When should I breed ewes for Easter lambs?

Work back from Easter: a week to sell, the days it takes a lamb to grow to the weight your buyers want, then 147 days of gestation. A 45 lb lamb gaining half a pound a day from 10 lb at birth takes 70 days to grow, so the ewe has to be bred about 224 days before Easter. The calculator does it for the actual date.

Why do Eid dates say 'about'?

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha follow the Islamic lunar calendar and start when the new moon is sighted, so the day can land one day either side of the published date. Have animals ready a little early.

What weight do buyers want?

It varies by holiday, by community and by buyer, and the figures here are common starting points only. Ask the buyers you sell to before you plan a breeding season around a weight.

Holiday demand calendar

Lamb and goat demand runs on holidays. Pick one and the weight your buyers want, and it works back through growing time and gestation to the day your ewes or does have to be bred by.

Works for sheep & goats. Free, no account, and nothing you type leaves your phone.

Holiday

Weight buyers want

lb live

Young, milk-fed lambs and kids, mostly on the light side.

Birth weight

lb

Gain, birth to sale

lb/day

Your own weaning and sale weights are the best guide.

Ready ahead of the day

days

Most buying happens in the week or two before.

Breed ewes by

Sun, Sep 5, 2027

for 45 lb lambs for Easter, Sun, Apr 16, 2028

Too late to breed for Sun, Mar 28, 2027, so this is the year after. Lambs already on the ground may still fit this one.

Ram in: Thu, Aug 19, 2027one cycle early
Bred by: Sun, Sep 5, 2027
Born by: Sun, Jan 30, 2028
Ready to sell: Sun, Apr 9, 2028
From today: 299 days to breed

Your numbers, step by step

Ready 7 days before Sun, Apr 16, 2028: Sun, Apr 9, 2028.
Growing from 10 lb to 45 lb at 0.5 lb a day takes (45 − 10) ÷ 0.5 = 70 days, rounded up, so born by Sun, Jan 30, 2028.
Back 147 days of gestation: bred by Sun, Sep 5, 2027.
Turning the ram in one 17-day heat cycle earlier, Thu, Aug 19, 2027, gives most ewes a chance to settle by then.

The year ahead

Each holiday at its usual weight, with the gain and birth weight above. Ask your buyer: what they want is the figure that counts.

Christmas
Fri, Dec 25, 2026
Light milk-fed lambs and kids for some buyers, bigger goats for others. Planned at 45 lb.
Too late to breed for this one; for 2027, breed ewes by Sat, May 15, 2027
Lunar New Year
Sat, Feb 6, 2027
Mostly goats, mid-weight with some finish. Planned at 70 lb.
Too late to breed for this one; for 2028, breed ewes by Tue, Apr 27, 2027
Eid al-Fitr
Tue, Mar 9, 2027 (about)
Lambs and kids at the end of Ramadan, often 60–80 lb, demand building through the month. Planned at 70 lb.
Too late to breed for this one; for 2028, breed ewes by Fri, May 28, 2027
Easter
Sun, Mar 28, 2027
Young, milk-fed lambs and kids, mostly on the light side. Planned at 45 lb.
Too late to breed for this one; for 2028, breed ewes by Sun, Sep 5, 2027
Passover
Thu, Apr 22, 2027
Lambs and kids of moderate size. Planned at 50 lb.
Too late to breed for this one; for 2028, breed ewes by Sat, Aug 21, 2027
Orthodox Easter
Sun, May 2, 2027
Young, milk-fed lambs and kids, much like Western Easter, often a few weeks later. Planned at 45 lb.
Too late to breed for this one; for 2028, breed ewes by Sun, Sep 5, 2027
Eid al-Adha
Sun, May 16, 2027 (about)
Healthy, unblemished, intact males are often preferred, usually yearling-type and heavier. Planned at 80 lb.
Too late to breed for this one; for 2028, breed ewes by Fri, Jul 16, 2027
Diwali
Fri, Oct 29, 2027
Mostly goats, often mid-weight kids. Planned at 70 lb.
Breed ewes by Thu, Jan 28, 2027

See a mistake, or a number that doesn't look right?

How this is calculated

The formulas

Ready by: holiday − days ahead
Growing time: (sale weight − birth weight) ÷ daily gain, rounded up
Born by: ready by − growing time
Bred by: born by − gestation (147 days sheep, 150 goats)
Ram or buck in: bred by − one heat cycle (17 days sheep, 21 goats)
So most of the flock has a chance to settle by the bred-by date.

Where the defaults come from, and the limits

Dates. Both Easters are worked out from the church rules. Passover, the two Eids, Diwali and Lunar New Year come from published calendars through 2030; Eid dates depend on the moon and can move a day.
Weights. What buyers commonly ask for, as a starting point. Preferences differ by community and by buyer, so ask yours.
Growth. 0.5 lb a day for lambs and 0.3 for kids, from 10 and 7 lb at birth, are middle-of-the-road figures. Your own weaning and sale weights are better; twins and singles grow differently.

Questions people ask

When should I breed ewes for Easter lambs?: Work back from Easter: a week to sell, the days it takes a lamb to grow to the weight your buyers want, then 147 days of gestation. A 45 lb lamb gaining half a pound a day from 10 lb at birth takes 70 days to grow, so the ewe has to be bred about 224 days before Easter. The calculator does it for the actual date.
Why do Eid dates say 'about'?: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha follow the Islamic lunar calendar and start when the new moon is sighted, so the day can land one day either side of the published date. Have animals ready a little early.
What weight do buyers want?: It varies by holiday, by community and by buyer, and the figures here are common starting points only. Ask the buyers you sell to before you plan a breeding season around a weight.

Related tools

Every calculator