Author Topic: My friends most disasterous lambing ... (Read 2383 times)

Backinwellies · « **on:** April 30, 2016, 07:50:53 pm »

Started as complete novices with 6 Jacob shearlings. These are not tame sheep and take some rounding up.
Borrowed 2 ram lambs who seem to have done the job but were in far too long so no idea when due to lamb.
Aim to lamb outside.

Ewe 1 lambs twins in the field and all seems fine
Ewe 2 starts lambing but inexperienced shepherds are not sure how long she has been lambing ... I drive on over .. can only just get fingers in and can only feel what I think is a rear end .. off to vet ... dead lamb (was breech)
.
Me and OH go over to help ring first 2 lambs ... (told this story before) ewe drops dead on us in field. ... attempt to foster 2 orphans on ewe who lost her lamb 2 days ago fails.

Next ewe lambs twins ... fox takes first one one night then returns for the second last night!

So results to date .... 3 ewes lambed, 5 lambs.... 1 ewe and 3 lambs dead ... 2 lambs on bottle.

I can't believe their bad luck! (and all this is on top of 2 of the family contracting life threatening auto immune diseases this last year too )

Bionic · « **Reply #1 on:** April 30, 2016, 08:02:03 pm »

Gosh, I don't know what to say

suziequeue · « **Reply #2 on:** April 30, 2016, 08:05:01 pm »

OMFG how awful and what a dreadful thing to experience as a novice shepherd. Thank god you were there to help somewhat and provide some reassurance and moral support.

Hope it doesn't put them off.....

silkwoodzwartbles · « **Reply #3 on:** April 30, 2016, 08:05:41 pm »

Blimey, poor people, that's a really horrendous lambing! Are they going on to continue with sheep or has this put them off?

Backinwellies · « **Reply #4 on:** April 30, 2016, 08:16:22 pm »

Quote from: silkwoodzwartbles on April 30, 2016, 08:05:41 pm

Blimey, poor people, that's a really horrendous lambing! Are they going on to continue with sheep or has this put them off?

They had decided that due to the illnesses that they were going to sell the land and buy something smaller so this was to be their only lambing for now.... I feel a bit guilty as they had thought they wouldn't get ram in .. I encouraged them as I felt the ewes were heading for far to fat.

Prayers / hugs or any other lucky charms you could send them would be very much appreciated... I just cant believe what a run of bad luck they have had this last year.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #5 on:** April 30, 2016, 08:59:18 pm »

Way back when, we started with Jacobs. Awful. All we ever learnt about lambing problems was from them. If your friend's ewes were too fat then that could have been the last straw.

I do so hope things calm down for them and their family

Hevxxx99 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 30, 2016, 08:59:57 pm »

Positive vibes from me. What a horrrendous start to sheep keeping for them!

Beeducked · « **Reply #7 on:** April 30, 2016, 10:05:23 pm »

Wow! And I thought I had had bad year!

My most favourite sheep (Brenda, the world's most awesome sheep) and the most scary sheep I have met (Lucifer - yes, he really came to us named that and there was no question about how he had earned the name!) were both Jacobs.

Liz Kershaw · « **Reply #8 on:** April 30, 2016, 11:03:01 pm »

Poor people, am sending many hugs their way. Our first year last year was pretty dreadful and in a small flock any losses loom large. Hope that this year is better for them in all ways possible.