Author Topic: It's twins! (Read 2546 times)

smee2012 · « **on:** April 13, 2014, 08:00:34 am »

It took quite some time but my third of four ewes finally finished lambing at 1.30 this morning. She'd taken herself off at about 4pm to 'her spot' and had been restless all day but showing no signs of mucous or contractions etc. Stage 2 looked like it started at around 10.30pm, with one hoof sticking out for quite some time and no nose visible (but the other hoof was) each time she strained. I decided to leave her another 20 mins whilst I went back up the field to the house to gather emergency supplies for a suspected head back. Got back down and she'd literally just got the lamb out, but what a whopper!
Treacle was up and licking away at her very first baby immediately, and then another 40 mins or so later she lay back down and out popped another lamb, which got the same licking treatment and lovely maternal noises from mum. She even let her friend (who had twins about 10 days ago) come and have a sniff and lick!
Out came the placenta, her teats were stripped and then they were both up and suckling. I haven't penned them up this time as she seems utterly devoted to them.

There's a huge disparity in size between the lambs - is this perfectly normal? Our other set of twins were much the same size!

Gunnermark · « **Reply #1 on:** April 13, 2014, 08:10:35 am »

Great news, still waiting for my girls to kick off!!

wellies · « **Reply #2 on:** April 13, 2014, 08:48:20 am »

Congrats smee2012. Yes we have disparity in some of our twin sizes but normally if they are a surprise and the ewe was only fed for a single but even in the ewes who have been correctly scanned we still do get ones that are a lot smaller, they soon catch up

Bionic · « **Reply #3 on:** April 13, 2014, 08:56:30 am »

Congratulations Smee.

From my first set of twins this year the second was born an hour later and was very small compared to her brother. She looked frail and was having trouble finding the teat. We gave her some kick start but most of it missed her mouth

Well that was just over a week ago. They have been out side for a few days now and my little girl, Una, is getting bigger and doing well. When the lamb pack play follow the leader she is always at the front leading them into trouble.

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #4 on:** April 13, 2014, 09:54:04 am »

Congratulations Smee. Watching mum attentive with newborn lambs is such a rewarding gift.
Just awaiting your piccies now

Rosemary · « **Reply #5 on:** April 13, 2014, 10:49:14 am »

Congratulations

trish.farm · « **Reply #6 on:** April 13, 2014, 10:56:44 am »

Awwww, congratulations!!!

smee2012 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 13, 2014, 12:19:13 pm »

Sorry! I've taken my phone down three times now and forgotten to take pics every time!

smee2012 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 13, 2014, 09:15:15 pm »

OK, managed to get some pics this afternoon. The first one is of Treacle with her new (and very first) babies, Bramble and Briar Rose - we have to have 'B' names this year and I thought these appropriate names for these two, given that mum elected to give birth near the brambles and next to the area of hedgerow that has the wild rose in!

The second one shows (just about) all five of our lambs (the others are called Buttercup, Bluebell and Busby), and the three mums. There's one ewe missing, she's separated herself quite a bit today so I'm thinking she'll be lambing tonight. I think I spotted a string of something hanging down when she was at the trough an hour ago!

Our gender ratio is 4:1 to the girls at the moment. I wonder if Flossie will have a pair of tup lambs to even things up a bit? I hope so - I'm loathe to slaughter ewe lambs for meat! My daughters have already decided (sadly) the boy names if so: Batman and Badger!!