Field application of small ruminant ultrasound is primarily used for pregnancy detection and fetal number beginning at mid-gestation. Efforts to estimate fetal age and number early in small ruminant pregnancies are limited. We hypothesized that detection of pregnancy and fetal landmarks before d 45 via transabdominal ultrasound is reliable in the sheep, and may be used to determine fetal age during early in sheep. To test this hypothesis, 106 Western Whiteface ewes were exposed to 1 of 4 rams. The day a ewe was marked by a ram was considered d 0 of pregnancy. Transabdominal ultrasound (Easi-Scan, BCF Technology, Rochester, MN) was performed 3 times/wk with a 5 MHz rectal transducer in the right non-haired abdominal region of the ewe starting at d 26.0 ± 0.3 (range d 22 to d 30). Pregnancy was confirmed in 88 ewes, with the remaining identified as non-pregnant. Fluid-filled uterine cross-sections provided first evidence of pregnancy from d 26.0 ± 2.9 onward. Pregnancy was confirmed by the presence of a fetus with a heartbeat on d 28.5 ± 0.4. Singleton pregnancies were detected later than multiple pregnancies (singletons: d 31.2 ± 0.9, twins: d 27.6 ± 0.9, triplets: d 26.3 ± 1.0, P < 0.01). The uterine horn of fetal origin had no effect on identifying singleton pregnancies (P = 0.52). Placentome evagination was first observed at d 33.8 ± 0.4, separation of limb buds at d 35.2 ± 0.7, fetal genitalia spots at d 37.9 ± 0.7, mature placentomes at d 40.6 ± 0.4, and ribs at d 42.9 ± 1.4. Additionally, 3 fetal losses were identified by d 40.0 ± 0.7 of pregnancy (3.4% early embryonic loss rate). Accuracy of counting fetuses (77.6%) increased with decreasing number of offspring. That is, identification of singletons, twins and triplets was 95, 80 and 41%, respectively. Pregnancy detection via transabdominal ultrasound was accurate as early as d 28 in sheep and sensitive enough to consistently identify early embryonic developments before d 45. Distinguishing these fetal landmarks may allow for estimating fetal age to improve early detection of pregnancy and breeding management of sheep.