Previous work in this laboratory revealed that hormone analysis using fecal samples may predict the number of fetuses carried by pregnant ewes at mid- to late gestation. Reliable lambing number prediction is useful to the producer. Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry the 5��- and 5��-series of pregnanes and selected 4- and 5-pregnenes were monitored in the feces of 36 black and white-face cross ewes during early gestation. Feces were collected at d 5, 19, and 30 post-mating. Endoscopy was used at d 6 to determine the number of corpora lutea, and litter size data were collected at term. The number of copora lutea was not related (P>.05) to hormone concentrations at any of the sampling times (ANOVA-GLM). No differences in hormone levels were detected at d 5 in response to lambing number. At d 19, 5��-pregnane-3,20-dione and 5��-pregnane-3��,20��-diol were higher in ewes carrying triplets than ewes carrying twins (P���.008). At d 30, 3��-hydroxy-5��-pregnan-20-one was higher in ewes carrying triplets than twins (P<.05). Five progestins, including progesterone and 20��-hydroxy-4-pregnen-3- one, were lower at d 5 in ewes that conceived (n=26) than in ewes that did not conceive (n=6) at the first mating (P<.05). Concentrations of ten progestins were different (P<.05) (some higher and some lower) between groups of ewes that conceived at the first mating versus those that conceived at the second mating. In ewes that conceived at the second mating, pregnenolone and 5��-pregnane-3,20- dione were higher (P<.05) at d 5 than at d 5 of their previous non-conceptive cycle. Of the six ewes that were mated a second time, two still did not conceive but had elevated concentrations of three 5��-pregnanes (P<.05). Although there are differences in progestin profiles in ewes carrying different numbers of fetuses, concentrations alone are not adequate predictors of prolificacy at early gestation. It is inconclusive whether detection of pregnancy is possible as early as d 5 of gestation. / Graduation date: 2001