Ryan Jeffery, [24 Jan 2025 at 8:49:10 AM]: Good morning Can you remove impala rams from a herd to try manipulating the lambing season? Cryptosporidium is very pathogenic in impala lambs, and I was wondering if manipulating the breeding season, so they lamb in April/May or August/September is possible? Survival rates in calves and lambs seem to be much better at this time of the year Erik Verrynne, [24 Jan 2025 at 9:21:54 AM]: That will be an interesting experiment since they are very specific seasonal breeders. Although we are seeing more and more out of season lambs, this may be driven by seasonal changes or absence of predators? Roy Bengis, [24 Jan 2025 at 9:29:35 AM]: The impala ewes coming into oestrus is driven by shortening day lengths. I have my doubts whether this can be naturally manipulated. Hendrik Hansen, [24 Jan 2025 at 10:27:19 AM]: Maybe feed them late afternoon and add daily melatonin to the feed from 3 weeks prior to your preferred breeding season? Jacques ODell, [24 Jan 2025 at 2:33:00 PM]: I have noted that the rutting season has already started. It's quite early this year. Anyone else seen it? Maybe this is the result of good rains? Ulf Tubessing, [24 Jan 2025 at 2:43:49 PM]: In Namibia, they have only recently started lambing. This happens normally in about mid-November. We had a severe drought in 2024 and still not broken. Andre Uys, 24 Jan 2025 I suspect this is not rutting. The ewes have lambed late, and this is more likely to be the rams responding to the oestrogen increase in the ewes, which starts happening 2-4 weeks before parturition. The behaviour is similar, but not as prominent as during the rut and is more intermittent
