessing.
What are signs that birth is near?
Signs include restlessness, a swollen udder, a relaxed look around the tail, pawing, separating from the group and vocalizing. Birth timing varies, and a calm check every few hours is better than hovering, which can stress the mother.
Know what a normal birth looks like from your vet or an experienced neighbor before the season begins. If labor seems to be going on a long time with no progress, or you see anything unusual, call your vet right away rather than waiting.
Seasonal timing matters. Birth in cold or wet weather calls for more housing and labor than birth on dry spring pasture, and your breeding dates determine which one you get. Plan breeding with your climate in mind.
What do you do after birth?
Make sure each newborn is breathing, is dry, and nurses in the first hours. Colostrum, the first milk, matters for newborn immunity, so ask your vet how soon newborns should nurse and what to do if one does not. Watch for weak, cold or hunched babies, a mother who rejects her young, and any mother who seems ill.
Keep records of each birth: date, mother, number and sex of young, birth difficulty, and how each did in the first week. These notes guide future breeding and culling decisions.
Handle newborns calmly and wash your hands before and after, since young animals are vulnerable to infection and some diseases of sheep and goats can pass to people. Pregnant women should ask a doctor before working with lambing animals, because some infections carry risk in pregnancy.
When should you call a veterinarian?
Call for prolonged labor, a mother who is straining with no progress, any sign of severe pain or heavy bleeding, retained afterbirth, a newborn that will not nurse, a mother that looks ill after birth, or anything you do not understand. Do not attempt to pull young or do internal handling without training, since mistakes can injure the mother and young.
Costs fall into categories: bedding, pen materials, supplies, feed changes, and vet visits, including emergency calls. Ask your vet in advance about after-hours availability so you are not searching for a number at night.
Key takeaways
- Prepare weeks ahead with your vet, a calendar and clean pens.
- Newborns need dry, warm and draft-free space.
- Feed pregnant animals by a plan, adjusting by body condition.
- Know normal birth signs so you can spot trouble early.
- Call your vet for long labor or weak newborns.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Homestead & Small Farm Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.